Colman Domingo opens up to ET about 'the gift of a lifetime' that is filming the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic.
Colman Domingo has been having the time of his life during awards season, and the joy doesn't stop on the red carpet. The Oscar-nominated actor opened up to ET about his excitement about tackling his current project, portraying Joe Jackson in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, simply titled Michael.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by Oscar nominee John Logan and produced by the team behind Bohemian Rhapsody, Michael will star Jackson's real-life nephew, Jaafar Jackson, as the titular performer, and a host of Hollywood heavy hitters as his friends and family members.
Joe Jackson managed his sons in the legendary Jackson 5 and daughters Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet during the 1960s through the '80s. A former boxer and guitarist, Joe played a pivotal role in launching the Jackson 5 to superstardom by securing a recording contract with Motown Records in 1969. He died in 2018 at age 69.
"It's been fantastic," Domingo said of the film's production so far while chatting with ET's Nischelle Turner at the 2024 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Saturday.
"Watching Jaafar play his Uncle Michael has been an honor of a lifetime. Working with Nia Long, who plays my wife, Katherine, and Antoine Fuqua, a beautiful director, we're having a great time," the 54-year-old actor added. "Everything is about really honoring Michael's legacy and also dealing with some of the complicated nature of his life."
Scheduled for release on April 18, 2025, a press release on the film states: "Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became known worldwide as the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, captured by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known."
Confirming that the film won't be "shying away" from the true story of the late pop star's legacy -- which includes several controversies and allegations that chased Michael throughout his career -- Domingo noted that "everyone" is striving to "talk about the whole human being of Michael Jackson."
"If anyone's gonna do a biopic and care so much about the human being underneath the icon, it's Graham King," the Rustin star said of the film's producer.
Earlier this month, Fuqua shared a photo of the film's 27-year-old leading man in costume and character as Michael, proving that the similarities between uncle and nephew are uncanny.
"Your first look at #MichaelMovie. Starring Jaafar Jackson – in theaters April 2025," the director captioned the pic. "Photograph by the renowned photographer Kevin Mazur, who documented Michael’s final rehearsal, and is now the first to photograph Jaafar in character as Michael."
Domingo responded to the image in the post's comments, writing, "So thrilled to be on this epic ride with you comrade. You are leading us all so beautifully and this young man is incredible."
It's a sentiment that he echoed while speaking to ET, sharing that although he hasn't been present for some big moments on set, the feedback from his co-stars and the crew has been overwhelmingly positive.
"There was a moment actually that I've heard about -- 'cause I wasn't there -- where they shot 'Man in the Mirror' and it was something spiritual that went through the entire cast and crew," Domingo recounted. "That's one of my favorite songs but, also, I feel like what it does for audiences and crew and everyone, wow."
Meanwhile, the star has one big final awards show red carpet to strut his stuff on; next month's 96th Academy Awards. Domingo will attend Hollywood's biggest night as a nominee in the Best Actor in a Leading Role category.
While Domingo has been a regular throughout this year's awards season -- and a well-dressed one at that -- the Rustin actor was a pleasant surprise in the Oscar's Lead Actor category.
After winning an Emmy for his role in Euphoria and gaining further accolades for his performances in Zola and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Domingo is among the first-timers in the 2024 Oscar nominations for his role as gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in the George C. Wolfe-directed biopic, Rustin. He will be competing in the leading actor category alongside Bradley Cooper, Paul Giamatti, Cillian Murphy, and Jeffrey Wright.
"I'm having a really good time," the nominee told ET of receiving his flowers after decades in the industry. "You know, I've been working for a long time and we know that sometimes the lights don't shine on you like this, so I want to make sure that I'm having a good time every single time and showing up and showing up. I'm filled with gratitude and being with my colleagues; it's just an amazing time."
And when it comes to how he'll top his run of stunning red carpet looks? "I know I'm definitely wearing custom Louis Vuitton, so we're still sketching and figuring out what that is 'cause, again, it's got to be a major story, so we're trying to work it out," Domingo teased. "Me and Pharrell's team are trying to work it out."
The 96th Academy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be held Sunday, March 10, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles and broadcast live on ABC starting at 4 p.m. PT/7 p.m. ET.