For his portrayal of the role of Bayard Rustin in the biographical film Rustin, Domingo has the opportunity to receive the highest accolade in the film world: the Oscar for Best Leading Role. But his nomination is more than that, as gay roles often remain underrepresented in award shows. Additionally, gay roles are frequently relegated to supporting roles.
In 1999, the first gay man was nominated for a gay role: Ian McKellen in God and Monsters. Now, 25 years later, history repeats itself. However, a gay actor has never won for playing a gay role, while heterosexual actors have won for portraying gay characters. Consider, for example, Rami Malek, who won the Oscar for "Best Actor" for his role as Freddie Mercury, and Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk.
The 54-year-old Domingo shares with Variety how he reacted to the news of his nomination. To distract his thoughts, he was cleaning out his closet. His husband was watching the livestream. "When they said my name, he literally laid on the floor. We had a little cry together. It’s unbelievable as someone who has been doing this work for three decades."
