Wunmi Mosaku on breakthrough role in Sinners and prospects for UK return

Wunmi Mosaku, Oscar‑tipped for her performance in Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners, is back in London as she pursues an awards‑season campaign. Mosaku plays Annie, a Hoodoo priestess who provides the film’s emotional centre, and has been described as an outside bet for the best supporting female Oscar.

She said preparing for Annie involved studying Hoodoo and reconnecting with her Yoruba roots and language, which she has been learning for five years. The 39‑year‑old Mancunian, who won a Bafta in 2017 for her portrayal of Damilola Taylor’s mother, has worked across US projects including Loki and David Simon’s We Run This City. Mosaku also spoke about the attention Sinners has brought — she announced her second pregnancy in Vogue to counter mounting speculation — and recalled growing up in Manchester after her parents moved from Zaria, Nigeria, as well as her experience at Rada, where she was the only Black student in her class.

Mosaku said she would consider returning to work in the UK but cautioned, “I just want to make sure that in the UK I’m not always playing a police officer.” She has upcoming roles in Apple’s This Is How It Goes alongside Idris Elba and in Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning; Sinners is available to buy or rent now.

Key Topics

Culture, Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners, Ryan Coogler, Yoruba, Rada