Clarence Maclin (‘Sing Sing’) eyes historic Oscar nomination for playing himself

Clarence Maclin gives a star-making performance in his feature film debut, playing himself in A24’s Oscar hopeful “Sing Sing.” Following its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the movie directed by Greg Kwedar was released July 12 in the United States. The scene-stealing actor brings his own story to the big screen, earning Oscar buzz for his emotional portrayal as “Divine Eye,” an incarcerated drug dealer who finds hope in Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), a nonprofit founded by Katherine Vockins at Sing Sing in 1996.

Colman Domingo stars as John “Divine G” Whitfield, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit. He finds purpose by acting in the theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.

SEE ‘Sing Sing’ reviews: Colman Domingo is ‘stupendous’ in ‘rare and precious’ film

Should Maclin earn a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance, he’d be among the first to do so playing a direct version of himself. The closest comparisons would be Harold Russell (“The Best Years of Our Lives” in 1947) and Haing S. Ngor (“The Killing Fields” in 1985), who each took home supporting Oscars for playing fictional versions of themselves (with different character names) in their respective films.

Other than Domingo and Oscar nominee Paul Raci, “Sing Sing” mostly stars formerly incarcerated performers, the majority of them alumni of the RTA program. The film’s screenplay is by Kwedar and Clint Bentley, with additional story credits from Maclin and Whitfield. In an interview on “Today,” Maclin revealed he was “apprehensive” about reliving his experience for the movie.

“Nobody wants to voluntarily walk back into a prison,” he explained. “But, the purpose of doing this outweighed all apprehensions. The message that needed to get to the people, the message that needed to get to the brothers that are still inside, the message that ‘You can be too,’ was more important.”

Domingo said the actors had an “immediate” connection, adding, “We first met on Zoom and we just started chopping it up and talking. We talked about brotherhood and what’s important to us. We finished each other’s sentences, we were born one day apart.”

SEE ‘Sing Sing’ trailer: Colman Domingo and Paul Raci star in A24’s next Oscar hopeful [Watch]

Prior to starring in “Sing Sing,” Maclin was working as a Creative Arts Specialist and National Gang Specialist, stating, “In essence, my dream is to give back to the community I damaged. One of the driving forces for me to gain an education has been this passion.” Now his dream of becoming a professional actor has been jumpstarted by this film. Reviews for his performance have been spectacular, putting Maclin among Gold Derby’s favorites to win an Oscar in 2025.

Stephanie Zacharek (TIME) writes, “His performance has a nervy kind of electricity: Divine Eye has been bruised by life, and by the system, but we can see his desire to climb back into the world as a new person, a more open and self-aware one.” Carlos Aguilar (IGN Movies) notes, “As Divine Eye, Maclin vividly illustrates the difficulty of taking off that mask and giving into a more emotionally malleable version of himself. Nothing scares him more than letting his guard down.” Aguilar adds, the newcomer “stakes his claim as a powerhouse actor.”

Maclin currently ranks second in Gold Derby’s Oscar odds for Best Supporting Actor, trailing Samuel L. Jackson (“The Piano Lesson”). “Sing Sing” has leading odds for Best Picture, Best Actor (Domingo) and Best Adapted Screenplay, as well as top five odds for Best Director (Kwedar).

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