man of the hour

Colman Domingo opens up about kissing Paul Rudd & becoming Oprah’s new gay bestie

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Colman Domingo, Paul Rudd

Colman Domingo finished off 2023 with two critically-acclaimed performances as gay civil rights leader Bayard Rustin in Rustin and as Miss Celie’s violent husband Mister in the musical adaptation of The Color Purple.

The buzz is high that his name will be included once Oscar nominations are revealed later this month.

Adding to his acting superpowers, Domingo is also rumored to be eyed for the role of Kang the Conqueror in films and TV shows within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

If he does wind up with the MCU role, Colman could find himself face-to-face with the person who gave him his first on-screen kiss —Ant-man!

OK, OK, not the shrinking Avenger, but the ageless hunk who plays him, Paul Rudd.

In an interview for W’s Best Performances issue, Domingo revealed how the first time he ever locked lips with anyone on film was in a small 2013 indie holiday movie alongside Rudd.

“It’s called All Is Bright, with me, him [Rudd], Paul Giamatti, and Sally Hawkins. This is a little-known Christmas movie we did maybe 10, 12 years ago. I played this guy named Nzomo, who’s a South African dude who works at a tree stand,” Domingo told the magazine. “Paul Rudd is a great improviser. In one scene, he turned me around and kissed me on the lips.”

While Rudd’s smooch may have come as a surprise, Domingo found it utterly charming.

He added: “It was very sweet, because he was excited about something. I thought, ‘Hey, actually, that’s my first screen kiss. Did you know that, Paul?'” This is the Hallmark movie we need!

Unfortunately, Domingo said the scene was eventually cut from the final edit of the film.

Fun fact: Domingo and Rudd are both 54.

Related:

5 screen roles that prove why Colman Domingo is one of the most talented actors working today

If Colman Domingo isn’t already considered a household name, he’s about to be.

While Rudd and Domingo almost took their relationship to the next level on screen, in real life he’s become very close with one of his latest collaborators — Oprah!

Winfrey, who starred in the original 1985 film, is a producer on the The Color Purple and has since joined Domingo’s inner circle.

“Oprah and I have become dear friends. She’s a love. We were actually on the phone last night, talking about clothes. I was like, I can’t wait for you to see what I’m going to wear to the Color Purple premiere,” he shared.

“And then I made her laugh. Her laugh is a laugh that I think nobody knows about—it’s the Oprah-just-talking-to-a-friend laugh and not thinking that she’s Oprah.”

Bonding over fashion and jokes, even media moguls need a gay bestie!

While we’ll have to wait until January 23rd for the Oscar nominations to be announced, Rustin is available to stream on Netflix and The Color Purple is currently in theaters.

Related:

Colman Domingo gets candid about being a “53-year-old heartthrob” & meeting his husband on Craigslist

Colman Domingo is firmly in his hunk era

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