Summary

• The film Rustin highlights the story of Bayard Rustin, an influential activist in the Civil Rights movement who fought for the rights of African-Americans and LGBTQ people.
• The movie focuses on Rustin's efforts to organize the 1963 March on Washington, showcasing the challenges he faced, including racism and homophobia.
• Rustin's story is important to be told now as it sheds light on a marginalized figure in history and serves as inspiration for young LGBTQIA individuals, showing them that they can make a difference.

Rustin tells the story of the powerful activist Bayard Rustin. An important figure in the Civil Rights movement who used non-violence to fight for the civil rights of many, including African-Americans and LGTBQ people. The movie focuses on his efforts to organize the 1963 March on Washington, which shifted the Civil Rights movement forever, showing the many challenges he faced, including racism and homophobia.

George C. Wold directs the new Netflix biopic Rustin from a script penned by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black, based on a story by Breece. Colman Domingo stars as the titular character, with an impressive cast including Chris Rock, Jeffrey Wright, Audra McDonald, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph.

Screen Rant interviewed Rustin star Colman Domingo about playing Bayard Rustin. He explained why it was important to speak with people who actually knew Rustin. Domingo also discussed the importance of bringing humanity and nuance to the role, as well as why this is the right time for this movie.

Colman Domingo Talks Rustin

Screen Rant: Colman, your performance in this was phenomenal. Get ready for your Oscar now, sir.

Colman Domingo: All right. From your lips to Gods ears.

Right. Well I've got to ask, because I was unaware of who Bayard Rustin really was until really watching this film, and then I dove into his career a little bit, and my goodness, what a dude. What an amazing beacon of power, right?

Colman Domingo: Absolutely.

Why is now the right time for a Bayard Rustin film and to really dive into who he was as an activist and everything else?

Colman Domingo: What an extraordinary time that we're in right now, and this film, I think, can be a great example and examination of someone who is marginalized in history and someone who actually did so much for all the civil liberties that we have, which is great. He organized the March on Washington. He was an incredible organizer.

He did many other things that I can just rattle off, but I won't bore you with that. But what an incredible human being who has been sidelined in history. And what's beautiful is that we're showing that history is a much bigger place actually, and there's more room for other stories as well. And to know that, because I think if you have a story like Bayard Rustin's out in the world now, what an inspiration it is to young LGBTQIA kids growing up as well, believing that they can make a difference.

They have a North Star, someone like Bayard Rustin who has done so much and who was absolutely, he was in his existence in the 1950s, which was a very different time. You know what I mean? So I think you have someone you can really look to as well and ire, like I do.

A part of your research that surprised me a little bit is you spoke with a lot of people that knew him. Can you talk about that a little bit?

Colman Domingo: Yes. I spoke with Walter Naegle, who was Bayer's partner up until Bayer's ing, and also I spoke with Rochelle Horowitz, who was one of his comrades who actually ran transportation for the March on Washington. Yeah, exactly. She was like 19 years old when that happened, which is cool. But I spoke to them because I wanted to know all the human qualities, not the things that I can go and research and find out, whether it's his debates with Malcolm X, you name it. But I wanted to find out.

I would ask questions like, Hey, was he a touchy-feely guy or what did he like to eat? Or when he traveled, what was the first thing he liked to pick up? All those little things that may not, I don't know if anybody would really recognize it if they watch the film, but I know it and I can infuse and I can know more about the character, and so the character can move in a different way. The character can exist in a different way or wear clothing in a different way because I understand the history of it and why he did what he did.

Speaking of that, what did you want to bring to the role that wasn't necessarily on the page?

Colman Domingo: What was on the page, there was a lot mapped out, which was great, but I wanted to fill in his full humanity, truly. And I think the idea that he was, I didn't want to play someone who was overtly heroic. I think he's messy. I think he is fragile. I think he's really whip smart. I think he's funny and all at once, I think whatever I can do to make sure that he's so nuanced is the goal.

I want to make sure that any of his scenes when it comes to lovemaking scenes, that they were very honest and real as well. I wanted to make sure that when he was in a room full of the NAA and other organizers and all that, he was how he used his wit. So I knew I became the caretaker for hopefully the fullness of this character. So you never just getting one note or even just five notes. I wanted to give like a million notes.

This is not your first collaboration with George C. Wolfe, and correct me if I'm wrong, but you've auditioned for him before and you thought he didn't like that. Here you are in this role, which I think is an Oscar-caliber performance.

Colman Domingo: And George will argue this. He would say that I did not audition for him this many times, five times. I , because George is a legendary director of stage and film, and I just auditioned for him five times and five times in New York he did not cast me. So I figured, Oh, he doesn't like my work. I moved to LA. I do other things, whatever.

And then I get an offer, a straight offer for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom directed by George C. Wolfe, and I'm like that can't be possible. Does he know it's me? He wouldn't give me an offer. He doesn't like my work, but apparently he did. George is that consummate artist, and even if he has a million projects, he wants to make sure you're absolutely right for his vision, and I'm glad that I fit his vision, not only in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, but as Bayard Rustin.

About Rustin

Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington. Watch all you want. Colman Domingo leads this George C. Wolfe-directed historical drama co-starring Aml Ameen, Glynn Turman and Chris Rock.

Check out our other Rustin interview with director George C. Wolfe.

Rustin is currently available to stream on Netflix.

Source: Screen Rant Plus