Colman Domingo has recalled being the “nerd” at Philadelphia’s Overbrook High School while Will Smith was regarded as the “cool kid”. The actors attended the same school, although Domingo said they were never friends.
Speaking on the Friends Keep Secrets podcast, Domingo said he and Smith had gym and science classes together. Smith was one year above him at the school.
“West Philly, born and raised,” Domingo said. “I went to high school with Will… We had gym class and science class together.”
Colman Domingo recalls Will Smith as the popular student
Domingo said the pair occupied very different social circles during their school years.
“He was the cool kid and I was the nerd,” the Oscar nominee said, adding that Smith “really was the most popular kid in high school”.
At the time, Smith was a local rapper performing with Jazzy Jeff, and Domingo said the school’s popular pupils would go to see them.
Despite both later building successful careers, Domingo said they had rarely crossed paths. The one occasion he recalled seeing Smith was when he was working as a waiter at a restaurant in Philadelphia.
“I’m sure we’ll see each other at some point. And there’ll be warmth and a shared history from Philadelphia,” Domingo said.
