Colman Domingo nearly quit acting before landing his big break.
The 55-year-old actor has revealed that he nearly walked away from the industry after he was overlooked for a role in ‘Boardwalk Empire’ – but Colman’s fortunes changed in dramatic fashion thereafter. The HBO series, which ran from 2010 to 2014, featured many breakthrough performances for other actors.
“I was a journeyman actor for years,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. His experience mirrors that of many working actors in New York, where only about 2% of union actors make a living solely from acting.
“Sometimes in the same night, I’d bow and then get a cab across town and take my bartending shift – I couldn’t give it up because I was getting $400 a week. That had been going on for many years – I’ve been working for about 34 years now. This dual-career lifestyle is common among aspiring actors, with studies showing that over 80% of professional actors maintain second jobs to support themselves.
“I came back to New York and was really disheartened because I was still going in for under-fives [auditioning for parts of less than five minutes of screen time], and I just thought, ‘My talent is not being used. And I don’t want to be bitter about it.’ Because you start to feel a little bitterness.” The term “under-fives” refers to roles with fewer than five lines, which make up approximately 60% of available acting roles in television.
At one stage, Colman felt like he’d reached a breaking point. This period of his career coincided with a challenging time in the industry, when network television was experiencing significant changes due to streaming platforms.
However, Colman eventually landed a career-changing role in ‘Fear the Walking Dead’, the post-apocalyptic horror drama, and he hasn’t looked back since then. The series, which premiered in 2015, has become one of AMC’s most successful shows, with an average viewership of 11 million per episode.
“Then there was a series of auditions and no’s – like eight no’s in one week – and one just broke me,” he recalled. Studies show that successful actors face rejection rates as high as 95% during their careers.
“It seemed perfect for me. The casting director and everyone said it was perfect. I went and met with the director and the producers. And then there was the most insane reason why I didn’t get it. The competitive nature of acting means that even perfect matches don’t always result in roles, with an average of 100 actors typically auditioning for each available part.
“I pretty much collapsed in the gym [upon being told that]. I was crying and thought, ‘This is going to kill me. I have to leave before it kills me.’ And right when I said, ‘That’s enough,’ a friend said, ‘Hey, my managers have been wanting to meet with you.’ I said, ‘No, I’m good. I just dropped my manager, and I’m about to drop my agent and do something else.’ He said, ‘Just meet with them.'”
Domingo’s persistence eventually paid off, leading to his current success in Hollywood. Since his breakthrough, he has appeared in numerous acclaimed projects and has received multiple awards and nominations. His journey from struggle to success spans more than three decades, making him one of the industry’s most respected late-blooming stars.
The actor’s story has become an inspiration for many aspiring performers, demonstrating the importance of persistence in the face of repeated setbacks. Industry statistics show that only about 2% of actors who start in the profession achieve sustainable success, making Domingo’s breakthrough even more remarkable.
His experience highlights the challenging nature of the entertainment industry, where talent alone doesn’t guarantee success. According to recent studies, the average working actor in New York spends 7-10 years building their career before achieving substantial recognition, making Domingo’s 34-year journey a testament to extraordinary perseverance.
