Rustin star Colman Domingo to play Nat King Cole and Michael Jackson's father

Colman Domingo, who just received an Oscar nomination for playing civil rights activist Bayard Rustin in the biopic Rustin, has been announced for two more film roles as real-life figures: iconic singer and actor Nat King Cole and Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson.

Domingo will also direct and co-write the Cole biopic, he told Variety. It will be his first feature film as a director.

“I’ve been working on it quietly for a few years,” he said in a Variety Awards Circuit Podcast episode. “It’s something I’m looking forward to putting together with some great partners.”

The gay actor previously portrayed Cole in a stage production at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles in 2019, which Domingo wrote with Patricia McGregor. That show, Lights Out, depicted Cole at the time of his final broadcast of his TV variety program at Christmastime in 1957. Cole was the first Black performer to host a TV series, but the program was short-lived because no national advertiser was willing to sponsor a Black person’s show. Cole encountered racism in other venues too — among other incidents, he was physically attacked by white supremacists while performing in Alabama in 1956.

Originally a jazz pianist, Cole had his greatest success as a crooner of pop songs in the 1950s and ’60s. With his mellifluous voice, he had many hit records, including “Unforgettable,” “Nature Boy,” “Mona Lisa,” “Ramblin’ Rose,” and “The Christmas Song.” He acted in several films, playing composer W.C. Handy in St. Louis Blues and providing musical commentary in the comic Western Cat Ballou. He died in 1965 at age 45.

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Domingo will play Joe Jackson, father of Michael, Janet, and other members of the musical Jackson family, in a biopic of Michael Jackson, titled simply Michael. He made this announcement on the Variety podcast and also issued a statement on it. Jaafar Jackson, the son of Jermaine Jackson and nephew of Michael, is playing the title role, and Antoine Fuqua is directing. Production began this week.

“I’m excited to be a part of a film that explores both the complicated soul of the legendary Michael Jackson as well as his impact on music and culture as a global icon,” Domingo said in his statement. “Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front row seat for Jaafar’s incredible transformation.”

Joe Jackson, who managed his children’s careers for some time, was accused of physically and mentally abusing them. He died in 2018.

The producers of Michael, which is expected to open in April 2025, have promised that it will be an honest portrait of the pop star, dealing with his personal problems as well as his successful music career. They said they’re thrilled to have Domingo on board.

“Few actors present themselves with Colman’s screen presence and force of will,” producer Graham King said, according to Variety. “We’re so fortunate to have an actor with his undeniable talent portraying Joe Jackson on screen. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join us on this journey.”

In addition to Rustin, Domingo can currently be seen playing Mister in the musical film of The Color Purple. His other 2025 projects include appearances in the films Drive-Away Dolls, directed by Ethan Coen, and Sing Sing, from director Greg Kewdar. It’s What’s Inside, a horror movie Domingo executive-produced, just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has been picked up by Netflix.

He’s also the subject of the cover story in the new issue of our sibling publication Out. The publication has christened him the first Black gay movie star.