Colman Domingo’s love story is like something out of a rom-com. The actor, who tied the knot with Raúl Aktanov in 2014, had a meet-cute worthy of a Nora Ephron movie after fate intervened.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2022, Colman revealed how he and Raúl – a former assistant costume designer – came into each other’s orbit. “Ok, you gotta picture 17 years ago, I was walking down the street going into a Walgreens in Berkeley, California,” he began. “We passed each other. We never spoke.
© Getty“A few days later, I’m on Craigslist trying to buy a used computer to help with my writing. I went to the home screen and you know, they have Missed Connections, things like ads, so I would read them because I’m a romantic. I go to the second page of Missed Connections and it said, ‘Saw you outside of Walgreens, Berkeley.'”
A story which he was also quizzed about on The Graham Norton Show in 2024, Colman added that Raúl had looked “beautiful” the first time he saw him and that he had considered putting his own Missed Connection ad up, before realizing that just two hours before, Raúl had beaten him to the punch.
© Getty“We met up three days later, we had our first date,” Colman explained, before noting that he ended up staying at Raúl’s place that night. “We cuddled and I thought he was asleep,” he continued, “then at four o’clock in the morning, I couldn’t sleep and I said: ‘I think I love you and you’re about to change my life’. We’ve been together for almost 19 years.”
Almost a decade after they crossed paths outside Walgreens, Colman and Raúl tied the knot in 2014. They opted for an intimate ceremony in California which had been disguised as a house party. As 25 guests arrived, the couple greeted them by saying, “Welcome to our wedding”, and after saying ‘I do’ they danced the night away.
While Raúl prefers to keep a low profile, he has joined Colman at several high-profile events. This year alone, he was spotted alongside his husband at the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Sundance Film Festival, the amfAR gala in Cannes, and the Golden Globe Awards.
Closer than ever, the couple have set up a production company together – Edith Productions – and the two have worked on various films, including Sing Sing, and It’s What’s Inside.
© Kevin WinterIn a recent interview with InStyle, Colman explained that amidst his busy schedule, he’s been missing his Southeast Los Angeles home. He and Raúl have also purchased a property in Malibu. Asked about his morning routine, Colman said that Raúl makes him a coffee every day. “He knows I can make coffee on my own, but there’s something about the gesture of him waking up, putting a bottle of water down next to me, giving me my coffee,” the A-lister gushed.
Colman added that the last thing he does before bed is kiss Raúl goodnight, and just like that, these two have become our favourite couple.
