Over the years, Hollywood has seen its fair share of rather unlikely celebrity friendships. From Courteney Cox and Ed Sheeran to Florence & The Machine’s Florence Welch and Blake Lively, fans have seen many random pairings. One such bond is between Rustin star Colman Domingo and Oprah Winfrey. While they solidified their friendship after working together on The Color Purple, not many might know that their connection had begun over two decades ago.

Domingo had not reached out to the talk show host himself. However, he once revealed that his mother, Edith Bowles, had done so on her son’s behalf.

Early connection and support from Colman Domingo’s mother

Back in the early 2000s, Colman Domingo was not as well known as he is today. While the young star was struggling to find work given that he was part of the LGBTQ community, his mother, Edith Bowles, did her bit by reaching out to Oprah Winfrey because she had been obsessed with the 70-year-old’s The Oprah Winfrey Show. In an interview with PEOPLE, the actor revealed that she thought that the talk show host could help her son make it in the industry.

After all, Domingo had yet to take over the world with his skill at that point. Although no producers or directors had discovered the actor yet, his mom seemed to hold out hope for the now 54-year-old. Bowles had admitted to her son that she just needed Winfrey to see “how fabulous and fantastic of an actor and writer” he truly was to get him on her favorite show.

While Domingo’s mother’s attempt to write to Winfrey was a long shot, it was due to the actor’s uncertain career that she deemed this to be a viable option.

Initial skepticism and unemployment struggles

The reason Colman Domingo’s mother had tried to reach out to Oprah Winfrey was because the actor had not made it into the acting world yet. Although he was doing off-Broadway shows, the star had to keep bartending on the side to make ends meet. With the amount of uncertainty in his career, his mother seems to have done the only thing she could think of, ask for help.

The actor was not too pleased about it. He recalled that he had told his mother, “Mom, Oprah does not care about me.” However, she managed to twist his arm by telling him that he had to “play the game to win.” Although Domingo’s mom had asked Winfrey to help and guide her son in Hollywood, the 54-year-old’s career did not end up taking off till 2011 when he stole the Broadway stage with his role as Mr. Bones in the musical The Scottsboro Boys.

While the American host ensured to respond to most of her fans over the years, she ended up revealing that Bowles’ letters had unfortunately gone unnoticed.

Unseen letters but a message received 

During the same interview with PEOPLE, Colman Domingo revealed how he had shared the story about Edith Bowles’ letters to Oprah Winfrey with the talk show host. Although the two stars had worked together before, it was not until he was cast in The Color Purple that he told the 70-year-old about the 6 letters his mother had written and mailed to her before her passing in 2006.

Unfortunately, Winfrey ended up admitting that she had never gotten them. While she may have missed the letters, the host still felt that their whole connection had been “magically eerie.” She even added that she had “seen this happen so many times” and that she believed it was Bowles’ spirit that had guided her to being so “pro-Colman.”

Although she may have missed the letters from Domingo’s mother, their paths ended up crossing nearly a decade after Bowles had passed away.

Professional collaboration in Selma and The Color Purple

The world might remember Colman Domingo and Oprah Winfrey teaming up for The Color Purple. However, their professional collaborations began way back in 2014. They joined forces to give the world the historical drama film, Selma. While it may have been a remake of the 1965 version, both the celebrities starred in it. However, it was not until last year that the two crossed paths again for another remake when the actor was cast in the musical drama.

In The Color Purple, Domingo took center stage as he portrayed Albert “Mister” Johnson in the movie. Unlike the actor’s usual roles, this time, he played an abusive husband that the audience was made to hate. With the stars teaming up for the second time and the actor’s letter revelations, Winfrey may have only felt closer to the star after he shared his story with her.

The birth of a friendship

Although Oprah Winfrey and Colman Domingo may have met as co-workers, their relationship has evolved into so much more. From colleagues to friends like family, they have sure come a long way. However, there were a few things that may have helped their friendship grow more organically. With the actor’s mom, Edith Bowles’ unread letters to the host and their unlikely connection, it looks like their working relationship on The Color Purple had definitely taken their friendship to new heights.

While there might only be an elite few in Hollywood to call Winfrey their close friend, Domingo and she ended up taking their friendship to new heights during a friend’s 50th birthday party in Hawaii. That small trip seemed to change their connection to more of a familial bond.

Once their relationship had been taken to a brand new level, The Oprah Winfrey Show host shared her thoughts on Domingo and his personality.

Oprah’s perspective on Colman Domingo

For years now, the world has seen Oprah Winfrey always be sure of what she works on. From her roles to picking her stars, she had always seemed to do right. That was why nobody questioned the star when she was convinced that Colman Domingo was the right person to play Albert “Mister” Johnson in The Color Purple remake. However, the 70-year-old ended up admitting that she was unsure why she had been so drawn to the actor.

Apart from loving his acting skills, Winfrey also gave the world some insight into how it felt to spend time with Domingo. She revealed that the actor would be “100% present and rooting for your greatest joy,” when you were together. The talk show host also claimed that the actor carried “a light inside him that fully sees you.” Even the 54-year-old seemed to be equally appreciative of the fan-favorite host.

A reciprocal of love and appreciation

Oprah Winfrey might adore her friendship with Colman Domingo. However, the feeling seems to be mutual. While the actor may have had mixed feelings about his now-close friend at one point, all of that changed at the birthday party of Selma director Ava DuVernay in 2022. The party had been thrown by the producer and while she and the Euphoria star had been looking out at the crowd, they shared a beautiful moment that heightened the actor’s love for her.

As they were looking at the party unfolding, Winfrey had said, “Isn’t it wonderful to give?”. While the actor had initially been standoffish about the host when his mom, Edith Bowles, had brought her up, this instance had shown him her “generous” and “kind, kind heart.” With both celebrities having nothing but love for one another, their friendship indeed has crossed the line from colleague to family.

What do you think about the connection between The Color Purple star and producer, Colman Domingo and Oprah Winfrey? Let us know in the comments below.