Colman Domingo made history yesterday by becoming the first Afro-Latino to secure an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Of Belizean and Guatemalan descent, Domingo received the nomination for his portrayal of the title character in the biopic Rustin, directed by George C. Wolfe. His nomination also marked only the second time an openly gay man has been recognized for playing a gay character.
Based on the true story of Bayard Rustin, the film depicts an activist dedicated to the quest for racial equality, human rights, and worldwide democracy. Rustin played a pivotal role in organizing the 1963 March on Washington alongside Martin Luther King Jr. However, as an openly gay Black man, he was largely overlooked and marginalized within the civil rights movement he helped shape.
In addition to the Academy Awards, Domingo is also a nominee for Best Actor in the BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, Golden Globe, Critics Choice, Astra, and Satellite Award for his starring role as Bayard Rustin.
Born in Philadelphia in 1969 to a Belizean father and a Guatemalan family, Domingo attended Temple University, majoring in journalism. His career in the arts commenced after college as a playwright in San Francisco, and he has been involved in acting since the late nineties. Domingo has received nominations for a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, and an Olivier Award.
His film credits include roles in The Color Purple, Lincoln, 42, Selma, The Butler, and If Beale Street Could Talk. In 2015, he joined the cast of AMC’s highly acclaimed post-apocalyptic zombie series, Fear the Walking Dead, portraying the character Victor Strand.
Domingo is a two-time Film Independent Spirit, Gotham, SAG, Critics Choice, NAACP Image, Tony, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League, and NAACP Theatre Award nominee for his work on stage and screen. He is an OBIE and Lucille Lortel Award-winning actor, playwright, director, and producer.
Domingo received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. He is on the faculty of the University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts as a Professor of acting, after having served as a Juilliard School Creative Associate and a faculty member of the Yale School of Drama. He has been honored with the inaugural Denver Film CinemaQ-LaBahn Ikon Film Award, the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award, the Creative Coalition Television Humanitarian Award, and Atlanta’s Out On Film Icon Award. Through his award-winning production company, Edith Productions, Colman develops television, film, theater, and animation projects.
