Things got a bit weird for comedian and actor Deon Cole after a recent trip to the movies for the new film “The Color Purple.”
Cole also starred in the film as Alfonso, the abusive stepfather of Celie and Nettie. Phylicia Pearl Mpasi portrayed a young Celie, while Fantasia Barrino played adult Ceilie. A young Nettie was played by Halle Bailey and adult Nettie’s role was helmed by Ciara.
The sisters believed Alfonso was their real father until Nettie later discovers the truth years later. When Celie was young, she was pregnant twice after Alfonso raped and abused her before he sold both girls to servitude.
Fans were impressed with Cole’s cold demeanor and the way he stepped away from his signature comedy hat. His evocative performance struck a nerve with viewers and his appearance in the film took many by surprise, including a woman who was unaware she was sitting near him in a movie theater.
“I was in the theater watching TCP and this woman I was sitting next to said to herself after my scene, not knowing I was sitting next to her, said “they should come together and kill him!” Cole wrote on X Jan. 1. “I slowly turned and looked at her, then I switched seats. The Color purple in theaters now.”
Along with the post, Cole shared a video featuring behind-the-scenes photos of himself in costume on set with “Reaching for the Sky” by Peabo Bryson playing in the background. It included images of him dressed in a vest and suit in his dressing room and others of him working at a convenience store.
“Bro…I’m just now realizing this was YOU!! You did AMAZING!! WTF!!!” wrote one social media user while another said, “talk about completely disappeared into the character.”
The “Barbershop” actor is typically seen with his goatee, but in “The Color Purple” his character requires him to remove all of his facial hair. “Yeah you got the I ain’t sh-t facial hair combo.”
One person joked, “Did Mister tell Miss Celie, ‘Don’t use my Old Spice Body Wash…’ Cause that would have been AWESOME!”
Cole landed a campaign deal with Old Spice for their Fresher Collection in 2019. Since then, he’s appeared in various commercials for the brand with his commercial wife, Gabrielle Dennis, and his commercial therapist, Nia Long, and commercial mother-in-law, Patti LaBelle.
The actor on Old Spice's "Men have skin, too" commercials is HILARIOUS! Deon Cole, a veteran of "Blackish" and "Angie Tribeca" is the put-upon husband. In the latest, mother-in-law Patti LaBelle steals all his lotion. pic.twitter.com/YXIeYZPGbb
— Jerry Breen (@newbreen) October 5, 2021
The 51-year-old said producers did a “remarkable job” merging the 1982 book written by Alice Walker of the same title and the Broadway play. During an appearance on “The Talk,” he said he enjoyed being part of the cast that put a “brand new spin” … “on this iconic film, we all came up on. So being a part of it is unreal.”
“When I first found out about it me and Danielle Brooks and her husband [Dennis Gelin] and a whole bunch of us went out to dinner celebrating her getting a job. I think about three weeks later she called me and said, ‘Congratulations,’ and I was like for what?’ She was like, ‘The movie.'”
Cole had not received notice about his role in the film, before Brooks, who played Sophia, informed him that his image was on a vision board. “She was like, maybe they was trying to get somebody to be like you.”
He said he then called his manager, who confirmed his role in the latest “The Color Purple” directed by Blitz Bazawule and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, who played Sophia in the original movie.
Cole was able to meet Oprah for the first time on set where they spoke and “hung out.” He met Stephen Spielberg much later after spotting him on the streets of New York. He said he ran up to him to compliment his movies and asked to take a selfie before realizing, “I’m in one of your movies.” Spielberg directed the 1985 film and also is a producer for the current film.
