Although Colman and Nika were unsure if Sam was setting the characters up in the episode where the family has dinner, they played into this chemistry. “We danced around it, even if it’s not written on the page,” he said. “[Nika] is such a beautiful woman and I think Ali would take note of that, of who this woman is. And he has some language saying how he really really admires how strong she is and what she’s been doing.”
He said of their conversation, “I think there’s something sexy about that.”
While this romance is a possibility for season three, Colman warned that if anything more were to happen between them, “That steps into some really dangerous territory, because he is Rue’s sponsor.”
Colman will find out what Sam has planned when season three begins filming. For now, the actor is staying booked and busy, with upcoming roles in The Color Purple and Netflix’s Rustin. There’s also the animated short film New Moon, which he describes as a “love letter” to Black mothers and sons.