Clifton Powell is an American actor from Washington, D.C. He played Pinky in Next Friday, and he played Jeff Brown in Ray. Powell voiced Big Smoke in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Powell was born on 16 March 1956, and he turned 70 on 16 March 2026. This guide gives his age, height, wife, children, movies, and net worth.
TL;DR
- Clifton Powell is an American actor born on 16 March 1956 in Washington, D.C.
- Powell played Pinky, Jeff Brown in Ray, and Chauncey in Menace II Society.
- Powell is 70 in November 2026, after more than four decades on screen.
- Powell stands at 5 ft 8 in in most listings, and other listings give taller figures.
- Powell married Kimberly Powell, and they have two children, Maya Powell and Clifton Powell Jr.
- Powell holds a net worth most often listed at $400,000 to $500,000, and other listings give higher figures.
- Powell voiced Big Smoke in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, so his fans aren’t only film fans.
Clifton Powell at a Glance
Detail | Information |
|---|---|
Full name | Clifton Powell |
Born | 16 March 1956, Washington, D.C., United States |
Age | 70 in November 2026 |
Profession | Actor, producer, director, voice actor |
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) in most listings |
Spouse | Kimberly Powell in most listings |
Children | Maya Powell, Clifton Powell Jr. |
Known for | Next Friday, Ray, Menace II Society, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
Net worth | $400,000 to $500,000 in most listings |
The table uses TheCityCeleb, NetWorthPost, ColumbusBlack, IMDb, and TMDB. It gives the core facts in one place, and it doesn’t hide the conflicts that follow.
Who Is Clifton Powell?
Clifton Powell is an American actor with a long run in supporting roles on film and TV. He started on stage, and he built his name as a tough, funny, and sharp character player in the US. Powell grew up in Mayfair Mansions in Northeast Washington, D.C., and he found acting at school after he watched My Fair Lady. Powell attended H.D.
Woodson Senior High School, and he later graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Powell studied at Emerson College in Boston, and he earned a degree in speech and education there. Powell won an NAACP Theatre Award for Best Actor on stage, and that work gave him a base for screen work in Los Angeles. Powell built a career as a supporting player in the US, in the same lane as Eric Roberts. Powell doesn’t chase lead roles.
How Old Is Clifton Powell?
Clifton Powell is 70 years old in November 2026. He was born on 16 March 1956 in Washington, D.C., and he turned 70 on 16 March 2026. Powell grew up in the Mayfair Mansions area, and he went to St. Anthony Catholic School as a boy. Powell moved to H.D. Woodson Senior High School, and he then transferred to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
Powell left school for Emerson College in Boston, where he studied from 1974 to 1979 and earned a degree in speech and education. Powell started young in Washington, D.C., and Ben Tibber also began acting as a child, though their paths took very different turns. Powell isn’t a newcomer, and he got his first TV movie role in 1981, when he was 25.
How Tall Is Clifton Powell?
Clifton Powell stands at 5 ft 8 in in most listings, with a listed height of 1.73 m. His listed weight is 75 kg, about 165 lbs. Powell appears taller on screen, and that look feeds the taller figures. Powell holds a different height in several other listings, so the figures do not match. One listing gives 5 ft 9 in, a second gives 5 ft 10 in, a third gives 5 ft 11 in, and a fourth gives 6 ft.
One more listing gives 6 ft 5 in, but it pairs that figure with 178 cm, which is 5 ft 10 in, so that listing contradicts itself. Powell holds no verified public measurement from a primary source. Powell shows black hair and brown eyes in most listings. Powell isn’t a tall leading man by the numbers, yet his voice and presence make him loom large in a scene.
What Movies and TV Shows Has Clifton Powell Appeared In?
Clifton Powell has a film and TV career from 1981 to 2025. He made his screen start in the TV movie Ephraim McDowell’s Kentucky Ride in 1981, and his film start as Ramon in Alphabet City in 1984. Powell gained wide notice as Chauncey in Menace II Society in 1993, and that role set his path as a hard-edged supporting actor.
Powell played Luke in Rush Hour in 1998, after a part in Dead Presidents in 1995. Powell played Pinky in Next Friday in 2000, and again in Friday After Next in 2002. Powell played Reggie in Woman Thou Art Loosed in 2004, and Jeff Brown in Ray in the same year, for which he earned an NAACP Image Award nomination.
Powell voiced Big Smoke in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in 2004, and fans don’t forget that voice role. Powell played Martin Luther King Jr. in the TV film Selma, Lord, Selma in 1999. Powell played Rex Fisher in Saints and Sinners from 2016 to 2022. Powell shared screens with many young stars, in the same way Deon Richmond built a long TV run from child roles into adult work.
Powell counts credits in more than 100 films and TV shows, and his run covers crime drama, comedy, history, and voice work.
Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
1981 | Ephraim McDowell’s Kentucky Ride | TV movie debut |
1984 | Alphabet City | Ramon |
1993 | Menace II Society | Chauncey |
1995 | Dead Presidents | Cutty |
1998 | Rush Hour | Luke |
1999 | Selma, Lord, Selma | Martin Luther King Jr. |
2000 | Next Friday | Pinky |
2002 | Friday After Next | Pinky |
2004 | Ray | Jeff Brown |
2004 | Woman Thou Art Loosed | Reggie |
2004 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Big Smoke, voice |
2016 to 2022 | Saints and Sinners | Rex Fisher |
Is Clifton Powell Married?
Clifton Powell is married to Kimberly Powell in most listings. He married his high school sweetheart, and the pair have two children together. Powell counts a son named Clifton Powell Jr., born on 23 May 1997 in some listings, and a daughter named Maya Powell. Powell keeps his family life private, and the exact date of his marriage is not public. Powell carries a different wife name in some restaurant stories, which name Gloria Powell.
Powell carries a different daughter name in some listings too, which name May Powell or Justine Powell. Powell shows no public divorce record in the listings checked for this guide, and the split reports in some pages have no firm proof. Powell doesn’t share much about his home life in interviews, and he keeps the focus on his work in film and TV.
What Is Clifton Powell Net Worth?
Clifton Powell holds a net worth most often listed at $400,000 to $500,000. He earned that money from more than four decades of film and TV work in the US. Powell took his largest paydays from supporting roles, not lead roles. Powell drew income from Ray, Rush Hour, and the Friday films, and more income from TV runs on Saints and Sinners and Army Wives, plus voice income from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Powell carries other net worth figures in other listings, so the numbers do not match.
One listing gives $1 million, a second gives $5 million, a third gives $9 million, and a fourth gives $100,000 to $1 million. Powell shows no public financial statement or verified salary record, so none of these figures has a firm proof. Some 2025 stories link two Pasadena shops to his wife, but Powell hasn’t confirmed those shops here.
What Is Clifton Powell Doing Now?
Clifton Powell still acts in 2025 and 2026. He played Pastor Coleman in BMF in 2025, and he played a role in The Family Business: New Orleans in 2025. Powell keeps a mix of studio and indie roles, and his IMDb page lists new work in 2026 as well. Powell works in Los Angeles and Atlanta. Powell keeps working in his 70s, a path Max Joseph also followed in a very different field, and his pace hasn’t dropped to zero. Powell isn’t retired, and his 2025 TV credits show that his career is still live.
Frequently Asked Questions About Clifton Powell
How old is Clifton Powell?
Clifton Powell is 70 in November 2026. He was born on 16 March 1956 in Washington, D.C.
How tall is Clifton Powell?
Clifton Powell stands at 5 ft 8 in in most listings. Other listings give 5 ft 9 in, 5 ft 10 in, 5 ft 11 in, and 6 ft.
Who is Clifton Powell married to?
Clifton Powell is married to Kimberly Powell in most listings. Some restaurant stories name Gloria Powell, so that name stays unconfirmed here.
What is Clifton Powell net worth?
Clifton Powell holds a net worth most often listed at $400,000 to $500,000. Other listings give $1 million, $5 million, and $9 million.
Who did Clifton Powell play in Next Friday?
Clifton Powell played Pinky in Next Friday in 2000. He played Pinky again in Friday After Next in 2002.
Who did Clifton Powell play in Ray?
Clifton Powell played Jeff Brown in Ray in 2004. He earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for that role.
Who did Clifton Powell voice in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas?
Clifton Powell voiced Big Smoke in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in 2004.
Is Clifton Powell still acting?
Clifton Powell is still acting in 2025 and 2026. He has roles in BMF and The Family Business: New Orleans, and he hasn’t retired.
Conclusion
Clifton Powell built a long career from stage in Washington, D.C. to film and TV in Los Angeles. He is 70, married to Kimberly Powell, and known as Pinky and Jeff Brown. His net worth is most often listed at $400,000 to $500,000, and his height is most often listed at 5 ft 8 in. His work in Ray, Menace II Society, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas keeps his name in US search. Powell doesn’t plan to stop.