Colman Domingo reveals the inspiring words Barack Obama told him about his ‘Rustin’ character

Bayard Rustin paved the way for Barack Obama.

In this week's Sunday Sitdown episode, airing Jan. 21, host Willie Geist spoke to Colman Domingo, the star of the Bayard Rustin biopic, "Rustin," which debuted on Netflix Nov. 3.

During the interview, Colman, who portrayed the unsung civil rights icon, recalled what former President Barack Obama — who served as the film's executive producer alongside his wife Michelle — told him about the activist.

"President Barack Obama told me backstage when we were in D.C., 'You know, Colman, there would be no Barack Obama if there was no Bayard Rustin,'" Domingo said. "That’s my Barack Obama."

Rustin worked side-by-side with Dr. King and was a critical organizer of the March on Washington and its movement, a series of demonstrations during the 1960s to protest against the racial and economic inequalities of African Americans. Rustin's story was originally buried due to his LGBTQ identity and it's only now in recent years that he's getting the recognition he deserved.

Domingo's portrayal of Rustin comes as he's becoming a household name in Hollywood. Between his 2022 Emmy for his role in "Euphoria" and starring in new big screen adaptation of "The Color Purple," the 54-year-old actor appears to hitting a peak in his career.

"I didn’t even know that this could happen for me," he said of the growing limelight. "I actually didn’t know. I just wanted to do good work. And then suddenly I’m in this space where all the lights are brightly shining on me. It sorta takes my breath away when I think about it, honestly. I don’t know if I could dream this big. I almost feel like it’s too much. Because it feels so incredible, in a way that I never imagined."

While the actor admits all the love can be "overwhelming" at times, he believes the new attention is a return on his years of doing good work and serving others.

"I think maybe that’s hopefully the goodwill that — I don’t know, I’ve been conscious of — that my mother wanted me to do in being of service to other people (and) that it’s coming back," he said. "And especially when it comes (to) Rustin, I mean, this unsung hero, someone who’s been hidden in the shadows of history."

"I know that I gave everything I possibly could, all the years in regional theater, off Broadway, crying on the side of the Public Theater, all of it went into this work," he added. "I’m a 33-year-old overnight success. This is what it looks like."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com