Colman Domingo Reveals He Underwent a 2.5-Hour Prosthetic Transformation for Michael Jackson Biopic
The Oscar-nominated actor played Joe Jackson in the “Michael” biopic, which was released in April
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/colman-doming-michael-080526-0a22c845323f4115b245444158c43a28.jpg "Colman Domingo as Joe Jackson in Michael; Colman Domingo attends the premiere of")
Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate; Taylor Hill/WireImage
NEED TO KNOW
Key Takeaways
- Colman Domingo said on The Tonight Show that he underwent a 2.5-hour prosthetic transformation to portray Joe Jackson in the Michael Jackson biopic
- Domingo dedicated 40 hours a week to research and preparation to capture the essence of Michael Jackson’s father
- The film became the second-highest-grossing biopic ever and explores how Michael Jackson became a music icon
Colman Domingo goes all in for his roles.
The Oscar-nominated actor, 56, opened up about the intense makeup transformation he underwent for his role as Joe Jackson in the Michael biopic released in April during his latest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Domingo revealed that his physical transformation in the makeup chair took two-and-a-half hours, which included intricate prosthetic application and wearing colored eye contacts to match the father of Michael Jackson‘s exact look.
Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
“That’s two-and-a-half hours of prosthetics,” Domingo told Fallon after the comedian host referenced a photo of the actor in character, shocked at his transformation. “I had a great time with that role and really, it meant everything.”
It wasn’t just a physical transformation, however. Domingo, acclaimed for his craft, put in hours of research and character development to portray Joe to the best of his ability.
“You’re watching the video, you’re doing any research you can on the character… the years around it, you name it,” he told Fallon, who asked about his preparation ahead of filming. “I take in everything. I start my research the moment I get cast, and then it’s probably like 40 hours a week of my own work just to prepare to be on that set.”
“You want to do soul work, to be honest. You don’t want mimicry on anything,” Domingo continued. “You want to find the soul of a person and advocate for that.”
Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate; Christopher Patey/Getty
After the release of the film, which became the second highest-grossing biopic of all time in May, Domingo told The Hollywood Reporter that starring in the biopic about the King of Pop had its difficulties that went beyond the heavy prosthetics, contacts and more used to transform into the Jackson family patriarch.
“This was not an easy shoot, I will not shy away from that,” Domingo told THR in an interview published on May 13.
Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty
The Euphoria actor did not go method for the role, but he did stay in character while he was shooting scenes with younger members of the Michael cast, according to the outlet. There were also dramatic revisions to the story itself, which placed Domingo’s Joe into a more central role.
Take PEOPLE with you! Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox.
Domingo also told THR that he is proud of the film. Michael, he told the outlet, “has become an examination of how Michael became Michael, before we deal with anything else.”
“Everyone thinks there’s one way to tell his story, and there isn’t,” he added. “One can’t deny Michael’s genius and his extraordinary legacy in the music industry.”