Quotes from Colman Domingo

The first time I read 'Barbecue,' I fell in love with it. I never laughed so hard in my life.

I think a lot of comedians make the best dramatic actresses because they have a facility. They're very vulnerable. They're very open, like clowns.

I am proud being an artist who takes risks, who would walk off a cliff artistically. I won't settle for commercial reasons.

I'm a head-shot photographer. I have people come to my apartment, and I take their head shots.

I tend to be pretty calm.

On stage, I have felt most fulfilled as a playwright, for everything I create gets to grow and evolve with collaboration from directors, actors, and so on.

I think I'm always trying to see the other's point of view, dealing in a very heart-to-heart way.

It is true that as people, we tend to remember only the positive. With time, the grim details fade away, and as a species we survive on this notion. In our desire to gloss over the undeniable macabre parts of our American history, we forget. That amnesia manifests itself, especially when dealing with the plight of black men.

I recently did a play, Athol Fugard's 'Coming Home' at Long Wharf Theatre, where I played one character throughout - I sat at a table and didn't have any costume changes. Following one character's arc from beginning to end is a whole different mindset.

I wrote 'A Boy and His Soul' that talks about how my mother had lupus and my dad dying of a heart condition.

My mother sent me to speech classes, but the other kids still teased me. I was shy. I stooped. Instead of talking, I kept journals. That's where my love of words comes from. I majored in journalism.

I grew up in West Philly, and I took an acting class at Temple University there. Then, after school, I moved to San Francisco.

I'm always watching old episodes of 'The Golden Girls' or 'The Simpsons.'

Maybe what I'm trying to do is heal others. I think what we're trying to do in theater is heal someone.

I think comedy and satire are the strongest ways to deal with very serious themes and very painful themes.

When I create and write for TV, I build universes that will have arcs lasting seasons, whereas theatre allows me to explore storylines that will open up for two hours or less. Both are wonderfully fulfilling, but they couldn't be more different.

The gift of working on a Robert O'Hara play is that you have to trust his language. It's all in there. You don't have to add one single thing.

When you're doing exactly what you want to do, it's not tiring. You've been planting these seeds, and finally, you have a full garden in bloom; you're like, 'Oh, I just want to smell the flowers and play among the flowers all day.' That's what I'm doing. I'm playing among the flowers.

I hired a publicist once I got cast in 'Passing Strange,' and one of the first conversations we had was about how I wanted to handle talking about my sexuality. I said, 'It's never been an issue for me. I want to talk about my work, but if something about myself relates to my work, of course I'll talk about it.'

'Fear the Walking Dead,' since its inception, has been a very inclusive show.

I can't fall apart every time I mention that my mother's gone. I actually laugh about stories or things or situations. Of course there's a wound that will never be patched up, but I approach it with humor. Of course, I don't overlook it and go straight for the humor, but I think we have to have humor to move forward.

I believe, with the media, you must answer every question in some way. And in very, very, touchy situations, we must answer every question again and again.

My first professional job was with Berkeley Repertory Theatre. I started out in an educational touring play and eventually starred on their stages. That was the theatre that nurtured me to expand as an artist.

I had no inclination to perform as a kid. I was a shy child - I always had my nose in a library book. I didn't start acting until I went to college. Once I started, it seemed to fit like a glove. I felt completely at home on stage. It was the perfect way for me to express myself, even better than writing.