Colman Domingo to play Nat King Cole in new biopic

Colman Domingo is set to play legendary singer Nat King Cole in a new biopic. according to reports.

As per Variety, Domingo, known for his roles in Euphoria and Fear the Walking Dead, will star in the movie musical for which he has also written the script.

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

Domingo previously wrote the play Lights Out: Nat ‘King’ Cole with Patricia McGregor about the musician. The project explored the singer during his 1957 Christmas special on The Nat King Cole Show.

The news arrives following Domingo’s recent Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his work as civil rights leader Bayard Rustin in George C. Wolfe’s Rustin.

He’s also recently been cast as Jackson 5 family father Joe Jackson in an upcoming biopic based on the King of Pop.

According to a Variety report, Domingo will play Joe Jackson in the upcoming film alongside Michael’s nephew Jaafar and 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi – both of whom will play an adult and child version of Michael respectively.

Domingo said of his casting via Variety: “It’s exciting to do it with Jaafar. Jermaine Jackson’s son is playing Michael, and he is breathtaking, and I think Graham King, the producer, has assembled an incredible cast.”

He added: “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. 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.”

The upcoming biopic, titled Michael, has been confirmed to receive a theatrical release in the United States on April 18, 2025, per production house Lionsgate.