Colman Domingo Recalls Emotional Final Moment with Louis Gossett Jr. on Set: 'He Had Tears in His Eyes'

Mar. 15, 2025

Colman Domingo; Louis Gossett Jr.Photo:Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett; Dee Cercone/Everett

Elizabeth Goodenough/Everett; Dee Cercone/Everett

Colman Domingois revealing some of his last memories of his late costarLouis Gossett Jr.

The Oscar- and Emmy-winning legend, who starred with Domingo in December’s movie musicalThe Color Purple, died March 28 at 87. Inan essay forVariety, Domingo, 54, recalled sharing emotional moments together on the movie’s set.

“The first day that I met Mr. Gossett, I said ‘Thank you,’ ” recalled theRustinOscar nominee. “Those were the words I wanted to say. Because I knew that there would be no me if there was no him. And other giants like him.”

Domingo said that on Gossett’s final day of filmingThe Color Purpleas Ol' Mister, he kissed his beloved costar’s hands and asked costarFantasia Barrinoto “sing a song of thank you.”

Gossett, said Domingo, “told us, ‘Knock ’em dead, now.’ He had tears in his eyes. I couldn’t thank him enough for all that he had given. He ran his race for us.”

TheRootsstar “brought years of experience, intelligence, with good humor, light and love to our set,” continued Domingo. “He would ask me after a take, with all the humility in the world, ‘Was that okay?’ I looked at him and said, ‘Anything you give us is a gift.’”

Because Domingo playedThe Color Purple’s villainous Mister, son to Gossett’s Ol’ Mister, he “felt a kinship” with his costar — whom he called “Daddy” while filming theBlitz Bazawule-directed,Oprah Winfrey-produced adaptation.

Colman Domingo and Louis Gossett Jr. in “The Color Purple” (2023).Warner Bros./Everett

Warner Bros./Everett

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“Lou and I had many moments off screen just chatting about life and art, and he constantly would talk about the responsibility of youth,” Domingo added of Gossett, “a teacher and a humanitarian.”

Domingo also named fellow cinema trailblazersJames Earl Jones,Glynn Turman, Roscoe Lee Browne, Paul Winfield,Morgan FreemanandSidney Poitieralongside Gossett as his inspirations, “men who came from the theater, like me, who gave such dignity to heroes and villains.”

Among the stars who postedremembrances of Gossettin the wake of his death was Barrino, 39, who called him “an Awesome Man” on herInstagram.

“You left behind so many tokens for us and paved the way for Black Actors and Actresses. You will be missed, but Man did you Live a Blessed Life,” she wrote.

FellowColor PurplestarDavid Alan Grierwrote alongside athrowback snapshotthat Gossett was “one of my fave acting heroes. Hung out with him years ago at the Toronto film festival … I bailed at 2 AM as he bid me good evening and strolled down the street with a girl on each arm.”

Louis Gossett Jr. at the 1983 Academy Awards.Elisa Leonelli/Shutterstock

Elisa Leonelli/Shutterstock

Writing forVariety, Domingo recalled doing a workshop for a musical version ofAn Officer and a Gentleman, the 1982 drama that made Gossett the first Black person to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Playing the same role, wrote Domingo, “I learned to divorce myself of any interpretation of a legendary actor such as he, because no artist can live up to something so detailed and nuanced and truly their own making.”

source: people.com