S
ometimes, you don’t need to see a script to recognize how powerful a story is. Academy Award-nominated Actor
Colman Domingo (
The Color Purple ,
ZOLA )knew he was a part of something great when he came on board for
Sing Sing .
One of the year’s best films, Sing Sing,tells the story of a group of men in the Sing Sing correctional facility in New York who find a way to escape the prison walls they are enclosed in through the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program.
Domingo stars as Divine G, one of the formerly incarcerated men, and headlines a cast featuring formerly incarcerated men who were part of the program.
Source: Cassius Life / Sing Sing
Cassius Life’s Bernard “Beanz” Smalls spoke with Domingo and his castmate Charles “Divine Eye” Maclin, along with the film’s other cast members, who are also executive producers on the film directed by Greg Kwedar.
Colman Domingo Reveals What Drew Him To Sing Sing
Source: A24 / Sing Sing
Colman Domingo has quickly become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, and that’s because his name is constantly attached to projects that generate award buzz.
That continues to be the case with Sing Sing . Domingo revealed to Cassius Life that he knew this project was one he had to be a part of because it centers around a program that positively impacts people’s lives.
“I think the fact that in the center of it was this program that was truly making a difference, RTA,” Domingo begins. “The fact that this program was actually not only creating an artistic space where these brothers on the inside could find a way to actually not only put on a play, but with putting on a play, you have to build community building skills. There’s all these sorts of responsibilities.”
…I’m always looking for any stories to amplify black and brown men in a new light.
He continues, “All these skills are useful for a person in Rehabilitation. So I thought that that’s a useful tool, and I’m always looking for any stories to amplify black and brown men in a new light. And I thought that this was the story to come on board. And they didn’t have a script at the time, but I wanted to come in. They wanted me to also become a part of it with my production company as well, with these other other brothers who are also executive producers and actually create something that we felt was so meaningful that had our fingerprints on it. So that was all attractive. Somebody who said, “Hey, we want you can bring to help tell this story of these men.” So I feel like we did something in service to humanity.”
Charles Maclin Reveals What He Learned Working Alongside Colman Domingo
Source: A24 / Sing Sing
Charles Maclin is not a household name, but he indeed will be following his performance in the film. We asked him if he had learned anything from working alongside a seasoned actor in Domingo.
Get comfortable with that. Stay there. Stay there. That’s the good stuff.
“Well, I did pick up a few tips from my brother, ” Maclin begins. “My brother showed me that coming from a theater thing, he’s coming from theater too, but he understood that my mindset is to come from the diaphragm and speak to the last dude in that chair way over there so he could hear me clearly hear every syllable, and all my enunciations are clear to him. And the brother showed me that with the movie camera is to bring it more in and get it like that. And I took that tip to heart, man.”
Domingo noted that Maclin was “a quick study,” adding that he wasn’t afraid to ask him things “like, “Hey, was that it?” I was like, “Yeah, that was it.” I was like, “Get comfortable with that. Stay there. Stay there. That’s the good stuff.”
Maclin added, “Yeah. Took that ship and ran with it, brother. But it was a lot of other things that I saw him, he didn’t have to explain. I watched and observed him. Sometimes, he was not even aware of the things that he taught me just by me observing him doing his thing.”
Sing Sing is in theaters now for a limited run, and it will have an expanded release beginning on August 2.
You can head here to find tickets.
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