Colman Domingo Often Sent Scripts on 'Slavery and Queerness'
Colman Domingo has not reached his current status in Hollywood by limiting himself to roles that portray him as queer or enslaved, and he has no intention of starting now.
In his GQ Hype cover story, the Academy Award-nominated actor voiced his frustration over his production company, Edith, frequently receiving scripts that emphasize his sexuality and identity.
“The two things that I constantly get sent are about slavery and being queer,” he said. “And I always think, ‘So why are you sending me this if this isn’t even any of my interests, really?’”
The Afro-Latino playwright, known for his role in projects including The Color Purple and Fear the Walking Dead, explained that he is more interested in producing stories that “have a lot of light in them.” In his upcoming film, Sing Sing, Domingo revealed that he wrote a line for his character: “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.”
Domingo, who has been open about his sexuality since coming out in his 20s, expressed confusion over the accolades given to people who come out after a long time in the closet.
“They’re getting more access; they’re getting honors and awards and things like this. After a while, you sit there with your own feelings, you’re like, ‘But what about the people who just have been out, who’ve been taking possible knocks or lack of access? And no one’s giving them any praise or awards for that?'” Speaking from his own experience, Domingo shared that fans are sometimes surprised to learn he is queer, adding, “I don’t even know what that means. Am I supposed to have some indicator on me?”
Earlier this year, Domingo made history as the first openly gay Black man to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in Rustin.
The actor is set to star as the controversial patriarch Joe Jackson in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic.
