ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First things first, how did you get involved withEuphoria?
Because you’re already someone who’s already so busy, even just with everything you do at AMC.
COLMAN DOMINGO: Yeah, it’s wild.
Credit: Eddy Chen/HBO
I metSam Levinsonat the after party for a film calledBirth of a Nationthat I did a few years ago.
It was a huge bromance.
We were just inspired talking about everything under the sun, and then we became friends immediately.
And so that’s how I got involved.
Sam and I are always willing to make anything work.
He knows if I’m willing, he’s willing.
We all needed it.
I’m sitting in front of my computer.
We’re all doing the work of marching in the streets.
I’m holding conference calls.
Rallying the troops about DEI strategy.
And then he sends me this script that echoes everything that I felt in my heart.
Sometimes you call on art to help you work through something.
At what point did you find out about it becoming a special episode?
Yeah, we did the table read the day before the lockdown.
Out of the eight scripts, I think they were a few of the conversations sprinkled throughout the episodes.
You know, whether they would be at the beginning of that episode, or ending.
And I love how it was set.
It’s bittersweet and it brings up everything you’re dealing with.
Everything comes to the surface, and your honest feelings are required.
So it feels like a perfect convergence of an episode.
Had you been given any indication that you were going to be playing a bigger role in season 2?
And I think it just happened in a very organic way for Sam.
Also, I think Sam is very concerned with responding to the times.
And so I think that that’s why this episode feels so relevant.
Everything about it is so visceral.
It’s right now.
You’re an accomplished writer in your own right.
Are there any ad-libs or suggestions you made shooting this special episode that made it into the episode?
Let me tell you something.
The most beautiful thing about Sam, and his writing, is that he’s so detailed.
But the thing is, Sam is always saying, “What do you think, Colman?
What do you think about this?”
And this one I thought was written so elegantly.
I thought it was kind of perfect.
I really had no questions about any of it.
He added that late.
We got those pages maybe two days before we were going to shoot it.
Because he realized he didn’t want to let Rue or Ali off the hook in a way.
Just let it be a conversation.
But I feel like he needed to drop in a bit more.
That’s the collaborative nature of Sam.
And so, then he dropped that on us, and then we had two days to learn it.
It’s wild to hear that that was a late addition.
There’s so many moments of this episode where I was just floored.
Yeah, people ask me like, “Oh, Colman, I knew that was you.
I can tell that was an improv.”
I’m like, “No, none of it was an improv.”
Even when I said, “Your generation’s full of some mark-ass bitches.”
I’m like, “No, that comes from Sam Levinson.
I didn’t say that.”
But even the fact that Sam also observes his actors.
He knows I’m from Philadelphia.
I think he wanted him just a little closer in nature to myself.
Yeah, it does.
It’s a lot from Sam.
Ms. Marsha [Gambles] is a recovering addict for about 17 years I believe.
The one that was waiting tables there, and she offers up stories.
We have great conversations with her, great insight.
And so, you have the truth in the scene.
I had the responsibility of Miss Marsha literally over my right shoulder.
Give them their humanity as well, and to understand the sickness of it.
I think that’s why it feels so right.
It feels so personal.
And I think he’s doing the work of a good shaman or priest, in a way.
Like he says over and over for you to look deeper.
I mean, that’s powerful.
I think answers like that are up to the viewer.
So, I like the idea that it’s ambiguous.
We still don’t know.
Is there anything you’re able to tell us about season 2?
Maybe not plotwise, but will it keep that same structure spotlighting a different character each episode?
Knowing Sam’s mind, it can go anywhere.
He’s like, you got to mess it all up sometimes.
You got to rethink it.
The moment you expect something, I think he’d want to throw you a curveball.
Oh, my God.
What was your reaction to Zendaya, her historic win?
First of all, I had no idea.
I don’t know.
I didn’t think about it.
I think it’s awesome.
Are you kidding me?
I was so excited for Zendaya.
She’s really kind and she’s intelligent and she’s really humble and very in tune.
And I think that she feels very rare, to be honest.
And I feel very blessed to work withViola Davis, too.
Are you kidding me?
I work with some really wonderful people.
I feel like I’m in a great boxing ring with people.
It’s such an acting tour de force.
It is, and thank you so much for that.
I don’t know what I thought.
I knew that much.
Do I know how it will be received?
No, I never know.
But I knew that this was something special.
I knew that what we did together was something special.
And I was just very excited for people to see it.
I don’t usually emote over things like this, but I actually had a little cry.
Aww, it speaks to the episode.
It’s very affecting.
Yeah, it is.
I mean, so many reasons too.
I think the work is good.
I think I respect the work.
I respect the message and the writing and cinematography and the direction.
Especially in our culture, where it’s just noisy to be noisy.
And this is actually trying to do something and really raise some questions and bring people closer together.
I actually had a cry in my makeup chair forFear the Walking Dead.
I was like, I have to get myself together.
And I feel like Ali became the therapist that America has always needed.
And I feel like Ali is the solution right now.
I think it’s just profound, that everyone has a chance back in society.
Everyone is human, has heartbreak, but there’s a chance for redemption.
And that’s for everyone, I think.
I finally realized, because I’m usually just moving on to the next job and working a lot.
That’s amazing, and just thinking about the episode itself and its inception.
It’s so profound that you guys were able to come together and really deliver something to fans.
My son, who’s an addict.
And it helped me have more patience and understand him and his journey."
This makes me feel not so alone in the world right now.
This is a very hard time."
And that’s echoing what everyone’s always feeling, but especially everyone right now.
It’s a really hard time for everyone around.
And it’s around the world.
And we decided to do it by example.
So now I can do it.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
