Whatever ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Is Paying Colman Domingo, Double It – UPROXX

Theres a moment in the sixth season finale of Fear the Walking Dead after a nuclear bomb explodes in the distance when Colman Domingos character, Victor Strand, is standing in the window of a rumbling building. Assuming hes about to be decimated, Victor awaits his demise for a few seconds before realizing hes cheated death. For the umpteenth time in Fear the Walking, Victor Strand has somehow dodged the grim reaper, but no one is less surprised than Strand himself.

Victor lets out a hearty laugh, worthy of a supervillain. Why are you laughing? a man Strand only just met standing next to him says.

Because Im alive, Strand says. After everything I did, Im still here I am Victor Strand. Im a man who has thrown men to the wolves when necessary. Who has not been afraid to cut the cord when I had to. Im a backroom dealer, a grifter, a shark. Hell, Ive cheated at chess when a back was turned. Again, and again, and again. Without fail.

Asked why he is the way he is, Victor confesses, Survival. Ive done it all my life, and despite the critics, Im still here.

Its not a particularly necessary monologue given the situation, and all due respect, its not a particularly well-written monologue, either, although that line line despite the critics, Im still here, may as well refer to Colman and the very show itself. Colman Domingo sells the absolute hell out of it. In fact, for six years though good seasons and very bad seasons Colman Domingo has made the most of his every moment. He is not the heart of Fear the Walking Dead (thats Lennie James Morgan Jones), and hes not the most physical actor on the series (that title likely belongs to Alycia Debnam-Careys Alicia), and he doesnt have the extensive resume of, say, Rubn Blades, but Victor Strand is always the most compelling character on Fear the Walking Dead, which has everything to do with Colman Domingo.

Victor Strand is probably the kind of character that Jon Bernthals Shane would have become had he survived the third season of The Walking Dead. Hes opportunistic, cutthroat, and loyal only to the extent that it benefits him. On The Walking Dead, Victor Strand would have ditched his Alexandrian family and joined Negans Saviors at the first opportunity, and then he would have slashed Negans throat as soon as Negan had fallen out of favor and Alexandria would have immediately welcomed him back. Thats the kind of character Victor Strand is. Hes charming and cunning, but most of all, he is convincing. Victor Strand has been on the right side of things and on the wrong side of things, but we never stop rooting for him.

Thats all because of the ferociously good Domingo Colman. Hes at least one of the three best actors in the entire The Walking Dead universe and with the exception of Steven Yeun and Danai Gurira, hes probably the best positioned to break out of the franchise and find mainstream success. Hell, he already has. Like Gurira, hes already huge in the theater world (he has 25 years of stage experience, including an Obie award and a Tony nomination), and in the last few years, hes played impactful roles in the zeitgeistian HBO series Euphoria and awards season pics, including If Beale Street Could Talk and Ma Raineys Black Bottom. Hell soon also appear in Nia DaCostas Candyman. You can bet he will be remembered.

More recently, AMC wisely kept Domingo in the network fold by greenlighting West Philly, Baby, a TV series based on Domingos play Dot, which Domingo will adapt, direct, and produce himself as part of his first-look deal with AMC Studios. Hes such an extraordinary increasingly in-demand actor that I cant help but think that Fear will eventually lose him. In fact, Im not sure why hes stuck around this long, except that he has more loyalty than his character. Then again, based on his Insta, Colman is clearly the heart-and-soul of the series behind the scenes, a guy who keeps things fun even during months long shoots in the heat of Texas.

I wouldnt say that Fear the Walking Dead is Colman Domingos show, but I also cant imagine it without him. Hes a guy who literally threw the series lead, Morgan Jones, to the zombies, and were still pulling for him. When hes on the screen, I cannot take my eyes off of him. So, whatever AMC is paying the guy, they need to double it.

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Whatever 'Fear The Walking Dead' Is Paying Colman Domingo, Double It - UPROXX

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero