Colman Domingo may call himself a late Hollywood bloomer, but now that he is in full bloom, it is impossible to picture a time when he was not. For years, he has walked the very streets where dreams are made, yet success only knocked gently until it flung the doors wide open. Though award season has been less of a celebration for industry rivals ever since then, Domingo is not the kind of star who rises by dimming others. In fact, his triumphs do not breed envy; they inspire. And when he recently took home gold at the AAFCA Awards with his Sing Sing squad, the truth became all the clearer.

Domingo did not just win accolades, but every heart in attendance with a touching speech.

The African American Film Critics Association Awards returned to Beverly Wilshire on Wednesday to honor Black stories and artists for their outstanding contributions to cinema. As the night ended with Sing Sing becoming the most-awarded film and Colman Domingo clearing the trophy shelf for yet another Best Actor win after Rustin, the actor took center stage for his acceptance speech. He expressed his desire to amplify showbiz voices even more while reveling in the honor (via Deadline).

Tinseltown has been his bread and butter for 34 years and clinching the Best Actor accolade for Sing Sing made him realize what he had been trying to do all along. “It’s starting to crystalize now that [my goal in this industry] is to be love,” Domingo mused before adding he wants to “empower” his contemporaries. “I want to build rooms that are equitable for everyone,” he said, explaining his aim is to illuminate every dark corner of an actor’s world in a way Sing Sing did for him.

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Colman Domingo’s fame and success may have arrived late, but he has been basking in the love and attention of it every second. But turning the spotlight on Sing Sing, he described how enlightening the work environment truly was.

Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing, based on a true story, follows a group of inmates who join a local theatre troupe, hoping it serves as a creative outlet of fulfillment, joy, and entertainment. During Colman Domingo’s AAFCA Award acceptance speech, the actor took a trip down memory lane to Sing Sing where he was required to work with real inmates inside a number of inactive correctional facilities. 

Domingo saw it as a responsibility to put himself in the “center with these men who had never been on a film set.” Working alongside those whose lives were forever changed by the glow of theatre felt like sipping inspiration with every breath. They walked through the shadows and yet, clung to their creativity like a lifeline, finding a silver lining where others saw only darkness. As Domingo wrapped up his speech, he sparked a thought within every listener—if they could rise from depths and create, imagine what we are capable of.

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What do you think of Colman Domingo's winning speech at the AAFCA Awards? Let us know in the comments below!