This is the first of an ongoing column I’d like to run, saluting particularly outstanding performers who might otherwise go under the radar. It can be someone who’s had a particularly great run in several different roles, or maybe just someone doing a specific slam-bang knockout job and not getting their due.

Today I’d like to single out Clifton Collins, Jr. You’ll either say “Who the heck is that guy?” or look at the picture above and think, “Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” I was reminded of him this week in the oddest of places – and ad for the new Boondock Saints sequel. Collins, I feel, is one of those modern journeyman actors, adept at any kind of performance in any genre.

I often discover performers in the oddest of roles – for example, though I’m not sure why, I first took note of James McAvoy as Mr. Tumnus in the Narnia movie, only to realize I had seen in him in several earlier British films and TV programs. So, too, did I first catch Collins in the thriller Mindhunters, a glorified slasher pic that’s (slightly) better than you’d expect. Then I looked him up and realized that I had seen him in plenty of movies throughout the ‘90s, including Grand Canyon, Menace II Society, The Replacement Killers, and Tigerland.

Collins also played in Traffic. He starred in what I believe to be the most authentic of the three interwoven tales, the Mexican one. Benicio del Toro may have won the Oscar, but Collins is pretty convincing as a Tijuana hit man.

According to his IMDb page, Collins will turn 40 next year, but what works for him is that because his looks skew fairly young. This means that he can also play a variety of mentalities, from hostile to juvenile, to, well, charming. That’s why he can play both a baddie in this year’s summer blockbuster Star Trek (he was the sidekick to Nero, the Romulan a-hole played by Eric Bana), as well as a potential love interest in Sunshine Cleaning (he was the one-armed cleaning supply storeowner with the model airplane obsession). Seriously, this guy is so good he plays roles with one arm tied behind his back! (After reading that line, please go here and press the red button. — Mark)

Of course, for me, Collins’ best role to date is that of confessed killer Perry Smith in Bennett Miller’s Capote (fun fact: in Infamous, current Bond man Daniel Craig played the part). Though what most people remember is Philip Seymour Hoffman’s nuanced (and, like del Toro, Oscar-winning) performance, Collins humanizes the character in a way that puts a real face on the murders that comprised Capote’s signature work. Whether historically accurate or not, Collins’ Smith is sympathetic, a man sheltering a secret pain that causes him to bond with the writer in a most unexpected way.

Collins is the best type of character actor, a chameleon who’s up for any role but never calls more attention to himself than necessary. His co-star’s award wins are due in some measure to what he gave in his scenes with them. And you might see even more of him soon; I’ve read that he might be joining the show Southland as it moves to TNT.

There’ll be more of these columns to come, but in the meantime, how many of you guys knew of Collins before this article? What do you think of him?