Photo by David Lee/Netflix – © 2022 Netflix, Inc.
“Rustin” and “The Color Purple” star Coleman Domingo will direct and star in a new Nat King Cole biopic
It seems that Domingo has been working on this as a passion project for a long time, he also co-wrote the script for the film, but at this moment, it’s still unclear what time period the film will take place in. This also isn’t Domingo’s first experience with a project involving Nat King Cole, he also created and co-wrote the play “Lights Out: Nat ‘King’ Cole.”
He also said this to the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast. “It’s something I’m looking forward to putting together with some great partners.”
Nat King Cole was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He began his career as a jazz and pop vocalist in the late 1930s, recording over 100 chart-topping songs in music history, notably songs like “Unforgettable,” “Smile,” and “Let There Be Love,” “Nature Boy, “Mona Lisa” and sold over 50 million records. Even though he passed away in 1965 at only 45 years old, his songs have remained iconic in the years since, and The Grammy Awards gave Cole a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990, and he also was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
Domingo is nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Rustin, playing the title role of civil rights leader Bayard Rustin. He was also cast as Joe Jackson, a controversial talent manager and father of pop star Michael Jackson — in the upcoming biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua. Some of Domingo’s other notable roles over the years include Private Harold Green in Lincoln, Ralph Abernathy in Selma, Unicron in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and most recently, Bayard Rustin in Rustin.
His diverse Broadway resume includes writing the book for Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, co-producing Fat Ham and a Tony Award-nominated performance in The Scottsboro Boys, as well as a brief run in Chicago.
Domingo is already filling up his 2024 calendar. He executive produced the horror movie “It’s What’s Inside,” which premiered at Sundance and Sold for 17 million to Netflix. He’ll also appear in feature films such as Ethan Coen’s “Drive-Away Dolls” and Greg Kewdar’s “Sing Sing,” which he also produced.
Domingo is represented by Gersh, Liebman Entertainment, Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.