‘My real husband chose my TV husband’: Colman Domingo on the casting of his ‘The Four Seasons’ costar Marco Calvani
A delicious Italian dinner unexpectedly shifted the trajectory of Colman Domingo and Marco Calvani’s careers.
Domingo had already signed on to star in the upcoming Netflix comedy The Four Seasons, created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield, when he and his husband attended a dinner party hosted by Calvani.
“When we were casting, I went to a dinner party at Marco’s house. He was feeding us beautiful Italian food,” Domingo recalls. “My husband said, ‘What if Marco auditioned?’"
Calvani was excited at the chance to audition for the series based on the 1981 film of the same name and also starring Steve Carell, Will Forte and Kerri Kenney-Silver. Shortly after, Calvani landed the role.
“So my actual husband chose my television husband,” Domingo says with a laugh, adding that their pre-existing friendship enhanced their performances. “We already had a baseline of love and care for each other as friends.”
The casting moment was just one of several unexpected turns in Domingo’s recent career. Fresh off back-to-back Oscar nominations for his dramatic roles in Rustin (2023) and Sing Sing (2024), he admits he was surprised when Fey approached him about doing a comedy.
“Up until recently, people have seen me in a lot of dramas, but I think she must have known that I had a sense of humor,” he says. “I’ve now watched the season and am like, ‘Oh, I am pretty funny in this.’”
Domingo didn’t just act in the series — he also directed episode six. While the show delivers on laughs, it doesn’t shy away from deeper emotional subjects. For Domingo, balancing those tones was key.
“I knew my baseline is they are going to be funny, but my job was to make sure we hit all these complex notes of pain and hurt and confusion,” he explains. He says he learned a lot by observing the show’s creators at work.
“Tina, Lang, and Tracey are like mad scientists when it comes to comedy — the precision — and yet they are still very relaxed and have a good time.”
The Four Seasons premieres May 1 on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.