Before either of them was an Oscar nominee, Colman Domingo and Will Smith shared gym and science classes at Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia. Ask Domingo how close they were, though, and he remembers two teenagers moving in different circles.
On the November 3 episode of Friends Keep Secrets, Domingo told hosts Benny Blanco, Dave Burd and Kristin Batalucco that Smith was a year ahead of him. As People reported, Smith was already performing locally with DJ Jazzy Jeff. Domingo remembers classmates going to the shows while he kept his attention on school.
A Reunion at El Torito
The last time Domingo remembers seeing Smith was back in Philadelphia. Smith had already found fame, and Domingo was waiting tables at El Torito. When Smith came in with friends, Domingo thought he looked as if he was trying to place him. A quick reminder about high school brought it back, and the two hugged.
Domingo went on to earn back-to-back best actor Oscar nominations for Rustin and Sing Sing, as Entertainment Weekly notes. Even with both men working in Hollywood, Domingo says he still hasn’t run into Smith again. He imagines there’ll be warmth if they do meet, with Philadelphia giving them something to talk about.
The Stranger Who Wrote First
Later in the episode, Domingo told the story of meeting his husband, Raúl. As Queerty recounts, the two locked eyes in Berkeley in 2005 and went on their way without speaking.
A few days later, Domingo was on Craigslist looking for a used computer and thought about writing a Missed Connections post. Raúl had already written one. There was enough detail for Domingo to recognize himself, including a mention of his fauxhawk.
They met up a few days later. Domingo says he told Raúl he loved him on that first date. More than two decades on, he still remembers how close they came to walking out of each other’s lives before they’d said a word.
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