It’s a real ring-a-ding-ding for the cast and crew of Sinners. With a total of 16 Oscar nominations announced on Thursday morning, Sinners made record-breaking history for the most nominated film of all time. Amongst the throngs of accolades is Wunmi Mosaku, who conjured up her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Annie, the Hoodoo priestess, tasked with teaching her friends and loved ones how to keep safe from the imminent threat of vampires lurking just outside the juke joint doors.
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Reflecting on the historic nominations, which include: Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan, Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo and Director and Original Screenplay for Ryan Coogler, Mosaku told Deadline: “I feel like the cultural moment, and impact of the film is [tremendous]. First of all, the way the audience showed up at the cinema feels rare [in this day and age], and people showed up not once, not twice, but three, four and 10 times. I feel like people who know Ryan’s work are true believers in his vision, integrity, and heart. He doesn’t do anything without heart. Even with his work in the MCU, there’s so much heart, representation, love, honesty and truth in there that you can’t help but feel moved by his work.”
Mosaku also nodded to Sinners’ Original Song entry for “I Lied To You” and the new casting nomination category. “Listen, I think Two Michael B. Jordan’s is never a bad thing. I think the music and Miles [Caton] ‘s voice, and the ensemble, not just the cast, but also the creators, is just lovely. You know how people say you should cook with love? This film was made with so much love, and I think people can really feel that. This is the closest I’ve ever been to a cast and crew in my whole career. We poured everything we had into this. And I’m just so grateful that it’s not been taken in vain and there’s something really special about this because we came with honor and reverence to the work and Ryan and his artistry. It felt magical every single day, and it translated to the screen.”
As for what playing Annie meant for Mosaku, who spent a lot of time doing cultural research in the American South, consulting with practitioners of Hoodoo, while also exploring her British Nigerian and Yoruba roots, Mosaku said it was an experience of a lifetime, especially since she never expected it to lead to an Oscars nomination today.
“I say this with all sincerity. I have never thought about award season when taking a role. But I just knew from the people I met on that journey that the role would change me. From the moment I met Ryan, and we had our first conversation on Zoom, I was like, even if I don’t get this role, this hour and a half I spent talking to him, I feel changed. And I just felt from the get-go that this was going to be a moment of change for me personally, where I was in my journey, and it felt profound. I was offered the job in the room with Michael after my chemistry read with him. Everything about filming has just felt magical; every weekend on that set in New Orleans felt magical. When I met those women [consultants], it felt affirming that I would learn a lot about myself, my culture, my history, and my purpose. I wanted to be initiated and learn everything I possibly could. I wanted to embrace everything that Annie was because she was so inspirational.”