“Fear The Walking Dead” Star Colman Domingo On Theater & His Other Upcoming Projects
Colman Domingo is a prolific actor, director, producer and writer. Current he portrays the mysterious Victor Strand on the AMC hit Fear The Walking Dead, which returns for its fourth season tonight. As if that were not enough to work on, Domingo recently wrapped on work on three different films, including First Match, as directed by Olivia Newman and now streaming on Netflix. He co-wrote the current Broadway hit Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, has another play currently touring the country (People’s Light, as starring Dule Hill), and two different television shows in the development phase. Simply put, the man goes after what he wants and always seems to make it happen.
On behalf of The Hype Magazine, I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with Colman Domingo. More on the award-winning star of television, film and theater can be found online at www.colmandomingo.com.
Prior to being cast on Fear The Walking Dead, had you worked with any of the cast or crew?
Colman Domingo: Prior to being cast on the show, my universe and the Fear The Walking Dead universe never collided. Of course, I have heard of the massive cultural phenomenon the mothership was becoming at the time, but personally never followed it. I remember watching and really admiring Kim Dickens work in Gone Girl and House Of Cards. She is just simply the best in the business We’ve become great friends and trusted comrades. As for the rest of the cast and crew, now that I think about it, it is incredible how my life has changed in the course of three years. We have gone from being complete strangers to being a real family.
How long did you have to keep it quiet that you had landed a role on the show?
Colman Domingo: I got the news that I got cast on Fear, but it wasn’t announced for about two months, and when it did, it only covered the fact that I would recur on the last two episodes. It was not known to the general public that I was a part of the cast until the publicity for the second season was being rolled. So it was quite a drawn-out process. It all shows that I’m really good at keeping secrets!
Has there been a highlight for you so far in working on Fear The Walking Dead?
Colman Domingo: I get asked that all the time, and it is really difficult to isolate a particular highlight. I get to express myself creatively as an actor and as a director on the show, my colleagues are friends and are fantastic at what they do, and our show is a true collaborative effort! When you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work.
You came from the theater world before landing Fear The Walking Dead. Did doing so well in the theatrical world ever hold you back from getting television and film projects?
Colman Domingo: I would say that being a theater artist is what helped me get television and film projects. I think it was a natural evolution, as an artist. I think theater allowed me to explore myself, as a person and as an artist. Naturally, I’m a very inquisitive person, so along with acting, I delved deeper into writing and directing as well. It is something that I am mirroring in the realm of television: right now, I am in preparation to direct on Fear The Walking Dead, while I am developing two series for AMC and HBO.
So Fear The Walking Dead aside, any other projects you can talk about?
Colman Domingo: Like I mentioned, I am directing at the moment and developing two TV shows. I co-wrote Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. That is on Broadway at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. I also star in three films coming out this year: First Match, directed by Olivia Newman is now streaming on Netflix, the Sundance sensation Assassination Nation directed by Sam Levinson, and If Beale Street Could Talk directed by Barry Jenkins. In all three I portray distinct characters guiding complex young women.
Is your goal ultimately to write and direct more than you act? Or do you enjoy working on a variety of projects?
Colman Domingo: I truly enjoy being a jack of all trades. My mind is naturally stimulated by the balance of it all. It also happens that all those projects happen to be in different places, and I really love being in motion, literally.
When not busy with work, how do you like to spend your free time?
Colman Domingo: I love to travel and to discover different cultures. Seeing how people live in different parts of the world inspires me unlike anything else. Observing a different way of being opens up my mind unlike anything else. It is a true escape. Kyoto, Paris and Mexico City are some parts of the world that I adore.
Finally, Colman, any last words for the kids?
Colman Domingo: Watch Fear The Walking Dead on AMC. We are no longer the slow burn, we aim to blow your mind!
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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