{"id":68900,"date":"2014-05-08T12:38:40","date_gmt":"2014-05-08T12:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2014\/05\/08\/theater-actors-colman-domingo-andre-holland-added-to-ava-duvernays-mlk-biopic-selma\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T04:04:00","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T04:04:00","slug":"theater-actors-colman-domingo-andre-holland-added-to-ava-duvernays-mlk-biopic-selma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/theater-actors-colman-domingo-andre-holland-added-to-ava-duvernays-mlk-biopic-selma\/","title":{"rendered":"Theater actors Colman Domingo, Andre Holland added to Ava DuVernay\u2019s MLK Biopic \u2018Selma\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Theater actors Colman Domingo, Andre Holland added to Ava DuVernay\u2019s MLK Biopic \u2018Selma\u2019<\/strong>Posted by Wilson Morales<\/p>\n

May 8, 2014<\/p>\n

\"Colman<\/a><\/p>\n

Stage and screen actors Colman Domingo<\/strong> and Andre Holland<\/strong> have been added to Ava DuVernay\u2019s MLK Biopic \u2018Selma,\u2019<\/strong> playing the Reverend Ralph Abernathy<\/strong> and politician Andrew Young<\/strong> respectively.<\/p>\n

Selma details the attempts of black marchers to walk from Selma to Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, in 1965 in order to gain voting rights, only to be beaten back by police. It took the organizers three attempts to make the journey as marchers swelled in numbers each time.<\/p>\n

Already cast in the film are David Oyelowo<\/strong>, who\u2019s playing Martin Luther King Jr., Carmen Ejogo <\/strong>as his wife Coretta Scott King,<\/strong> <\/strong>Tom Wilkinson<\/strong> as President Lyndon B. Johnson<\/strong>, Short Term 12\u2032s Keith Stanfield<\/a><\/strong> as Jimmie Lee Jackson, Lorraine Toussaint<\/a><\/strong> as civil rights activist Amelia Boynton (Robinson)<\/strong>, and eight-time Grammy nominee artist Ledisi<\/strong> as the legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Ralph<\/a>Abernathy was a leader of the American Civil Rights Movement, a minister, and a close associate of Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. For 13 turbulent years, from 1955 until Dr. King\u2019s death on April 4, 1968, Dr. King and Dr. Abernathy journeyed together, every step of the way and were inseparable as best friends, sharing the same hotel rooms, jail cells and leisure times with their wives, children, family and friends, all the way to the end. By tearing down the walls of segregation, discrimination and helping to establish new legislation, King and Abernathy were able to instill a new sense of pride, dignity and self-worth in millions of African Americans and people of all colors, all over the world. Their Civil and Human Rights Movement serves as an inspiration and model of America\u2019s principled non violent struggle for freedom, justice and equality. Following King’s assassination, Dr. Abernathy took up the leadership of the SCLC Poor People’s Campaign and led the March on Washington, D.C., that had been planned for May 1968, states wikipedia<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Andrew<\/a>According to wikipedia<\/a>, “Young moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1961, and again worked on drives to register black voters. In 1960, he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Young was jailed for his participation in civil rights demonstrations, both in Selma, Alabama, and in St. Augustine, Florida. Young played a key role in the events in Birmingham, Alabama, serving as a mediator between the white and black communities. In 1964, Young was named executive director of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), becoming, in that capacity, one of King’s principal lieutenants. As a colleague and friend of Martin Luther King Jr., he was a strategist and negotiator during the Civil Rights Campaigns in Birmingham (1963), St. Augustine (1964), Selma (1965), and Atlanta (1966) that resulted in the passage of the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act.<\/p>\n

Abernathy and Young were with King in Memphis, Tennessee, when King was assassinated in 1968.<\/p>\n

\"Colman<\/a>Last seen as Freddie Fallows in ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler,’<\/strong> Domingo also had supporting roles in ’42,’ Spike Lee’s ‘Red Hook Summer,’<\/strong> and Steven Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln.’<\/strong> A veteran of the stage, the Philadelphia native was part of the ensemble of the Tony-winning musical Passing Strange<\/strong>, and won several accolades for his self-penned play A Boy and His Soul. <\/strong>He also received a Tony nomination for his featured role in The Scottsboro Boys.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Andre<\/a>Holland recently played sportscaster Wendell Smith in the hit baseball film, ’42,’<\/strong> and had a starring role in the TV series 1600 Penn<\/strong>. Among his theaters credits include are the three characters he played in ‘Blue Door,’ and his roles in ‘Wig Out!’ <\/i><\/strong>and in ‘The Brother\/Sister Plays<\/strong>.’ He also received accolades for his supporting role opposite Andre Braugher<\/strong> in ‘The Whipping Man.’<\/p>\n

Oprah Winfrey<\/strong> and her Harpo production company, Plan B\u2019s Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner<\/strong> and Jeremy Kleiner,<\/strong> and Christian Colso<\/strong>n will produce \u2018Selma.\u2019 Paramount will distribute the film.<\/p>\n

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