Nat King Cole's life will be made into a movie by Oscar-nominated filmmaker

29 January 2024, 11:16

Nat King Cole- Afraid of the Dark – documentary trailer

By Mayer Nissim

Nat King Cole is finally getting the biopic his genius deserves.

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As well as his dozens of film roles during his lifetime, usually as himself, Nat King Cole has been the subject of a number of documentaries over the years.

He's not yet had a proper biopic on the level of Rocketman or Bohemian Rhapsody, but it looks like that might be about to change.

Award-winning actor, writer and director Colman Domingo has revealed that he is co-writing a Nat biopic, which he'll direct and star in himself.

Domingo won a Primetime Emmy in 2022 for his role as a Guest Actor in Euphoria, and has been nominated for this year's Oscars for his lead role in Rustin.

“I’ve been working on it quietly for a few years,” Domingo told Variety. “It’s something I’m looking forward to putting together with some great partners.”

Nat King Cole and Colman Domingo
Nat King Cole and Colman Domingo. Picture: Getty Images

Domingo has previous form for work based on Cole's life, having co-written Lights Out: Nat ‘King’ Cole, which focused on the singer's history-making 1957 The Nat King Cole Show, the first network show hosted by an African American.

Whether or not Nat King Cole's film gets off the ground, Colman will definitely feature in a very high-profile pop biopic soon.

He's been cast as Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson in the upcoming Michael movie, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring the King of Pop's nephew Jaafar Jackson as his late uncle.

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