Colman Domingo has said that his sexuality has influenced his work throughout his entire career.
The actor however asserts that he doesn’t want his identity or sexual orientation to be used to define him. It is in this regard that the Oscar-nominated actor recently told GQ that he sometimes questions the scripts that come across his desk at his production company, Edith which he co-runs with his husband, Raúl Domingo.
“The two things that I constantly get sent are about slavery and being queer and I always think, ‘So why are you sending me this if this isn’t even any of my interests, really?’”
The black-latin actor and filmmaker, who is openly gay, went on to say that he likes to write and produce movies that “have a lot of light in them.”
Despite his reputation as a dramatic actor, he is open to trying new things in different genres, like humor but adds he will always be appreciative of his serious parts especially the one in which he played civil rights pioneer Bayard Rustin in 2023’s Rustin, for which he was nominated for his first Oscar.
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“I enjoy having a reputation for seriousness. If people are ultimately interested in knowing me for my gravitas, I’ll take that. Because some people wish they could be known for gravitas and there’s no way they could have gravitas”, he said.
Having come out to his family in his 20s, Colman Domingo’s sexuality has also been a part of his Hollywood career.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean he wants certain stories to be continuously associated with him. He stated: “I don’t even know what that means. Should I be carrying some sort of indicator?” the actor quizzed.
Concerning how sexuality is seen in the industry, he stated: “I would always be confused with the people who were suddenly honored because they came out of port on me after a long time of being in the closet and they came out, and suddenly they’d been given the keys to the city. After coming out, they were unexpectedly handed the city’s keys. 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?” Domingo went on.