Clarence Maclin

Clarence Maclin
Maclin at the 2024 Hamptons International Film Festival
Born	(1966-11-29) November 29, 1966 (age 58) [1] Tennessee, U.S.
Other names	Divine Eye
Education	Mercy University (AS)
Known for	Sing Sing (2023)

Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin (born November 29, 1966) ^[1] is an American actor, youth counselor, creative arts specialist, and gang intervention specialist. He portrayed a fictionalized version of himself in the 2023 film Sing Sing . His performance earned him nominations for Best Supporting Actor at the BAFTA Awards, Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Gotham Awards, and Independent Spirit Awards. Additionally, Maclin is nominated for the 2025 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Early life and education

Maclin was born in Tennessee and raised in Mount Vernon, New York. ^[2] He attended Mount Vernon High School and earned an associate degree in behavioral psychology from Mercy University. ^[3]

Career

When he was 29, Maclin was sentenced to 17 years at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility for robbery. ^[4] During his incarceration, Maclin participated in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. ^{[5] [6]} Since his release, Maclin has worked as a youth counselor, creative arts specialist, and gang intervention specialist at Lincoln Hall Boys Haven in Somers, New York.

He made his feature film debut in Sing Sing, portraying a younger version of himself. Maclin's performance has received critical acclaim. ^{[7] [8] [9] [10]} For the role, Maclin earned nominations for Best Supporting Actor at the 30th Critics' Choice Awards, 34th Gotham Awards, 40th Independent Spirit Awards, 29th Satellite Awards, and 78th British Academy Film Awards; he won the Gotham. He also received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 78th British Academy Film Awards & 97th Academy Awards, alongside co-writers Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, and John "Divine G" Whitfield. ^{[11] [12]}

Awards and nominations

Year	Awards	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
2024	The Astra Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Sing Sing	Nominated	[13]
	Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actor		5th place	[14]
	Gotham Awards	Outstanding Supporting Performance		Won	[15]
		Social Justice Tribute		Won
	San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards	Best Adapted Screenplay		Won	[16]
	Seattle Film Critics Society Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Won	[17]
	Academy Awards	Best Adapted Screenplay		Pending	[18]
2025	Independent Spirit Awards	Best Supporting Performance		Nominated	[19]
	British Academy Film Awards	Best Actor in a Supporting Role		Nominated	[20]
		Best Adapted Screenplay		Nominated
	Critics' Choice Movie Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Nominated	[21]
	AARP Movies for Grownups Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Nominated	[22]
		Best Ensemble		Won
	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Nominated	[23]
		Best Adapted Screenplay		Nominated

References

1. Davidson, Denton (2025-01-07). "Clarence Maclin on becoming a breakout star in 'Sing Sing' and what 'turned that artist back on in me'". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
2. Shrestha, Naman (2024-07-10). "Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin: Where is the Ex-Sing Sing Convict Now?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
3. Daniels, Robert (6 July 2024). "On The Same Level: Paul Raci, Clarence Maclin, and Sean Johnson on Sing Sing | Interviews | Roger Ebert". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
4. Sherman, Rachel (2024-07-12). "For This Drama, Some Actors Returned to Prison by Choice". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-08-10.
5. Ford, Rebecca (2024-08-27). "From "Trouble-Prone" Prisoner to 'Sing Sing' Star". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
6. Hadadi, Roxana (2024-08-15). "Don't Underestimate How Much Sing Sing's Clarence Maclin Knows About Shakespeare". Vulture. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
7. Iscoe, Adam (2024-07-29). "How Clarence Maclin Went from Sing Sing to "Sing Sing"". The New Yorker. ISSN   0028-792X . Retrieved 2024-08-10.
8. Kennedy, Lisa (2024-07-11). "'Sing Sing' Review: Divine Interventions". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-08-10.
9. Davidson, Denton (2024-07-16). "Clarence Maclin ('Sing Sing') eyes historic Oscar nomination for playing himself". GoldDerby. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
10. "Sing Sing star opens up on power of art and playing himself in prison drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
11. "Clarence Maclin - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
12. "The 97th Academy Awards | 2025". Oscars.org. 23 January 2025. Retrieved 24 January 2025.
13. Neglia, Matt (December 15, 2024). "The 2024 St. Louis Film Critics Association (StLFCA) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
14. "Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association – Official site of the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association". 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
15. Lattanzio, Ryan (2024-12-03). "The Refreshing 'A Different Man' Best Feature Win Surprised Many in the Room at the Gothams". IndieWire. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
16. "Bay Area critics pick 'Anora' as best picture of 2024, Colman Domingo as best actor". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. December 15, 2024. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
17. Bis, Josh (2024-12-16). "Seattle Film Critics Society Names "The Substance" the Best Picture of 2024". Seattle Film Critics Society. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
18. "The 97th Academy Awards | 2025". www.oscars.org. 2025-02-10. Retrieved 2025-02-17.
19. Vlessing, Etan (January 20, 2025). "'Anora' Leads Vancouver Film Critics Circle Nominations With Five Nods". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 20, 2025.
20. Wiseman, Andreas (2025-01-15). "BAFTA Nominations: 'Conclave' & 'Emilia Pérez' Lead The Field As Open Awards Race Takes Shape". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
21. Evans, Greg (2024-12-12). "'Conclave' And 'Wicked' Lead Critics Choice Awards Film Nominations – Full List". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-01-24.
22. Pond, Steve (2024-11-25). "'Wicked' Leads Nominations for Astra Film Awards". TheWrap. Retrieved 2025-01-23.
23. "2024 Nominees | International Press Academy" . Retrieved 2025-01-23.

External links

• Clarence Maclin at IMDb