Colman Domingo Was a 'Really Good' Bartender for 15 Years Before Fame: 'It's Really Helped Me'

Colman Domingo's strong work ethic started behind the bar, not in front of the curtain.

Long before the actor, 52, was winning Emmy Awards (for his guest appearance as Ali on Euphoria), Domingo was a bartender — and a good one at that.

"I was a bartender for 15 years of my life, while I was becoming an artist at the same time," he tells PEOPLE.

"I would always bartend while I was auditioning, even performing. There were times when I would step off of a stage, take my final bow, run to get out of my costume, get a cab across town, and within 15 minutes saying, 'Hi, what can I get you?'" adds Domingo, who was a natural fit for a collaboration with Ketel One Vodka, the spirits partner of the 74th Emmy Awards.

Despite the hectic schedule, the veteran cocktail connoisseur who started making drinks when he was 21, didn't harbor any resentment for the multiple gigs he was juggling. "That's the true life of an artist..a working artist. And I was a really good bartender. I loved bartending," he says. "It wasn't something like, 'Oh, I have to go do this thing to just keep the lights on.' No, I actually loved what I was doing."

Much of the charisma that went into his face-to-face bartending roles influenced his acting roles.

"I loved the conversations I was having with people because I'm a people person. I loved being in service. It's an alignment with what I do because I think that what I do as an artist is a service job," he says.

The Tony Award-winning actor admits he "works very hard," adding that his days at nightclubs and restaurants, serving people with so many "different personalities" prepared him for his current day-to-day hustle.

"You need to be a psychologist at times. You need to be very open and caring in figuring out what people need. The bartender in any bar or restaurant is a leader. You sort of lead the way the night's going to go. And so I know that it's really helped me in my leadership position when I'm on sets," Domingo says.

When it comes to his favorite drinks to make back in the day, Domingo says he has always "drank like an old man," adding, "even when I was 21, I would start having just scotch on the rocks."

His affinity for "simple, elegant" cocktails is matched by his love to cook and entertain — something that is grounded in personal roots.

"It comes from my parents. My parents were exceptional hosts. They loved having people over. Every New Year's Eve party was at our house, every barbecue, you name it," he sats. "I think it's just a part of my culture. I know I'm best at hosting."

While the Bottomless Brunch at Colman's host loves orchestrating fun get-togethers, he also finds a sense of calm in the kitchen, cooking before guests arrive. "I'm a huge cook... that's where I find my peace. I love going in the kitchen and being in it for hours and being very quiet," he says. "As much as I work, I also know how to chill really hard."

Domingo still carries around wisdom learned from his formative days behind the bar in several ways, sharing that the job transcends drinking.

"It's really not about drinking," he says. "It's really about the culture around it. It's about lighting and sitting with people that you love and letting people get to know each other and the conversation around it."