Clifton Powell

The actor says a network once turned him down for a major part saying, 'He’s So Dark He’s Gonna Scare Everybody'. Clifton Powell’s remarkable acting career spans over 30 years with renowned roles in Ray, Eve’s Bayou and Woman Thou Art Loosed. Now, the actor is candidly speaking out on how he’s been slighted from potential roles due to colorism in the industry.

In a recent interview, Clifton Powell opened up about his career and revealed he was denied a film role because of his skin tone. Powell has made his mark in Hollywood with a 30-plus year career as an actor in a cut-throat and often unfair business. He has managed to find success in the TV and film industry, even earning an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in Ray.

Series star Clifton Powell wants Friday 4 to happen now more than ever as a way to pay homage to late franchise actors John Witherspoon and Tommy "Tiny" Lister. Last year, Witherspoon, who played Pops in all three movies, sadly passed away at the age of 77. Earlier this month, fans of the franchise lost another favorite when Lister died at 62. Among dozens of roles in other movies and TV shows, Lister was particularly well-known for playing Deebo in the first two Friday movies.

Clifton Powell says 'Friday 4' absolutely needs to get off the ground as an homage to the franchise's late stars John Witherspoon and Tommy "Tiny" Lister. We got Clifton -- who played Pinky in "Next Friday" and "Friday After Next" -- at LAX and talked about the chances of another sequel happening following Pops' death in 2019 and Deebo's sudden passing earlier this month.