Colman Domingois pretty sure his latest miniseries,The Madness, which premiered onNetflixthis week, is very relevant in terms of what the last United States election caused. The actor believes the miniseries raises some questions in a conversation that simply feels necessary.
Domingo has seen his career rise to new heights in the last few years. Just in 2023, the Academy Award nominee participated in five major projects and still had time to provide voice work to a superhero audio play. Undoubtedly one of the most interesting performers in modern film and television, Domingo’s latest is the conspiracy thrillerThe Madness, which hasarrived on Netflixjust in time for the holiday season.
The Madness
The actor spoke to The Wrapand provided his take on how the show reflects the current state of a socially shaken society. So grab your tin hats and join Domingo as he explores the nuances ofThe Madnessand how it feels like a relevant piece in the politically charged world the recent U.S. election seems to have done nothing to fix. This is what he said:
“Especially after the past few weeks, I think we’re all trying to lick our wounds and try to figure out who are we as a country? What do we believe in? Where’s our information coming from? How are we distilling it down?
We have to think differently in some ways and open ourselves up to have uncomfortable conversations, real conversations, not just your opinion.”
The Madnessfollows Muncie Daniels (Domingo), a media figure who comes upon the corpse of a white supremacist and all heads turn to accuse him. Instantly, Muncie goes on the hunt for the truth as he and his family fall under public scrutiny and face threats from a divided society that can also be violent when triggered.
10 Highly Underrated Political Thrillers
Here are some examples of political thrillers that deserve more attention than they have ever gotten.
Domingo believes his character is a reflection of an unbiased man who’s forced to remain neutral in all circumstances, but at the same time, Muncie “can sit at a table from opposite ends, have a conversation and build some bridges.” Per the actor’s perception of his character and where he stands in regards to basic rights, he feels like he loses when being judged by the public eye:
“He feels like he has no access or agency anymore, or no one’s believing him. He’s like, ‘I gotta believe in myself. And if the police and society are not going to protect my family, I have to protect what’s mine.’ So suddenly he’s put up against the wall in many ways.
It’s really reshaping who this man is by sending him into this place that he did not want to go to, but because of circumstance, he’s fully thrust into.”
Colman Domingo’s Preparation for ‘The Madness’
In the same interview, the actor also offered details abouthow he prepared for the role. He says they took inspiration from real talking heads, giving special attention to media presence that gets a bit “spicy.” He further explains how he was able to build a compelling character from such a divisive media realm:
“I feel like there’s too much coming at us in the world, so I’ve unplugged from that….It’s less about news and more about opinion and wrestling with ideology, and then using their intelligence to win an argument.
Personally, I never see a lot of listening happening. I see more of doubling down on beliefs. Muncie as a character is a bit more centrist.”
For a thriller based on politics, remaining at the center of the conversation is pretty risky today. Especially when society seems divided as ever in terms of ideology. However, it seems like everyone involved was in tune with remaining neutral and not standing on either side of the fence:
“Our showrunners and our whole team were very interested in just raising questions.”
