Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin used to act while he was in prison, but his skills are now on full display in theaters worldwide. He stars as himself in the new movie Sing Sing, a story that brings awareness to the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program in Sing Sing Correctional Facility. The program helps people in prison “develop critical life skills through the arts,” which the org says models an approach “based on human dignity rather than punishment.”

Clarence went back in time — and back to jail — for the role. He tells ABC Audio he was slightly reluctant but decided the overall mission was greater than his fear.

“I don’t think any of us really want to go voluntarily walk back into a prison, so that wasn’t what we wanted to do at all. Or even put those greens back on, that uniform that identifies you as a prisoner. But the overall purpose of what we was doing is so much bigger than just that apprehension that it outweighed any negative ideas,” he said. “It was really a no-brainer. It was the message that needed to get out … and now we’re glad that it’s out.”

While big names like Colman Domingo and Paul Raci might intimidate some, Clarence says he felt no pressure to work with the actors. “I didn’t feel any pressure because the brothers is just, they just the bros to me now. They’re not big bad Colman or big bad Raci anymore,” he said, noting a brotherhood was formed as they talked about their views on life before working on the film.

“Through that camaraderie, we created the message that we wanted to put out to the world,” Clarence says. “All of us had a hand in creating this message because this camaraderie was built on trust first.”

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