After nabbing a Golden Globe nomination for his starring turn in A24‘s prison theater drama Sing Sing, Colman Domingo spoke with Deadline about his upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, films he’s directing on Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole, his mission as an artist at this stage of his career, and more.
When it came to Michael, which Universal releases in the U.S. on October 3, 2025, Domingo said, “The most special thing was working with Jaafar Jackson, who is Michael Jackson’s nephew. He is a revelation…one of the most gentle and most phenomenal souls.”
To the actor, “It’s as if a piece of Michael Jackson’s talent… I feel like some of that landed on Jaafar Jackson because he’s a revelation, just watching him. I just want to put so much love around him because he’s going to deliver a very complex portrait of one of the greatest performers that have ever walked this planet.”
Turning from the end to the beginning of next year, Domingo will be shooting the long anticipated third season of HBO’s Euphoria. “I look forward to getting back together with our cast,” he said. “I know Sam has some terrific plans in place, and I’m just looking forward to us getting back to work very, very soon. I believe we start work at the top of next year, so everyone’s super excited.”
Once production on Euphoria wraps, Domingo is set to turn to Scandalous!, his feature directorial debut on the romance between singer Sammy Davis Jr. and actress Kim Novak, which stars David Jonsson and Euphoria‘s Sydney Sweeney. But that’s not the only directorial effort he has in the offing, as Domingo has confirmed he’ll commit “at least probably the back half of next year” to projects behind the camera. This includes a Nat King Cole biopic he’s discussed for a while, which he confirmed is now “financed and put together,” as with Scandalous!.
At a career high point, Domingo’s upcoming slate also includes Steven Spielberg’s mystery event film for Universal, which likewise shoots next year, and Netflix’s Tina Fey-helmed series adaptation of 1981 film The Four Seasons. Bringing him his second consecutive Globe nom on the heels of George C. Wolfe’s Rustin, Sing Sing is inspired by the true story of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing prison, where inmates find solace and transformation through theater. In the film directed by Greg Kwedar, Domingo plays Divine G, who while wrongfully imprisoned, finds purpose in participating in a prison theater group.
For Domingo, the project is unique as it’s one with which he was deeply involved with shaping, beyond his acting commitments — a film where he can feel his “fingerprints” on “every single frame.” As he looks ahead to the “third act” of his career, he knows the best is yet to come, and that he’ll bring with him an ethos that was at the heart of Sing Sing — a vision of a set run with kindness and acknowledgment of the value of all parties involved.
The “No Assh*le” policy you hear about some filmmakers implementing is one he takes seriously. Said Domingo, “I want to see it truly in practice. I’m not about the talk; I’m about actually walking the walk.”
The goal, with projects Domingo takes on, is “to make an impact, just with entertainment in some way, and move the needle on our humanity.”
Looking back at all the work he’s done for film, TV and theater, Domingo says, “I feel like there is a thread that I can see now truly, which is really about doing work to make people feel more connected to one another, making us feel like we’re more alike than unalike. And like my director George C. Wolfe of Rustin said, to let us know that it doesn’t have to be about you. It doesn’t have to look like you to be about you.”
Premiering to critical acclaimed at this year’s Toronto Film Festival, Sing Sing was released by A24 in July. This year’s Golden Globes are set to take place on January 5.
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