Clarence Maclin

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 was nominated for the 2025 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

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)

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]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2023	Sing Sing	Himself	Also writer and executive producer
TBA	In Starland		Pre-production[13]

Awards and nominations

Year	Awards	Category	Nominated work	Result	Ref.
2024	The Astra Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Sing Sing	Nominated	[14]
	Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actor		5th place	[15]
	Gotham Awards	Outstanding Supporting Performance		Won	[16]
		Social Justice Tribute		Won
	San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards	Best Adapted Screenplay		Won	[17]
	Seattle Film Critics Society Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Won	[18]
	Academy Awards	Best Adapted Screenplay		Nominated	[19]
2025	Independent Spirit Awards	Best Supporting Performance		Nominated	[20]
	British Academy Film Awards	Best Actor in a Supporting Role		Nominated	[21]
		Best Adapted Screenplay		Nominated
	Critics' Choice Movie Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Nominated	[22]
	AARP Movies for Grownups Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Nominated	[23]
		Best Ensemble		Won
	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Nominated	[24]
		Best Adapted Screenplay		Nominated