Colman Domingo is taking a moment to truly appreciate the honor of being a first-time Oscar nominee.
Hours before the start of the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, Domingo, who is nominated for his leading role in the drama “Rustin,” posted a video to Instagram expressing his gratitude for being included in the category and thanking everyone who has cheered him on.
In the video, the actor danced around his hotel room and balcony as Shalamar’s “A Night to Remember” blasted in the background.
“Hello, this is just to thank all those that love me, that care for me. Know that I feel like I won just by being here,” he said.
Domingo continued, “It’s not about who walks away with anything tonight. It’s about the journey and the love and the experiences and the people.”
He said he was soaking in the moment, revealing that he feels “peaceful and joyful” leading up to Hollywood’s biggest night. Domingo also reflected on the importance of getting nominated for a film about civil rights activist Bayard Rustin.
“It goes to (Rustin). It goes to all these civil right leaders who were unsung. I thank my cast, my crew. I want to give thanks already!” he said.
He said he was looking forward to the evening and mentioned that fans are eager to find out what he is wearing to the awards ceremony.
Domingo gave a few shoutouts to all his friends in the industry who have supported him, including actor Tessa Thompson, before teasing his red carpet outfit. He revealed that he has multiple dramatic looks planned for the evening.
“I don’t know how we’re going to do it, but my Wayman + Micah team, they have a great plan tonight,” he shared, referring to the styling duo Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald behind his chic red carpet looks.
Before ending the clip so he could get dressed, he added, “I have energy. I’m ready to go!”
In the caption for the joyful post, he wrote, “Love to Love you baby.”
The 54-year-old actor is nominated in the best actor in a leading role category alongside Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”), Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”), Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Jeffrey Wright (“American Fiction.”)
Earlier this year, Domingo spoke with Willie Geist for an episode of Sunday Sitdown and opened up about portraying Rustin. He revealed he spoke with former President Barack Obama — who was an executive producer on the film with wife Michelle Obama — about the civil rights leader’s impact.
“President Barack Obama told me backstage when we were in D.C., ‘You know, Colman, there would be no Barack Obama if there was no Bayard Rustin,’” Domingo recalled. “That’s my Barack Obama.”
Domingo will represent the film at the 2024 Oscars and have the chance to become the first Afro Latino to win the golden statue in that category. As he hopes to make history, he will work with Wayman + Micah to wear an outfit that will surely live up to the moment.
Ahead of the ceremony, the styling duo couldn’t share too many details about Domingo’s Oscars look during an interview with TODAY.com. However, they described it as timeless, oculus and regal.
“We like the anticipation and to keep the excitement going. We’re in a strong place, we’re really excited,” Micah said.