Colman Domingo, star of Running Man: “I didn’t know there was a place for me in fashion”

By Jordan Bako.

Interview with actor Colman Domingo, star of Running Man

Numéro: You are starring in Running Man, an adaptation of the Stephen King novel that was already made into a film in 1987. But this new version is quite different from the original…

Colman Domingo: I think what really interested the film’s director Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim, Shaun of the Dead, Last Night in Soho) and screenwriter Michael Bacall was the idea of going back to the source material. I hope people won’t see it as a reinterpretation of the 1980s film, but rather as a more faithful version of the novel. The wildest part is that the book is set in 2025. I think Stephen King already had a dystopian vision of America in mind. In a way, he foresaw the crisis we’re living through at the moment. It’s a crisis we experience through the eyes of an ordinary man fighting to keep his humanity intact. In Running Man, the fight for survival becomes a form of entertainment. It all feels very close to our current reality.

The film does immerse us in a dystopian America. Do you think this political context resonates with the country’s current events?
Yes, absolutely. Not just in America, but all over the world, because we know how much social media has amplified this crisis phenomenon. To me, it says a lot about our relationship to the concept of truth. Everyone is creating their own version of reality, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence. Running Man tackles those themes, which makes it both entertaining and relevant. You can clearly see the link between our current situation and the paths ahead. It raises the question, “how far can things go without common sense or perspective on our realities today?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iHJHYjq7XI

“Everyone is creating their own version of reality, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence.” – Colman Domingo

In the film, you embody a game show host. How did you prepare for that role?
Bobby T, the character I play, is the most famous game show host in the world. To prepare for the role, I looked into sensationalist TV hosts like Jerry Springer and Ricki Lake. I wanted to study those who seem to be at the heart of entertainment, who feed the beast without ever feeling complicit. You wonder how they manage to sleep at night after stoking so much violence… But playing the character helped me understand that they manage it because they see themselves as am mere reflection of society. They tell themselves, “why not twist the knife, turn it into entertainment, and make a profit out of it!”

In the Netflix series The Madness, released last year, you played another media figure. A journalist this time…
In The Madness, my character is Muncie Daniels, a journalist whose job was to understand. To understand what’s going on in the world within the current political landscape. But the character of Bobby T in Running Man is the complete opposite of that. He only exists on stage, permanently living in a world of spectacle and glitter. Muncie Daniels, by contrast, was a fairly ordinary man, well-off, someone who had achieved the American dream. Whereas Bobby T, the showman, is much more than that. He transcends the very idea of the American dream. He lives in his own universe where no rules seem to apply to him.

“I can do drag just as easily as I can take on in-depth work about the inner workings of the American prison system.” – Colman Domingo

2025 has been a big year for you. A second Oscar nomination for the drama Sing Sing and an appearance in Sabrina Carpenter’s latest video, Tears…
My principle has always been to do good work with people I like and who make me feel good. Now that I’ve reached certain heights, I want to try something different. I want to have fun, and that’s why I’m drawn to projects like Running Man and to opportunities like the one Sabrina Carpenter offered me when she said, “I want to play with you.” I love the fact that people recognize me as a craftsman, an artist. But at the same time, I don’t take myself too seriously. I can do drag just as easily as I can take on serious, in-depth work about the American prison system with Sing Sing. As an artist, I want to keep evolving, challenging myself, and performing in different spaces. And I feel that, with everything I’ve already achieved, I’m ready to open a new chapter.

You also co-chaired the 2025 Met Gala, alongside Lewis Hamilton and Pharrell Williams. Can you tell us more about that experience and your relationship with fashion in general?
I definitely wouldn’t have bet on working in fashion, let alone co-chairing the Met Gala! [Laughs.] But I love telling stories through my body and my clothes. It all came together naturally, through conversations with my stylist. I didn’t know it would turn me into a sort of fashion icon, but it seems to have worked out! At first, I didn’t know there was a place for me in fashion. But now I realize I feel good in that space. Especially when I get lovely compliments from Naomi Campbell saying I was made for fashion, or from Edward Enninful calling me the king of fashion. Now I realize I can fill in some gaps and silences in the fashion world. And I really want to help move things forward in a meaningful way in that industry.

“Now I realize I can fill in some gaps in the fashion world.” – Colman Domingo

You are involved in a series of projects, starting with the third season of Euphoria…
I can tell you this season is going to be amazing. A truly monumental season, a masterpiece in the realm of television. I think Sam Levinson (creator of Euphoria, ed.) is in an exceptional creative phase currently where he’s truly freed himself from the constraints of the first two seasons. He’s pushing himself, asking himself how he can reinvent the series in a creative way, and he’s succeeding. The result, according to me, raises questions about faith. This third season reminds us that art is something much bigger than us.

The special episode in Euphoria season 1, which earned you an Emmy award in 2022, also tackled the notions of faith and belief.
That’s a theme Sam and I often talk about when we share our views on the world. These are questions that stir inside us, that intrigue us deeply. People often describe Euphoria as a show about high schoolers, addicts, or people in crisis. But ultimately, the show is about belief. About people who feel lost in the world and are trying to believe in something. I think we all do that in our own way. Some turn to drugs, others to sex, to drama, to the internet… Everyone is just trying to hold onto something. We’re all looking to believe in communities we can belong to, where we feel seen, loved, and heard. And to me, that’s the core of the series.

“People often describe Euphoria as a series about young people or addicts. But ultimately, the show is about belief.” – Colman Domingo

You will also appear in several upcoming features, alongside Demi Moore, Sandra Hüller, and Josh O’Connor.
That’s right. I’ll be in True-ish with Sandra Hüller and in Strange Arrivals with Demi Moore. She’s going to play my wife, which is amazing! I also just wrapped the filming of Steven Spielberg’s untitled movie, with Emily Blunt, Colin Firth, and Josh O’Connor. I had a great time on that shoot. There’s no better director than Steven Spielberg. He’s become like a father figure to me in this industry. I genuinely believe we’re cut from the same cloth. He’s kind, funny, warm. But above all, he just wants to create. The cast and I were like a family!

Your roles often take you into very dark territory, from the film Zola (2021) to the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic or The Color Purple. What is your thought process when reading a script?
When I read a script, I have to believe I can bring something unique to the character and the story. Because if it’s something I’ve done before, it’s a no for me! I also believe that roles choose me. With Zola, I don’t think I’d done anything before that would’ve convinced director Janicza Bravo I could play one of the nastiest pimps I’ve ever seen. But somehow, she knew I could do it, and I was curious about the way she perceived that character. People come to me when they’re looking for something deeper, to add layers, to humanize their characters, even the villains. I like to think all my villains have a human side, and that’s what I try to explore when acting.

“I love that people recognize me as a craftsman, an artist.” – Colman Domingo

You are set to direct your first feature films. Was it important for you to step behind the camera to tell other types of stories?
I’ve always believed in that – directing productions. It’s the next milestone in my growth as an artist. I’ve already directed plays, helmed TV show episodes… But I wanted to direct films, and most importantly, I wanted to make the right ones. Again, I need to feel that I have something meaningful to add.

What can you share about these projects?
One is a biopic about singer Nat King Cole, and the other is Scandalous!, a film about Sammy Davis Jr. and Kim Novak. Both stories take place in 1957. I don’t know why, but 1957 is a very important year for me. A year I keep trying to unpack, to analyze from every angle. The cars, ideas, state of civil rights and women’s rights… It’s a subject I keep coming back to. And right now, I can say I’m very excited about it. I’ve moved Scandalous! up in my schedule, it will star Sydney Sweeney and is currently in pre-production. Then, I’ll shoot the Nat King Cole biopic later next year. It’s important for me to keep evolving. But I also think it would be nice to take some time to really be at home in Los Angeles, where I could shoot and edit my projects…

Running Man by Edgar Wright, coming out in theatres on November 19th, 2025.
Wicked: For Good by Jon M. Chu, coming out in theatres on November 19th, 2025.