Wunmi Mosaku Tapped Into a Whole New Power With Sinners

Wunmi Mosaku was only seven months postpartum when she stepped onto the set of Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, a fact that quietly deepened her stirring performance. As Annie, a hoodoo healer bound to Michael B. Jordan’s Smoke by the loss of their child, Mosaku treats grief as a presence that permeates every frame. Known for her commanding turns in Lovecraft Country and Loki, the British-Nigerian actor anchors Coogler’s Jim Crow–era–set vampire epic, serving as its moral center. The role feels especially pivotal, both onscreen and off-, already earning her a Gotham Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance and a Critics Choice Award nomination, with more accolades sure to follow. Just don’t expect her to celebrate in stilettos.

Your character in Sinners, Annie, is Southern. You are from England. How did you channel a character from the Deep South?

It's difficult to assimilate into any world that you don't know. The method I use to find my character first is the script. Second of all, I had a hoodoo consultant, Miss Yvonne, who talked me through her spiritual practice, her faith and belief—prayers, root work, and spiritual work. I also had some readings when I was in Louisiana. The first time was a bit nerve-racking. They played into the Western idea of hoodoo and voodoo, so I was like, "I'm not sure about this." But then I spoke to someone I trusted more, and it felt like community and communion. I had dreams, messages for people whilst I was filming. I felt really connected, like something was brewing inside of me—a power, a connectedness, and an awareness. I felt bolder, stronger. Viscerally, I could feel myself growing as a woman, as a mother, as a wife, as a member of the wider world.

You had a baby just before filming began.

Yes, it was my first time working as a mom. I went from breastfeeding every meal to my baby to pumping. It was a huge shock. I didn’t realize I was getting a hit of oxytocin every time I fed my baby. I had a comedown that was so sharp and visceral. I was moving so fast, and a knife slipped. I cut my thumb open and wasted an entire morning in urgent care. My husband said, “What would Annie do?” And I thought, She’d have been more intentional about the time with her daughter. And that was the lesson I learned in week one from Annie: Slow down.

Michael B. Jordan plays twins in Sinners. Could you tell the characters apart?

I never got confused. I could tell if he was Smoke or Stack with my back turned. We had this kind of magnetism when he was Smoke. And when he was Stack, we were on the other side of the room. It was his cadence, his rhythm, his energy, his spirit, his face. Stack has dimples, and Smoke doesn't.

Were you a theatrical child?

Definitely. I always performed. But I thought I was going to be a math professor. My parents were both professors, and you imagine what you see. So I always thought I’d be in academia. But I started having panic attacks when I was accepted to university for math and economics. And the one place that felt like home, that was quiet and safe, was the drama studio. I realized I wanted to be an actor.

What was your first acting gig?

My first professional job was a play called The Great Theatre of the World, and I played the world. And there was God—we had these conversations about the state of humanity.

What was your first pair of high heels?

I hate heels. I think they should be illegal. I’m on a mission to wean them off the red carpet.

When you were growing up, who was your cinematic crush?

Patrick Swayze. I love Dirty Dancing. And Ghost. Those were two of my favorite movies growing up.

What sign are you?

Leo. We’re loyal, sensitive, fierce at heart.

Style Director: Allia Alliata di Montereale. Codirector: Frank Lebon. Director of photography: André Chemetoff. Hair by Jawara for L’Oréal Professional at Art Partner; makeup by Lauren Parsons for Sisley Paris at Art Partner; manicure by Jolene Brodeur for Dazzle Dry at the Wall Group. Set design by David White at Streeters.