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Honoring and congratulating Colman Domingo for his second Oscar nomination for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Award at the 97th Academy Awards, for his role as John “Divine G” Whitfield in the film Sing Sing.
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WHEREAS, Colman Domingo is an award-winning director, actor, producer, and playwright whose career has blossomed from stage to screen in the span of three decades. He has made an extraordinary impact on the entertainment industry with his powerful presence and charisma that has made him a prominent and influential figure on and off stage; and
WHEREAS, Domingo was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 28th, 1969. Domingo was raised by his mother, Edith Bowles, and stepfather, in West Philadelphia and graduated from Overbrook High School in 1987, which he often referred to as the “Castle on the Hill”; and
WHEREAS, Domingo studied journalism at Temple University’s School of Communication and Theater. In 2020, he received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. Domingo has also served as a Juilliard School Creative Associate and a faculty member of the Yale School of Drama. He has guest lectured at the University of Southern California and the University of California San Diego. He was also a faculty member at the National Theater Institute; and
WHEREAS, Domingo has received various accolades, including an Obie Award for Ensemble Performance, GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New York Theater: Broadway and Off-Broadway, Lucile Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show, Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Lead Performance, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, and Satellite Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture; and
WHEREAS, On January 23, 2025, Domingo was nominated for the 2025 Best Actor in a Leading Role Award at the 97th Academy Awards for his outstanding performance in the film Sing Sing, in which he portrays John “Divine G” Whitfield. Divine G, incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, discovers a sense of purpose as a member of a theater group. This group, the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, is a real non-profit organization which was founded in Sing Sing in 1996 and takes an innovative approach to reentry using the arts to explore the emotional and social challenges an incarcerated individual can experience when they are released; and
WHEREAS, Colman Domingo, a proud LGBTQ+ Afro-Latino Philadelphian, has enjoyed accolades throughout his career for his work as a film and television actor and producer, a theatre director, and creative visionary. He garnered the honor of the first Afro-Latino to be nominated in the best actor category in 2024 with his nomination for his work in the film Rustin, and now, back-to-back nominations for his work in Sing Sing. On the occasion of his recognition for his latest starring role with an Academy Award Nomination; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Hereby honors and congratulates Colman Domingo for his second Oscar nomination for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Award, for his role as John “Divine G” Whitfield in the film Sing Sing.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to Colman Domingo, further evidencing the sincere respect of this legislative body.
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