Colman Domingo Teases His Transformation Into Nat King Cole for Biopic

Colman Domingo can’t wait to embody Nat King Cole in the upcoming biopic about the legendary jazz singer’s life.

“I love the idea of sort of deconstructing an American icon,” Domingo, 54, exclusively told Us Weekly at the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors Brunch held at the Balboa Bay Club and Resort on Sunday, October 20. “I think that many people know Nat to be the epitome of grace and charm and music and soul, but also [I’d] like to get under the hood and show parts of Nat that they may not have known were there.”

Domingo added that he looks to Cole “as sort of a revolutionary” since he achieved major historical milestones while facing intense racial discrimination throughout his career.

“He was making changes by being graceful, by being gentle,” the actor explained. “I like to examine grace as being a choice, and that’s something he always chose, but he had as much fire and fuel in him as Malcolm X.”

While Cole wasn’t as outspoken compared to other influential figures of the civil rights movement, Domingo wants to channel that same energy into his portrayal.

“I’d like to actually deconstruct that myth of a man and show what’s underneath him so you hear the music differently,” he teased. “You hear his entire soul, not just what you want to hear.”

Earlier this year, it was announced that Domingo will star and make his directorial debut in the upcoming movie musical about Cole’s life. No additional details about the plot have been revealed.

It’s been a whirlwind year for Domingo. He received his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in the eponymous biopic. Domingo gushed to Us about how special it was for him to play one of his favorite historical figures.

“Bayard Rustin was my personal hero and you rarely get a chance to portray one of your own personal heroes and make sure that their stories are taken out of the corners of the history books and put front and center,” he reflected. “I created it with Barack and Michelle Obama and that was the joy of my lifetime.”

Domingo added that the film was so memorable because he felt like he “gave everything” he had and was proud to see his hard work pay off.

In addition to his acting accolades, Domingo was recently announced as one of the Met Gala co-chairs for next year. He couldn’t help but express his excitement to be a part of fashion’s biggest night.

“It’s a space that I love because I feel like it’s all storytelling and the idea that we get to focus on the Black dandy is extraordinary,” he told Us. “I’m very appreciative to Anna Wintour that she believes I have something to give to it. She’s an icon in our own way, and she’s a maverick. I feel very blessed to be in the room.”

With reporting by Mike Vulpo