He’d done a lot of TV and bit parts in movies, mostly, before Clifton Collins Jr. first popped into the public consciousness with a gripping turn as one of the murders in “Capote.”

I interviewed him back then and he became one of those character actors I sat up and noticed, every time out, in the decades that followed. “Sunshine Cleaning,” “Veronica Mars,” “The Mule” and “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” are among his best known credits.

Hey, if Clint AND Quentin pick up on your genius, you know you’re special.

This Dec. 29 (limited) release gives Collins the rare chance to hold the spotlight, playing an aging, injured jockey looking for one last shot.