Colman Domingo spoke with The New York Times in a recent interview about the moment he almost walked away from acting. The Color Purple star said he “lost his mind” after he was turned down for a role due to the color of his skin.
In 2014, Domingo got a callback for a role as the maître d’ at a Black-owned nightclub on Boardwalk Empire, and he thought this might be his big break. Then a historical researcher on the show told producers that “the maître d’s in those nightclubs were typically light-skinned,” according to the outlet.
“That’s when I lost my mind,” the Euphoria actor said. He recalled telling his agent, “I can’t take it anymore, I think this is going to kill me.”
Now, Domingo has been nominated for a Golden Globe for his role as the gay civil rights icon, Bayard Rustin, in the 2023 film Rustin—and could receive an Oscar nomination for the role as well.