Hollywood Star Rejected from TV Show For Not Being ‘Light-skinned’
Colman Domingo nearly gave up acting after recalling an experience from the early days of his career. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the Euphoria actor discussed auditioning for a role in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, aspiring to portray a maître d’ at a Black-owned nightclub.
“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.”
The Emmy-winning actor wore a tuxedo and showcased singing and tap-dancing skills for the audition. Despite a positive start, his agency later revealed that the historical researcher for Boardwalk Empire noted that maître d’s in those nightclubs were usually light-skinned. Consequently, Domingo, not fitting that description, was not chosen for the role.
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“That’s when I lost my mind,” Domingo recalled feeling. “I can’t take it anymore, I think this is going to kill me.”
Over a decade later, Domingo has changed how he approaches finding work, taking lead roles in recent films like Rustin and The Color Purple. Acknowledging his growth, he shared, “I became an actor that was ‘offer-only’ probably sooner than the industry thought I should have. 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.”
Now reveling in recent success, Domingo is fully embracing the moment, expressing, “All the films, all the lights, all the accolades, all the beautiful critical responses – I want to bathe in all of that right now.”
Hollywood Star Rejected from TV Show For Not Being ‘Light-skinned’
