'I am a mamma's boy': Oscar nominee Colman Domingo remembers his mother writing letters to Oprah Winfrey on 'GMA'

Colman Domingo shared a personal story about his mother as he revealed what kept him going through tough times
UPDATED FEB 18, 2024
Colman Domingo's mother reportedly wrote letters to Oprah Winfrey before he achieved fame (@colmandomingo/X, Getty Images)
Colman Domingo's mother reportedly wrote letters to Oprah Winfrey before he achieved fame (@colmandomingo/X, Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The February 17 episode of 'Good Morning America' aired an exclusive interview of Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo, conducted by co-host Whit Johnson.

The 54-year-old 'Rustin' star has reportedly made history by becoming the first Afro-Latino ever to be nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. He is also the second openly gay man to earn a nod for playing a gay character, after Sir Ian McKellen.

(IMDb/ Rustin)
Colman Domingo was nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards for his performance in the Netflix film 'Rustin' (IMDb/ Rustin)

The Emmy winner opened up about his personal journey to stardom during the interview, sharing an interesting story revolving around his mother and Oprah Winfrey.

Being recognized by Oprah Winfrey

Johnson asked Domingo in the form of a true-or-false question, "Your mother used to actually write letters to Oprah in hopes that one day she would see you and recognize your talents?"

"True," replied the actor, as the interviewer coaxed him to reveal more.

Whit Johnson's interview of Colman Domingo for GMA (Screengrab/GMA/X)
Whit Johnson's interview of Colman Domingo for GMA (Screengrab/GMA/X)

"Yeah, I'm a mamma's boy," admitted the 'Euphoria' actor gracefully. "And every so often my mother would say, 'You know I wrote Oprah today.' I was like, 'Why?'"

"Well, because Oprah helps people," was his mother's response.

"It happened over and over and over again," continued Domingo. "I just didn't believe in those dreams. And I remember very clearly, she said, 'Well, you gotta play the game to win.' She said, 'You gotta have faith.'"

Oprah, who was the producer of 'The Color Purple', which saw Domingo play the critically acclaimed role of Mister, later revealed that she never received those letters, but did get the message, reported 'GMA'.

Persevering through hard times

Coming from a place of moderate means, Domingo had worked hard to claim his fame. Johnson revealed earlier during the interview that he even took up odd jobs such as bartending to pay the bills.

"At one point, you almost walked away from acting altogether," shared the co-host toward the end of the interview. "What kept you going?"

"Listen, no one does this alone. No one gets here alone," responded Domingo. "I have curated, cultivated, I think, such good people that we really invest in each other, really believe in each other, and we're honest with each other."

"So I owe it to them, but I also owe it to ... my husband. And I think it's always important to have a good group of people around you who remind you - actually are a reflection of - who you are, and have that in spades. I think that the work that I was seeking was always seeking me, and here we are," he concluded.



 

MORE STORIES

The post Khloe Kardashian liked featured Charlie Kirk speaking with a fan at an event about his devout Christian faith
Sep 13, 2025
Whitney Cummings sparked widespread outrage after posting a controversial tweet about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
Sep 13, 2025
Prince Harry was spotted entering King Charles’s London residence, months after saying his father had ignored his calls
Sep 11, 2025
Rosie O'Donnell said Ellen DeGeneres’ friendship denial hurt so much she printed T-shirts for her staff reading, 'I don’t know Rosie, we’re not friends'
Sep 10, 2025
A post alleged that Karoline Leavitt called Patti LaBelle 'just a singer,' leading LaBelle to deliver a seven-word response that froze the studio
Sep 10, 2025
Jennifer Lopez feels free channeling emotions into music, but Ben Affleck is embarrassed and sees it as crossing a line, according to the source
Sep 9, 2025
Howard Stern added that he missed last week’s show due to illness, not contract talks, and addressed rumors of being fired from his own show
Sep 9, 2025
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement in August 2025 triggered a wave of pregnancy chatter after an ultrasound photo went viral
Sep 9, 2025
Ed Sheeran, 34, revealed that he was leaving Suffolk with his wife Cherry Seaborn and their two daughters, Lyra and Jupiter
Sep 9, 2025
From Ice Spice’s chaotic corset to Paris Hilton’s flame dress, see the celebs who landed on the worst-dressed list at the 2025 VMAs
Sep 8, 2025