Oprah Winfrey honored Colman Domingo at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, celebrating his deeply moving performance in Sing Sing. Presenting him with the prestigious Montecito Award, Winfrey described his portrayal of John “Divine G” Whitfield as “courageous, raw, and authentic storytelling.”
Winfrey, a longtime friend and collaborator of Domingo, shared an emotional connection to the moment. She revealed that Domingo’s late mother, Edith Bowles, had written letters to The Oprah Winfrey Show years ago, believing in her son’s talent. Though the letters never reached Winfrey at the time, she expressed that Bowles’ spirit had “brought us together for such a time as this.”
Domingo and Winfrey have worked together on multiple projects, including The Butler, Selma, and The Color Purple. However, Sing Sing left a profound impression on her. The A24 film tells the real-life story of a theater troupe for incarcerated men, with Domingo delivering a performance that Winfrey described as looking “at part of his own soul up there.”
With his Montecito Award win, Domingo continues to receive accolades this awards season, further solidifying his reputation as one of Hollywood’s most compelling actors.
