An Oscar challenger for the first time for Rustin, Colman Domingo’s prevailing feeling is one of profound gratitude. Following the early Tuesday morning nominations, the artist took to Instagram to share a carousel of Rustin images and convey a message centered on the immense delight stemming from the nomination and the character he embodied.
The message posted read: “Overpowering. Grateful dear Bayard. Grateful @theacademy for this nomination. Struggling to articulate my feelings. Today it’s overwhelmed gratitude. For everything. The journey. The companionship. The peaks. The profound lows. The persistence. Belief. Fondness. Enlightenment. Thrill. Celebrate.”
Domingo disclosed to THR that he was tidying up the closet and couldn’t bring himself to watch the nominations, while his partner viewed the announcement. “And then I became increasingly anxious when it came to my category, and I retreated further into the bathroom, and then suddenly, because I guess the East Coast feed was coming in sooner, I received a text from my manager, who said ‘Oscar nominee.’ This happened just a second before my husband was informed. So I picked up the phone and then put it back down. I was stunned, almost as if it wasn’t real. And then my husband learned the news and he laid on the floor and began to weep.”
He also recounted the story to THR.
The artist also conveyed to THR that one of the most crucial aspects of the nomination for him is the exposure it brings to Rustin’s story. “I appreciate that the more people recognize my name, the more they become familiar with Bayard Rustin’s name.”
Domingo will be contending in the Best Actor category alongside Bradley Cooper, who received a nomination for Maestro, Paul Giamatti, who received a nomination for The Holdovers, Cillian Murphy, who received a nomination for Oppenheimer, and Jeffrey Wright, who received a nomination for American Fiction.
The 2024 Academy Awards are set to take place on March 10, 2024, on ABC at 7 p.m. ET.
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