When Colman Domingo took to the stage to present the SXSW premiere of his new film “Sing Sing” — a deeply moving depiction of a rehabilitation-through-the-arts program at a maximum-security prison in New York — he received a standing ovation a second before the film was released. That may be in part because less than 48 hours later, Domingo, for which he was nominated for his performance as civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in “Rustin,” will enter the Dolby Theater for the 96th Academy Awards.
That wasn’t even the world premiere of “Sing Sing” — it was at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where A24 scooped it up for theatrical release next July. But as Domingo explains diverse After the film’s screening at SXSW — where the film received another, much longer standing ovation — there was no question for him about whether or not he would attend.
“The funny thing is, I’m shooting a movie in Los Angeles, and I’m shooting a series in Toronto, and even my publicist asked me one day: ‘Are you sure you want to go to Texas?’” Smile. “I said: ‘I have to be there.’” “It’s just instinct.”
Domingo plays John “Divine G” Whitfield, who channels his intense frustration over his wrongful death conviction into his work as an actor, writer and founding member of the RTA program at Sing Sing. Other than Paul Raci (“Sound of Metal”), as the group’s civilian director, and stage actor Shawn San Jose, as Divine G’s best friend and fellow inmate Mike Mike, the rest of the film’s core cast consists of former Sing Sing inmates and RTA program graduates, They play versions of themselves. One of those actors, Clarence “God Eye” McLean, conceived the film’s story with the real Divine G, as well as director Greg Koidar (“Transpecos”) and writer-producer Clint Bentley (“Jockey”).
Along with the unusual makeup of the cast, Kuidar, Bentley, and fellow producer Monique Walton (“Bull”) took an equally unusual approach to profit-sharing in the film: everyone was paid the exact same day’s pay during production, and the entire cast and crew had royalties in film based on the amount of time they worked on.
At the “Sing Sing” premiere party, Domingo spoke with… diverse Exclusively about why the model appealed to him and husband Raul Domingo — both of whom are also executive producers of the film — as well as the impact filming in correctional facilities had on him, and what he learned from his co-stars.
This is a very busy weekend for you. Why was it important for you to come to SXSW for this premiere?
The funny thing is that I’m shooting a movie in Los Angeles, and I’m shooting a series in Toronto. Even my publicist asked me one day, “Are you sure you want to go to Texas?” I said, “I have to be there.” It’s just instinct. I think bigger films will get the love and amplification they need. A movie like this needs its star. It’s a small movie, and we built it in a very small, beautiful way. Movies like this interest me a lot. So I said, no, I have to. Even if you’re a little tired. I finished last night, got on a plane at 5am to get here and I’m leaving in the morning (tomorrow), but it’s worth it. I’m here because this is the work I believe in. Every actor hopes they can do work like this, I think. I’m very proud of the way we’ve built this into a very equitable model. I’m so proud of what it can do to change ideas and amplify these voices, but also to really change the system.
Can you talk about this equitable model, and how it came about?
Yes. This came through our producers Greg, Clint and Monique. And then when Raul and I came on board as executive producers, we thought this was the right way to go. They really asked us every step of the way, “What do you think is the healthiest way to do this? Should we go the studio route? Should we go get a lot of big investors? Or should we keep the overhead low, and make sure we Is it fair between everyone above and below the line? The points you get are based on how much work you put into this movie, so it’s fair in every way. Something about that feels good too. It feels just right. Everyone in that group felt like this movie “It’s his movie. It didn’t feel like you were a job for hire. It felt like a job.”
What was it like for you watching your co-stars who are essentially playing versions of themselves receive standing ovations for their work?
I love watching them because I never know in their lives that they never thought that this could happen to them, that the circumstances they were living before could lead them to do this, to transform that pain, that hurt, that hurt, whatever it is. It was something beautiful and graceful. (He points to Sean “Dino” Johnson, one of his co-stars, who is sitting nearby.) I love watching Dino. Dino is the tallest and most sensitive of the group. Look at this man. It’s written all over his face. He never imagined that this could happen in his life. That trauma, that tragedy, that human experience — there are some flowers that grow because of that.
I shot a little bit on the actual Sing Sing, and at a different correctional facility upstate. What was it like for you to be in those places where a lot of your co-stars lived?
You feel like you are shooting in hell. The air was different. I always got lost when we were in it because I think it’s designed so you wouldn’t know it up north. Sunlight was hard to find. There are a lot of things I have found that help with psychological suppression, not healing or rehabilitation. You can’t rehabilitate that environment. You just can’t. Not in the decommissioned prisons we shot. I knew immediately once I was in the space, that this had to change. This is not how you treat people, and this is not how you make things better. This is how you keep the system going. It’s designed to keep people coming back.
So it was difficult. I think that’s why I suddenly needed Sean (San Jose). Initially, my best friend, Sean, was going to be staying at a hotel, and I had him move into my one-bedroom suite that I was in, via Airbnb, because I thought I needed a roommate. I needed light, love and joy while photographing to go into the spaces.
You come with a wealth of experience in film, television and theatre, and acting opposite people who are versions of themselves. Was there anything you took away as an actor from their performances?
Yes. I think I’ve been working with a certain level of experience for a while. And that, I had to kind of go back to zero, and be available like I would with any other film actor and say, what are they offering me? How can I take this and respond to it organically? It doesn’t have to be perfect and can be more raw. Because I think the sleight of hand for me is slipping into their world. I didn’t want them to be on the same level as me as an actor, I had to conform to them. I had to depend on everything they were giving me.
Part of what I loved about the film is that for most of the characters, we never know why they are imprisoned. It doesn’t matter why they’re here, the movie seems to say; Just deal with what they are now.
Well, I think that’s the choice one always has to make. I made the choice that it wasn’t necessary for me to know who my co-stars were when they were on the inside. I met them outside where they were. Whether the person has dealt with their issues or something else, I meet them where they are, what we’re creating, and how they’re doing it. They became my brothers.
This interview has been edited and condensed.