Colman Domingo Says ‘Boardwalk Empire’ Rejected Him Because He Wasn’t Light-Skinned

Colman Domingo is capping off 2023 with a Golden Globe nomination for his acclaimed role in Rustin and is also receiving plaudits for his performance in the recently released The Color Purple. But things didn’t always look so bright for the actor’s onscreen career.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, Domingo opened up about his past struggles as an actor trying to make it as an onscreen performer, including one particularly painful rejection for the HBO drama Boardwalk Empire in 2014.

Despite earning a Tony nomination for his part in The Scottsboro Boys in 2011, Domingo said he struggled to get screen roles and was left auditioning for “under-fives,” parts that offered him only a line or two of dialogue.

He hoped that one of these “under-five” roles would lead to his big break, with his best opportunity coming on a bit part on an episode of Terence Winter’s 1920s set Boardwalk Empire. The show was looking for an actor to play the maître d’ at a Black-owned nightclub, and Domingo thought he impressed the producers at his callback audition, where he wore a tuxedo, sang, and even tap-danced.

Domingo in Euphoria (Credit: HBO)

However, when Domingo’s agent called, it wasn’t the news he expected. Per The Times, “His agent began that call by saying that everyone on Boardwalk Empire had loved his audition. This is the one that’s going to change it up for me, Domingo thought. This is the one that’s going to finally be my big break.”

“There was just one problem, his agent said. After the callback, a historical researcher on the show reminded producers that the maître d’s in those nightclubs were typically light-skinned, and Domingo was not. Boardwalk Empire had passed.”

“That’s when I lost my mind,” Domingo said, revealing that he told his agent, “‘I can’t take it anymore; I think this is going to kill me.'”

Thankfully, Domingo didn’t give up, and ten years later, he’s having the best year of his career. Coming off his Emmy win for HBO’s Euphoria last year, Domingo is entering awards season as a favorite, with his portrayal of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin potentially earning him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

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'Rustin': Colman Domingo on Finally Giving Civil Rights Leader Bayard Rustin His Due

In addition to his roles in Rustin and The Color Purple, Domingo also turned heads in 2018’s If Beale Street Could Talk and 2020’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. His television credits include Fear the Walking Dead, The Knick, and a 2018 episode of Timeless, where he played famed lawman Bass Reeves.

As Domingo told the Times, these days, he’s “offer-only” when it comes to his onscreen career.

“I became an actor that was ‘offer-only’ probably sooner than the industry thought I should have,” he shared. “But I decided I have a body of work. You can go and look at it, you can ask other directors about me, and you can make me the offer or not.”

Rustin, Now Streaming, Netflix