"I was never a struggling actor!" — When Colman Domingo gave his bold insight into his early days of acting
Colman Domingo is widely recognized for his contributions to the film and television industries. Apart from the critical acclaim most of his works garnered, Domingo himself has received various awards, including a Primetime Emmy. He has also received nominations for two Academy Awards and two Tony Awards. Many of his movies have also been Oscar favorites, and Domingo has dominated in each one of these roles.
Having a body of work like this is not easy, but it seems that Colman Domingo just sees his profession differently than most others. An instance of this would be when he was asked about his early acting days in a 2024 interview with The Talks, where he refused to accept that he was ever a struggling actor. Rather, as he said, he was always an actor, and the struggle was more of a matter of perspective.
This goes on to show how Colman Domingo's positive approach to acting, as well as his affinity for it, have played a big part in his success.
"It's funny — I'm going to say something that I think I've never said before, but I bristled years ago when friend of mine said, "Oh, back when you were a struggling actor…" And I thought: "I was never a struggling actor! I was an actor." It all depends on the lens you're going from," he said about his early acting days.
In this same interview, the actor further elaborated on what he felt about his profession and how he reacted to "struggle."
"I wasn't struggling, I was having a life of an artist." — Colman Domingo on his unique perspective in the early days of his career
Colman Domingo seems to have a way of looking at things that few people can. Not only is the actor not considering that his path to acting was ever a "struggle," per se, but he also believes that being an actor means being one through the various stages of life, even when one is down and struggling.
"While I was bartending, while I was teaching, while I was on unemployment, while I was becoming a writer, while I was living in a rent stabilized apartment, while I was caring for my parents, while I was laying them in the ground in their passing… I was always an actor. Struggle? I've never attached myself to saying struggle. I wasn't struggling, I was having a life of an artist," he explained.
Hearing this, the interviewer brought in the topic of composer Alan Menken, who also believed something similar to what Domingo said.
"There's that different lens! I've also always had that healthy idea of what an artist's life was. Sometimes it didn't look as profitable, it looked a little like you didn't have access sometimes, but I don't know if that's a struggle. Those things are meant to help you figure out who you are and your voice," he elaborated.
With this positive attitude to the profession, Colman Domingo eventually garnered fame and acclaim through his works. Besides his breakthrough role in Fear the Walking Dead (2015–2023) as Victor Strand, he also appeared in movies like The Butler (2013), Selma (2014), If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020), and Sing Sing (2024).
He is soon set to appear in many other projects as well, like Michael, The Running Man, and Dead Man's Wire, among others.
Stay tuned for more updates.
