Broadway star Colman Domingo Added To The Butler, 42, and LincolnBy Wilson Morales
June 29, 2012
After many years in the theater world, where he’s appeared in the Tony Award musical Passing Strange, his self-penned off-Broadway play ‘A Boy and His Soul,’ and ‘The Scottsboro Boys,’ Broadway and stage actor Colman Domingo is asserting himself more in films and spoke to Blackfilm.com about the slew of film projects he has coming up, including roles in Lee Daniels’ ‘The Butler,’ Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln,’ and the Jackie Robinson biopic ’42.’
The Butler stars Forest Whitaker in the true story of Eugene Allen, the White House butler who served eight American presidents, observed the civil rights movement, and was brought back after he retired to witness the inauguration of the country’s first black president, Barack Obama. Also in the film are David Oyelowo, Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Jane Fonda, Jesse Williams, Lenny Kravitz, and Minka Kelly.
What role do you have in the film?
Colman Domingo: I’m playing one of the other butlers. It’s me and Forest Whitaker, Cuba Gooding Jr., David Oyelowo, and Oprah Winfrey. I think I have a really beautiful role. I play a significant butler in the White House. We start shooting next month in New Orleans.
How was working on ‘Lincoln’ and ’42’?
CD: Both were great. I play Private Harold Green in ‘Lincoln,’ where me and David Oyelowo have some really beautiful moments with the President (played by Daniel Day Lewis). I can’t say much on the film, but it’s a wonderful role and was a beautiful experience working on that project. Working with Spielberg was fantastic. You’re working with the best of the best. He’s the most humble, lighthearted, and generous man and working with Daniel Day Lewis was spectacular. He’s the actor’s actor. In ’42,’ I play Lawson Bowman and he used to own this steakhouse up in Harlem where he and Jackie Robinson had a great relationship. I shot that in Georgia.
Besides these highly anticipated film, the Philadelphia native also several independent films on the docket as well, stating, “I also have ‘Lucky Dog‘ with Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd, and ‘HairBrain‘ with Parker Posey and Brendan Fraser. I just shot a film called ‘Newlyweeds‘ by a guy called Shaka King and that was awesome. I will get started on another film called ‘Langston.’ I have about nine films coming out between now and next year.
Domingo will next be seen this summer in Spike Lee‘s film, ‘Red Hook Summer,’ which hits theaters on August 10.
