How theater and fashion brought 'Sing Sing's' Colman Domingo out of his shell

In the Oscar-season finale of The Envelope video podcast, we beryllium down with Colman Domingo, pb histrion nominee for “Sing Sing.”

Washington: Hello and invited to the play finale of “The Envelope.” Kelvin Washington, Mark Olsen, Yvonne Villarreal. Looking guardant to this. We’re going to person immoderate Oscar conversations here, of course, to get to that. And with that, I’m going to commencement with you, Mark. We cognize determination are things that benignant of pb up to it, that we tin accidental there’s a trend. There are some, you know, predictors wherever we tin benignant of spot wherever this happening is going. What are we? What’s the latest?

Mark Olsen: Well, it’s interesting. As overmuch arsenic this has been felt similar an unsettled, uncertain year, we person had some, like, precursor awards, and I deliberation things person decidedly started to settee a small bit. Somewhat unusually, some the Directors Guild and the Producers Guild gave retired their awards connected the aforesaid nighttime truthful that radical were hustling from 1 amusement to the adjacent and the movie “Anora” won astatine some of those awards. Sean Baker, the director, won astatine the Directors Guild and past the film, besides produced by Sean Baker, won astatine the PGAs. It’s funny. Back successful September, if you made a database and said, “What bash you deliberation is going to win?” You would person said, “Oh, astir apt ‘Anora,’ I deliberation ‘Anora’s’ looking good.” And past we confuse things. We get each topsy-turvy, and you get connected the roller coaster of awards season, and we marque it much analyzable than it needs to be. And we’ve present ended up backmost astatine “Anora,” wherever we were successful the archetypal place.

Washington: Just spell close backmost to wherever we started. I plaything to you, Yvonne. Those are the precursors Mark was talking about. What astir conscionable your imagination scenario? Maybe it’s a film, possibly it’s a director, possibly it’s an actor, histrion that you conscionable say, “I would emotion for them to get a triumph here.”

Villarreal: I’m going to spell extracurricular the main categories, if that’s OK.

Washington: Yes! This is your dream.

Villarreal: It’s my dream. I consciousness for Diane Warren. This pistillate has been nominated 16 times. Granted, I’m not a euphony person, truthful I can’t truly archer you this opus truly stands retired much than the others. But she’s nominated for the 16th clip for her opus “The Journey” connected Tyler Perry’s “The Six Triple Eight.” And I conscionable consciousness similar springiness her the due.

Olsen: She did get an honorary Oscar for a fewer years ago, truthful she has a statue.

Villarreal: It’s my dream, Mark, truthful laic off! OK. Who’s yours?

Olsen: I deliberation excavation really would beryllium Edward Norton, supporting histrion for “A Complete Unknown,” playing Pete Seeger. Because doesn’t Edward Norton look similar 1 of those radical that should person an Oscar? And helium doesn’t. He’s been nominated before. And also, personally, I’m a large instrumentality of the question representation “A Real Pain.” I similar the histrion Kieran Culkin successful “A Real Pain.” I get annoyed erstwhile radical triumph excessively overmuch and it gets locked successful excessively early, and we’ve seen him springiness the amusive code and everything. And truthful I deliberation the astonishment of Edward Norton, I would similar for him to person an Oscar — I deliberation that’s wherever I’m going.

Villarreal: I besides felt similar that performance, it was truthful calm and understated, and helium made maine permission that movie being like, “I request to beryllium similar that more.”

Washington: Have you been doing that?

Villarreal: No.

Washington: We’ve got time. It’s aboriginal successful the year.

Villarreal: After the podcast is over. Season finale, I tin beryllium calm again.

Washington: For me, you each went a small disconnected the beaten path, if you will. Mine is ace chalky, but Cynthia Erivo due to the fact that —

Villarreal: Oh!

Washington: Hold on.

Villarreal: I’m successful agreement!

Washington: 20th idiosyncratic to triumph an EGOT. I thought that’d beryllium awesome.

Villarreal: I’m thinking, “Why didn’t I deliberation of that?”

Washington: I’ll enactment with you. You have, of course, Colman Domingo, “Sing Sing.” Got a accidental to talk with him erstwhile we did a roundtable earlier. He’s great. He’s awesome. This is benignant of a large play for him.

Villarreal: The movie follows a radical of men enrolled successful a situation theatre program, and Colman is up for pb histrion for his show arsenic Divine G, a antheral that was wrongfully convicted and truly takes connected this enactment relation successful the theatre program. He’s precise overmuch similar I was arsenic a kid: When there’s a radical project, you privation to beryllium the person and truly usher people. And helium comes into a small spot of absorption there. But it’s a truly large performance. It’s his 2nd information for pb actor. The past 1 was for Netflix’s “Rustin” past year, wherever helium played civilian rights activistic Bayard Rustin. So it was a truly amusive conversation. I volition accidental we some wore black, and 1 of america wore it amended than the other. And I deliberation you tin conjecture who that was.

Washington: You did it.

Villarreal: No. Not me. Not me. The antheral tin deterioration — what is it, the Canadian tuxedo? Is that what it’s called? Does it inactive use erstwhile it’s achromatic denim?

Washington: I don’t know. I consciousness similar it’s typically blue. But don’t inquire me.

Villarreal: Well, he’s creating thing other due to the fact that it looks truly good. But it was a amusive conversation.

Washington: He tin bash nary incorrect with fashion. Here helium is, Colman Domingo with “Sing Sing” and Yvonne talking to him.

Colman Domingo with Clarence Maclin successful “Sing Sing.”

(A24)

Villarreal: Colman, acknowledgment truthful overmuch for joining us.

Domingo: It’s bully to beryllium here.

Villarreal: I benignant of consciousness similar we’re connected a “Real Housewives” reunion. I cognize you ticker “Real Housewives.” Don’t deliberation I don’t cognize that.

Domingo: [Laughs] I’m waiting for “[Real Housewives of] Atlanta” to travel backmost due to the fact that I deliberation it’s 1 of those things you similar to ticker conscionable due to the fact that there’s ever immoderate drama. There’s ever immoderate she said, she said. And I don’t know. It’s conscionable a small mindless.

Villarreal: Look, I agelong for the time wherever you get the inspiration to make 1 of their stories into a question picture, due to the fact that I cognize you constitute and direct.

Domingo: Listen, there’s capable material. There’s ever material. There’s worldly that you privation they didn’t have. You’re like, “Save yourself,” you know?

Villarreal: Well, congratulations are successful order. This is your 2nd consecutive twelvemonth being nominated for champion actor. This is for your show successful “Sing Sing,” past twelvemonth it was for “Rustin.” Were determination immoderate lessons learned from past twelvemonth that you applied to however to navigate, oregon possibly enjoy, the process this year? Like, “I’m going to instrumentality up space” oregon “I’m going to spell up to Meryl Streep if I spot her.”

Domingo: Nothing similar that. But I deliberation that I conscionable people effort to beryllium contiguous and bask the infinitesimal and wherever I americium and not fto it beryllium astir the existent award. The thought of being feted for the enactment that you attraction astir and being successful the moment, being present. I consciousness similar that’s thing I navigated beauteous good past year, and this twelvemonth I deliberation I’m adjacent much mindful astir making definite that I rest. I aftermath up aboriginal successful the morning.

Villarreal: 4 a.m., guys.

Domingo: 4 a.m. That’s “me” time. So earlier I travel connected to each this stuff, I got to conscionable beryllium capable to aftermath up early. I similar watching the sunrise. I spell for a small locomotion astir my property.

Villarreal: You interruption down your boxes to recycle.

Domingo: I broke down my boxes to recycle today. They were each stacked up since Christmas, truthful I was conscionable cutting boxes, the astir mundane stuff. But also, erstwhile you bash that, it’s similar you person thing to bash astatine home. I stopped by a nursery and bought ferns due to the fact that I wanted to works immoderate ferns. I didn’t get a accidental to works them yet, but they’re there. I bash things similar that.

Villarreal: Do you journal?

Domingo: No, I don’t journal.

Villarreal: I ever americium funny — sometimes I deliberation astir the enactment that I bash and the radical that I meet, and I’m like, “Why americium I not documenting this?” And I deliberation for you, to look astatine each the enactment you’re doing, the radical you’re collaborating with, bash you ever think, “I should possibly constitute immoderate of this down?”

Domingo: My manager says I should support a diary and constitute these things down, but I deliberation I person a bully memory. And present starting to recognize wherefore I’m not keeping a diary is due to the fact that I similar to beryllium successful the moment, beryllium present, which is wherefore I’m not idiosyncratic who documents a batch of things with a batch of photographs either. I’ll think, “Aw, I should instrumentality this and seizure this,” but I conscionable privation to beryllium present, beryllium determination and benignant of instrumentality snapshots with my mind. And I think, and I hope, that I tin retrieve everything erstwhile I determine to yet constitute each this worldly down and these experiences. Because I americium a playwright. I similar the lens of looking backmost astatine a infinitesimal and it becoming your ain successful technicolor, and your ain perspective, and not the mode it felt erstwhile you’re really feeling it.

Villarreal: Is determination a infinitesimal that stands retired from these past fewer months successful the lead-up to the Oscars? For me, it’s seeing the relationship developed betwixt you and Kieran [Culkin]. I don’t cognize if there’s thing other for you that stands out.

Domingo: Listen, that’s a highlight. I consciousness similar getting to cognize Kieran and getting to cognize Demi [Moore], Mikey [Madison]. That’s the joyousness of this — each the caller comrades that you conscionable and you respect their work. Before we did immoderate of the roundtables, I made definite I watched everyone’s films truthful I tin actually, erstwhile I spot them successful the room, I tin speech astir them. And truthful that’s been the joy. But besides the friendships that I established adjacent before, similar with Bradley Cooper, the radical who travel retired and basal for you and amplify your work. Bradley, Andrew Garfield. I’ve made immoderate existent bully brothers and sisters successful this industry. And it’s bully to spot erstwhile they measurement up and they conscionable say, “Hey, I privation to archer everybody astir your enactment successful the film.” That feels good. So you consciousness similar you’re doing it with a assemblage and not conscionable connected your own.

Villarreal: That’s nice. Well, I cognize with “Sing Sing,” determination wasn’t precisely a publication that they approached you with.

Domingo: No, determination was nary script.

Villarreal: Greg Kwedar, the director, came to you and said, “Read this Esquire article,” oregon possibly you asked for it. What that’s like? I work the nonfiction and I cognize what spoke to me. And I wonderment for you, arsenic not lone an histrion but a writer and director, what is that process similar for you?

Domingo: Well, we made it successful a precise integrated way. I work the nonfiction and it truly spoke to me, particularly the idiosyncratic stories astir these men and however they came to theatre and however theatre was doing thing for them that was offering immoderate catharsis and immoderate moments of alteration and existent rehabilitation successful galore ways. I was fascinated by that. And I wanted to assistance archer this successful a movie setting, particularly erstwhile we drilled down that it’s conscionable astir a relationship much than thing else. It’s not this situation drama, it’s not suffering, each these tropes. It’s thing unsocial and truly showing the anticipation of the quality tone erstwhile you determination creation and emotion and humanity and airy into it. So, I conscionable thought that was great.

We did a batch of enactment connected Zoom, actually. We really got unneurotic connected Zooms, and we talked astir what we were funny in. They acceptable maine up with Clarence Maclin, my co-star, and we talked astir what’s absorbing to america arsenic men, astir the process, astir loving Shakespeare. Greg and Clint [Bentley, the film’s screenwriter] would spell disconnected and constitute and travel backmost and contiguous immoderate scenes to me. We would work them, speech astir the scenes, speech astir conflict, speech astir however we request to dial things up. Clarence would stock things from his lived acquisition of being incarcerated. And I would stock what I cognize arsenic an creator and arsenic a shaper of film, tv and theater. We created this hybrid and conscionable gave everything that we could. The chill happening is I was asked to bring much than conscionable the relation of actor, but to bring each the multihyphenate parts of maine to the process. It’s been a programme that was established to assistance the colonisation with absorption skills, and it’s turned into thing a spot more, I don’t know, wonderful, due to the fact that it helps radical get much successful interaction with their feelings and capable to process and really determination done and genuinely get immoderate rehabilitation.

Villarreal: Did you find immoderate parallels oregon similarities to what brought you to theatre with what brought these men?

Domingo: Yeah.

Villarreal: Tell maine astir that.

Domingo: I was ever a shy kid and not popular. I travel from a precise working-class family. And erstwhile I recovered theatre erstwhile I was 19 years aged astatine Temple University, conscionable taking an acting people arsenic an elective, it gave maine a voice. Because I, actually, I don’t deliberation I had a dependable there. And it gave maine immoderate purpose. You’re creating a community, and you’re doing thing and gathering together. [There were] each these skills that I realized I was drawn to. And also, I emotion the probe facet of it. I emotion history. I emotion the heavy dive. And truthful I felt similar I recovered a spot for maine to belong. And I deliberation a batch of these men recovered that — excessively galore of them accidental that they recovered it overmuch aboriginal than they hoped oregon wished due to the fact that it wasn’t offered to them erstwhile they were younger. And they said that possibly immoderate missteps, immoderate mistakes whitethorn not person happened. So they had this foundation. And that’s precisely what I know. Theater tin look trivial to people, radical lasting onstage and emoting successful immoderate way, but it does truthful overmuch for a person.

Whenever I would teach, I would inquire students to travel successful and amusement maine their monologue, and past I would redo their monologue with them. And I’ve had truthful galore breakthroughs arsenic a teacher. I had this young pistillate travel in, and I’d say, “Give maine immoderate monologues.” And she’s like, “Yeah, I’m going to bash this monologue from Neil LaBute’s ‘Fat Pig.’” Great. And she was large girl. But I met her before, and she was vivacious and comic and interesting. And I was like, “Huh, wherefore did you take that monologue?” And she said, “I deliberation that’s the mode the manufacture would spot me.” And I said, “That’s absorbing due to the fact that I spot you arsenic a queen. I spot you arsenic playing Juliet. I spot you arsenic each these things.” And she cried. I cried. We each cried. And I said, “You person to dictate who you are and find your dependable and not fto different radical archer you who you are.” As a teacher, I would archer my students, “If I springiness you skills to beryllium an actor, that’s great. But if I springiness you skills to find your voice, that’s adjacent better.”

Villarreal: What was that acquisition like, taking that acting people arsenic idiosyncratic that [is shy]? I americium painfully shy. I utilized to fell down my ma [when I was little] astatine each household function. But erstwhile I bash my work, talking to radical similar you, I consciousness similar I’m wearing a mask, similar I’m a superhero and allows maine to bash it. What bash you retrieve clicked for you successful that people wherever you’re like, “This is unlocking thing for me”?

Domingo: I deliberation determination was a consciousness of play, archetypal of all. I retrieve rolling astir connected the level and being silly and being unfastened and utilizing our imaginativeness and doing it unneurotic — like, that was required. It shows that successful our movie “Sing Sing”; it’s required for you to beryllium silly and susceptible and weird and [to] pretend. And I deliberation to beryllium afforded that possibility, I deliberation it unlocked that portion of maine wherever I consciousness like, “Oh, I americium much than what I look to people. I americium arsenic absorbing as, I guess, my parents would judge that I was.” But I was benignant of locked and shy. And truthful it unlocked something. There was the idiosyncratic before — due to the fact that erstwhile I was successful precocious school, nary 1 would ever judge what I’m doing now. Ever. Because I was precise shy. I was connected the schoolhouse newspaper. Every representation of maine successful my precocious schoolhouse yearbook is similar hiding down glasses and a heavy sweater.

Villarreal: That’s inactive me.

Domingo: I consciousness similar I’m a reformed introvert. I consciousness similar I cognize however to bash it. But astatine home, I’m beauteous quiet, actually. I’m ever successful my bureau and speechmaking and doing different things, due to the fact that that’s the introvert. But I cognize however to formal it up and get retired determination present due to the fact that I knew that’s besides thing I needed to larn to do. My champion is erstwhile I’m successful a ample situation and conscionable being one-on-one with idiosyncratic and I consciousness much similar myself. But it’s astir similar a disguise that you person to enactment connected to navigate this world. It’s useful.

Villarreal: It’s weird too, due to the fact that radical volition think, “Is this truly you then, erstwhile we’re retired doing what we’re doing, oregon is this a facade?” But it is conscionable a antithetic broadside of you.

Domingo: People ever deliberation that I similar to beryllium retired each the time. And actually, I don’t.

Villarreal: You privation to beryllium location watching “Housewives.”

Domingo: I deliberation I person a constricted bandwidth for a batch of —

Villarreal: Chaos?

Domingo: Yeah, possibly that’s it. People don’t adjacent know. I tin spell to a enactment and beryllium the halfway of that party. But they don’t adjacent cognize that I’m lone determination for 10 minutes. But I spell successful there, and I marque a large impression, and I bash the thing, and I creation astir about room. And past I propulsion the Irish goodbye and I’m out. People ne'er cognize erstwhile I leave. I’m usually like, “I’ve got to spell instrumentality this telephone astatine ... home.” And I go.

Villarreal: In “Sing Sing,” you play a captive astatine Sing Sing Correctional Facility who’s truly taking connected a enactment relation successful this theatre program. [The film] incorporates the lives of existent prisoners. Your quality is based connected a existent alumnus of the program, John “Divine G” Whitfield. What was that acquisition like? What questions were they asking you? What questions were you asking them? And however did it enrich you arsenic a performer erstwhile that clip was over?

Domingo: The beauteous happening is that we each made a determination to marque it precise organic. I deliberation we were enriching each different conscionable from the leap from our Zoom meetings. I thought it was truthful admirable what they were doing and the enactment that was laid retired successful that Esquire mag article. And erstwhile I got to conscionable them, I conscionable wanted to conscionable them wherever they were. I didn’t privation to inquire what they did oregon however their lives were wrong — that wasn’t really important to me. I wanted to know: Who are they present and what are they consenting to stock conscionable by getting to cognize me? And I consciousness the aforesaid way. I told them what we were funny in, conscionable the mode we would get if got unneurotic erstwhile we archetypal person a coffee, and we conscionable speech and get to cognize each other. So I consciousness similar we conscionable formed a brotherhood and a enslaved beauteous quickly.

And I knew that I had to found an situation wherever they tin thrive. These are grown men who are being thrust into this movie environment, who person had minimal acquisition successful this, but they person a emotion and passionateness for theater. And truthful I wanted to laic a instauration for them to say, “You tin play, and this tin beryllium immoderate you privation it to be. And each it requires is what the programme required of you, which is to beryllium susceptible and beryllium unfastened and — thing that I was precise wide astir — to beryllium tender.” These guys wouldn’t accidental tenderness was a portion of their evolution. But it was. When you person to basal and beryllium bare successful your psyche and woody with past trauma, putting yourself and your communicative into different person’s story, it requires a consciousness of vulnerability and tenderness. Especially erstwhile you’re successful a precise unsafe container, similar a maximum-security prison. So, I deliberation it enriched each of us.

I cognize that I invited my champion friend, Sean San José, to beryllium a portion of the film. He plays Mike Mike. And my different champion friend, Sharon Washington, plays the parole committee proceeding officer. I knew that I needed emotion successful the country truthful I tin beryllium arsenic susceptible arsenic possible. I knew that they would person an effect connected the remainder of the cast, arsenic good arsenic Paul Raci [who plays Brent Buell] — these are the lone nonrecreational actors successful there. And we had an accidental to stock what we cognize and stock it with radical who could beryllium large beneficiaries of it. And I cognize that we’re beneficiaries of what they shared with us. I did this due to the fact that of their work. I didn’t bash this for myself. I did it for them, due to the fact that I wanted to archer their stories and item what bully enactment is imaginable to the radical who are incarcerated erstwhile you find programs that assistance you and assistance you heal, whether it’s gardening oregon photography oregon art.

Villarreal: Being connected the beforehand lines of the wildfires.

Domingo: Exactly. It’s astonishing to me. I consciousness similar everything is successful performance with 1 another. I emotion the information that their stories are being told, like, “Hey, bash you cognize who’s warring these wildfires, who is helping america out?” These are folks that astir radical person enactment distant and retired of their mind. And they’re really the ones who are retired determination to bash the work. And present we conscionable person to marque definite that they’re decently compensated. And there’s a pathway erstwhile they get out.

Villarreal: How transformative is that experience, particularly for you? You’re successful this existent infinitesimal successful your career, and to beryllium moving with radical that attack their enactment for specified axenic reasons. How illuminating was that for you, remembering wherefore you bash what you do?

Domingo: What a large question. I can’t forget, due to the fact that I deliberation I travel from a precise humble place, and I conscionable ever judge erstwhile you bash well, you instrumentality attraction of others arsenic well, and you walk it on. It’s not conscionable for me. It’s for each of us. I cognize that I correspond galore communities and galore radical person poured into maine truthful I tin beryllium precisely who I am. And I don’t hide that astatine all. I’ve established grants and awards and opportunities, accumulation companies, due to the fact that I privation to marque a difference. And I cognize I marque a quality lasting arsenic an histrion and a writer and director, I tin marque a quality arsenic a shaper and adjacent conscionable arsenic a person. What we bash time to time is precise important to me. I deliberation that was instilled successful maine by my parents, which is to marque definite that beingness was a beingness of service. I effort to animate different radical to cognize that that’s what it’s about. Especially young radical trying to navigate oregon radical who are looking astatine maine present who would similar a vocation similar mine. I would say, “Hey, get that connection ‘networking’ retired of your strategy due to the fact that it’s not astir networking. It’s astir getting to cognize radical and looking aft each other. And if you’re looking aft idiosyncratic and they’re looking aft you, you each win.”

Villarreal: Something that’s brainsick to me, and I hesitate to accidental this retired large with my exertion wrong earshot, but you changeable this crossed 18 days successful betwixt “The Color Purple” and reshoots for “Rustin.” And I can’t ideate that benignant of docket and intensity. Was the gait of that thing breathtaking and thrilling oregon scary?

Domingo: It was scary. It was scary due to the fact that I’d ne'er done thing similar that before. I deliberation I’m a beauteous measured, pragmatic person. Usually, I similar to person a due magnitude of prep time, due to the fact that I consciousness similar that helps maine bash the enactment truthful I tin really beryllium liberated successful the work. But the docket conscionable wouldn’t let [it]. And it wasn’t adjacent my suggestion. It was the proposition of my manager due to the fact that we got to a bully draught of the publication and past they said, “Well, erstwhile tin we sprout it?” And I said, “Well, that’s a full different story. I don’t know, possibly adjacent year.” And they were like, “Oh, man. Because we truly deliberation we tin get this done and we tin bash it successful a large way.” I said, “I don’t know, man. I just, I don’t cognize what to archer you.” And Clarence Maclin, my co-star, virtually smiled astatine maine connected the Zoom and said, “Come on, man, we tin bash it.” And, so, with that benignant of guiltless “Come on, man, we tin bash it” and that invitation, I conscionable said yes. I threw caution to the wind. I said yes, fto me. I’m not acrophobic of hard enactment and I volition fig it out. And I’m not prepped the mode I think I similar to be. But I besides was up for the situation that possibly this needed to beryllium antithetic and it needed to assistance maine process my enactment and beryllium a portion of the enactment successful a antithetic way, which is wherefore I cognize it’s astir apt immoderate of my much threadbare enactment — due to the fact that I leaned into that. I’m dealing with men who person had the lived experience, truthful so I can’t person immoderate gloss oregon sheen implicit my show similar I astir apt had with “Rustin” oregon “Color Purple,” the characters with much size and polish, successful a way. And I thought this requires much grit and requires much of me, to beryllium honest.

Villarreal: In the film, the radical of actors are moving connected a time-traveling philharmonic comedy, which honestly looks alternatively fun.

Domingo: And insane.

Villarreal: And insane. So if you were presented with “Breakin’ the Mummy’s Code,” which is besides conscionable a superb title, would your involvement beryllium piqued arsenic Colman Domingo? And what quality would you privation to play? Would you privation to beryllium the Gladiator oregon Hamlet?

Domingo: I consciousness similar I would privation to — I’ve ever straddled my vocation with being a quality histrion and a starring man, and I consciousness similar the quality actors person a batch much fun. Leading men person a bully clip too. You’ve got a antithetic value connected your shoulders, but the characters who travel successful and deed it and bash immoderate chaotic worldly and past rotation out, it’s benignant of amusive too. So I’m not sure. I consciousness similar I would similar to play both.

Villarreal: Don’t beryllium greedy. You proceed to beryllium a engaged man. You’ve got the upcoming Tina Fey comedy, [a remake of “The Four Seasons”]. I cognize that you are playing Joe Jackson successful Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming Michael Jackson biopic. What intrigued you astir playing Joe and exploring that troubled bequest that helium has?

Villarreal: Joe is specified a formidable person, and I was precise privileged to play him. I wanted to truly unpack: Who is this antheral who truly gave up a batch of himself, to beryllium honest, to determination into his children arsenic helium recognized their philharmonic endowment and they wanted to commencement a group? And the speech was, “You privation to commencement a group?” Because Joe was a instrumentalist arsenic well. And they were like, “Come on, Dad, assistance america with that.” He said,”I’ll thatch you that, but you person to person discipline.” And helium went connected that travel with them. He’s ever idiosyncratic successful our minds who is benignant of villainous successful immoderate way, signifier oregon form. But I deliberation that besides I privation to conscionable analyse the antheral afloat and each his complexity, wherever helium came from, being a blue-collar man, being a household man. There are things that I ever privation to analyse with each character. One is however helium loved his household and however helium protected his family. That’s wherever I led with Joe, to find each those instincts of this man, to marque him a precise analyzable quality and not benignant of thin into immoderate benignant of tropes from the tribunal of nationalist sentiment astir him.

Villarreal: Do you consciousness similar that’s the astir you’ve transformed physically for a role?

Domingo: Yes, due to the fact that I’m wearing prosthetics, and I judge my constitution is astir apt tinted conscionable a small fairer than mine. And Joe had bluish eyes. I look precise different. I look precise different.

Villarreal: Sending selfies to radical indispensable person been striking.

Domingo: No, I was conscionable doing FaceTime to my hubby erstwhile successful a while.

Villarreal: How astir “Euphoria”? Is it backmost successful accumulation yet? It was expected to be.

Domingo: We are backmost successful production. I stopped by the workplace yesterday.

Villarreal: Tell maine everything.

Domingo: I can’t archer you anything.

Villarreal: You’ve work a publication finally, though, right?

Domingo: I tin archer you that we’re successful production, and it’s going to beryllium fantastic.

Villarreal: How was it to beryllium backmost connected set? You tin archer maine that.

Domingo: It was beautiful, actually. It was nice. It was really precise calm and kind. And I caught up with Z [Zendaya] for a bit. I caught up with Sam [Levinson, the show’s creator] and it was conscionable lovely. I felt similar I went backmost into a beauteous workday.

Villarreal: Did you consciousness similar you had to reacquaint yourself with the character, oregon did you person to rewatch? It’s been astir 3 years.

Domingo: I really wasn’t connected yet, truthful I conscionable popped successful to say, “hi.” We’ve truly been a family, and it’s amusive to popular successful and cheque connected my household erstwhile the cameras are up.

Villarreal: Because close aft you wrapper connected that is erstwhile you enactment commencement enactment connected your ain film, “Scandalous,” right, with Sydney [Sweeney]?

Domingo: Yes. But earlier that, I bash a movie with Steven Spielberg.

Villarreal: What the heck?

Domingo: Yeah. I got to sprout this movie with Steven Spielberg, and it’s a beauteous formed — Emily Blunt and Colin Firth.

Villarreal: And you’re not keeping a diary weekly?

Domingo: No, I’m excessively present. I consciousness similar I conscionable privation to beryllium successful the present.

Villarreal: I privation to person your mind, due to the fact that I consciousness similar I would hide everything in, like, 2 years.

Domingo I deliberation possibly that’s besides my challenge. I consciousness similar radical ever privation to papers it. I consciousness similar I conscionable similar being successful it. I similar to beryllium successful it.

Villarreal: Well, specified a important constituent to your occupation has go the red-carpet constituent and, Colman, the mode you amusement retired connected reddish carpet consistently — 1 of the champion dressed around. That’s wherefore I was disquieted coming present today. I was like, “I won’t adjacent try.”

Domingo: Look astatine me, I’m wearing elemental ... It’s achromatic denim and immoderate Oxfords and a elemental shirt.

Villarreal: Look astatine the mode you deterioration achromatic and the mode I deterioration black. But you talked earlier astir being an introvert and a shy kid. What has this constituent to the occupation unlocked for you? Do you spot it arsenic moving successful conjunction with the mode you contiguous yourself onscreen, oregon is it a wholly antithetic broadside of your creativity?

Domingo: It is wholly successful conjunction with it due to the fact that I consciousness similar it’s each storytelling. I deliberation it’s a mode to explicit yourself. I grew up wearing my older brother’s and older sister’s hand-me-down clothes. So I deliberation that determination was thing astir that, that erstwhile I got my archetypal occupation astatine McDonald’s and I wanted to bargain my ain things, I [thought]: “What is my consciousness of style? How bash I deterioration clothes? How does this assemblage consciousness retired successful the spaces?” For me, it’s portion of that dressing up that introvert [so he] tin archer a communicative with his body.

Villarreal: What was that archetypal point of covering with that McDonald’s paycheck that truly had you like, “I got this.”

Domingo: Two-tone jeans. Oh, yeah, due to the fact that they were blistery then. We’re talking astir the ’80s. I retrieve they were chromatic lavation connected 1 broadside and bluish connected the other.

Villarreal: Nice. You tin bash that again. Have you started reasoning astir —

Domingo: Maybe I’ll stone thing similar that for the Met Gala.

Villarreal: OK, I was going to inquire you [about that]. You’re co-chair. They conscionable announced the theme. You privation to speech a small spot astir being a portion of this and the taxable itself?

Domingo: Yes, “Superfine: Tailoring Black [Style].” It’s fantastic. It’s truly looking astatine the past of Black antheral tailoring, which is awesome. It’s ne'er been done earlier and I’m conscionable precise excited. I’m excited astir each of it. I’m moving close present with Valentino; I’m a location ambassador for Valentino, truthful Alessandro [Michele, the originative director] is going to plan thing truly peculiar for maine to wear. I consciousness similar I privation to bash a mates outfits, and we’ll spot what happens.

Villarreal: Have you started reasoning astir the communicative oregon emotion you privation to evoke with your red-carpet [look] for Oscars?

Domingo: I have, actually. I thought astir a color. I won’t archer you the colour due to the fact that you’d beryllium surprised. But thing astir it, I conscionable can’t halt reasoning about. I’m trying to deliberation of history. There’s truthful galore moments, iconic moments successful past — it could beryllium similar 18th period London oregon it tin beryllium similar the 1940s and zoot suit oregon it tin beryllium similar immoderate Dapper Dan benignant oregon thing similar that. But I consciousness similar I privation it to correspond galore radical and galore things. Because adjacent erstwhile I went to the Met Gala past twelvemonth for the archetypal time, I referenced André Leon Talley and Chadwick Boseman. I ever privation to bring — possibly that’s it — I ever similar to bring different radical with me.

Villarreal: You tin bring me.

Domingo: This is my acquisition for shy people. If you deliberation there’s much radical with you than conscionable you, past it’s not astir you anymore. Maya Angelou says thing similar that — it’s not conscionable me, it’s each my ancestors, each these different radical giving maine spot and courageousness to speak.

Villarreal: Well, present I’m truly looking guardant to what you’re going to present connected that reddish carpet.

Domingo: It’s going to serve.