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Part 7: Clifton Powell: My Career Took Off After Playing "Cutty" in "Dead Presidents"
Part 1: Clifton Powell on Losing His Mother to Suicide at Age 4: She Just Walked Into the Night
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Veteran actor Clifton Powell revealed in a recent interview that he walked off a TV show called *Simon* after realizing the role painted a harmful and racist caricature of Black people. Powell explained he was initially unaware that his character was a stereotypical “coon” figure—a buffoonish, degrading portrayal tied to negative racial tropes. When he saw the show described as featuring him playing “the neighborhood coon” in *Ebony Jr.*, he confronted the producers during rehearsals, refusing to portray a character who would rob white tenants just after getting out of prison. Despite pressure from the showrunners, Powell stood firm, ultimately leaving the production and getting fired—though he still received a $70,000 payout. Powell contrasted this experience with other roles, emphasizing the importance of dignity and rejecting harmful stereotypes in his work, reflecting his commitment to authentic representation in Hollywood.
