Wunmi Mosaku: 'Sinners' Star Covers HelloBeautiful

Wunmi Mosaku has different fragments of her being swirling throughout the African Diaspora. Born in Zaria, Nigeria, raised in Manchester, England, and now rooted in Los Angeles, California, Moskau’s connections and detachments to these distinct places were pulled to the surface when she first read the script for Ryan Coogler’s latest film, Sinners. The movie is a Jim Crow-era supernatural horror set in the Mississippi Delta, and it enthralled Mosaku immediately.

Sinners follows twin brothers Smoke and Stack (portrayed by Michael B. Jordan), World War I veterans turned gangsters who return home to the Delta after a stint in Chicago working for the mob. Intent on opening a juke joint, they hire their younger cousin, Sammie, a.k.a Preacher Boy (Miles Canton), whose extraordinary musical gifts conjure spirits from the past and future, shattering the veil that separates the living and the dead. In the film, Mosaku portrays Annie, a Hoodoo conjurer, spiritual leader, and healer whose sacred bond with Smoke has survived distance, heartbreak, and time.

“I knew so much about the spirit, history, depth of their love and sorrow, and understanding of each other,” the Loki actress explains. “It was so subtly and delicately balanced. It drummed up a lot of things for me through the different genres, times, relationships, and community. The growth of the characters, especially when I think of the twins and Sammy, and their journey are the heartbeat of the film. I was like, ‘This is a perfect script.’ Ryan would change little things. There was one scene where he changed one line. I gasped when he gave me the note. You could not be anything but excited to know you’re a part of something so magical.”

Mosaku has searched for magic since the beginning of her career, especially after winning a British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) in 2017. She was the second Black actress in 62 years to earn the honor. In the years since, a lot has changed for Mosaku and Hollywood in general. Though she’s worked on exceptional projects, including HBO’s Lovecraft Country, We Own This City, Disney+’s Loki, and Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine, the entertainment industry has been tilted on its axis in the past few years.

“I feel like I will always be beholden to the work being written, what people want to see and how they want to see me,” she says. “I feel very blessed, but everything about this industry is shaky, especially now after the strikes and the dreadful fires. I love the work I’ve been a part of and hope it continues. But I wonder if I’ll ever feel fully settled and able to rest on my laurels a bit.”

Wunmi Mosaku Sinners

With so much in flux, when Coogler offered Mosaku the role of Annie, she dove into Sinners headfirst, researching the character and the texture of this place and time, which brought forth some surprising revelations.

“I read a few books,” she explains. “I started with Marie Laveau, and then I went into learning about Ifa. I spoke with Hoodoo priestesses and practitioners in New Orleans. We also worked with a consultant, Yvonne Chireau. Ryan has written Annie with full respect to the culture, religion, practice and wisdom of the conjuring women of Louisiana and West Africa. And it opened up an appetite for me to learn, too. I spent a lot of time in the House of Hoodoo and Voodoo Authentica. I took a lot of tours and spent a lot of time in the city soaking it up. Even the architecture in New Orleans has a direct correlation to West Africa. You see the Adinkra symbols from Ghana in the ironwork around New Orleans. I found doing that research really opened up a lot of connections for me back to the Motherland. I was born in Nigeria, but I’ve always felt disconnected and untethered and wanted to reconnect and find myself there. There’s something about doing the research and holding the beauty of our culture on a pedestal. I have learned that there is much to be learned.”

More than simply sinking her teeth into understanding the origins of these practices, Mosaku also absorbed a great deal from Annie herself. “Honestly, Annie has changed me on so many levels,” she says. “It’s almost hard to put in words because I see the lessons I learned from her show up in places I didn’t expect. I find myself asking, ‘What would Annie do?’ My husband’s always saying, I move too fast, I can have accidents. I can skip over the details. I will listen to fear first since that can be the loudest voice. Annie has taught me to trust in my power. Slowing down and trusting the right thing will be made obvious.”

Ruth E. Carter Blesses Sinners

Stepping into the world of Sinners was not solely about Mosaku leaning on her talent, research, and Coogler’s words. It also included merging her vision of Annie with legendary costume designer, Ruth E. Carter. “I think she’s an alchemist,” Mosaku says of the Academy Award-winning artist.

“It’s not just the clothing. She considers everything on a 360/4D level. Costume is quite a difficult aspect of the job – trying to feel confident and comfortable in someone else’s clothes. Watching her detail and care was exquisite. There was added texture and depth every day. I began envisioning a truly rounded character coming. Then you come in for your last fitting, and she adds these small details. In my first scene, my skirt has a slip, and I love its color and the buttons on the side. On the day I was shooting, I put on the skirt, and there was a little red silk in between the slit giving a hint of something else. Ms. Ruth also cut my top in the middle and tied it in a knot. And I was like, ‘Oh, there Annie is – fully and utterly.’ Everything in her pocket: her mojo bag, her little tool belt, and even the silver and the leather. Everything that is on Annie is for Annie; nothing is superfluous.”

Sinners centers on the blend of the present and the past, what’s seen and unseen, and the music and ancestors floating through and across these spaces. Knowing the narrative of the Black experience in America makes this all the more tangible.

“The twins are returning from Chicago,” Mosaku says. “You hear the mythology of Chicago from those who haven’t left the Delta. It’s not just people going up North; it’s folks coming back with stories and the truth about their experiences. You can sense the connectedness. When I say [Sinners] has all the genres, all the time zones, all the history and future of the diaspora of African American history and culture. It all feels tangible.”

Outside of Sinners, echoes of bygone eras have never felt more present. Taking a cue from Annie, Mosaku, like many Black women, is learning to rest during such an uncertain time. “I go to bed super early,” she says. “I put my daughter down, and I’m not far behind. I’ve been listening a lot to audiobooks. There’s a difference between rest and recovery; I’m trying to prioritize recovery. It’s difficult. Everything is very loud right now, and switching off is hard. It feels impossible. I wish I was someone who could meditate, but I have too much bouncing energy.” She adds, “But being home has been my recovery.”

While we may be collectively gravitating toward stillness, there is so much still in motion. Stories, like Sinners, are being crafted, and we are continually laying the blueprint for future generations to embrace and experience more than we could have ever imagined.

Sinners hits theaters on April 18, 2025.

Editorial Credits

Cover Story: Aramide Tinubu
Photographer: GiannaSnapped
SVP of Content: Allison McGevna
VP of Content: Kirsten West Savalli
Editorial Director: Shamika Sanders
Photo Assistant: Zakk Hartwig
BTS Video: Adam Simms, Tyler Harp
Wardrobe Stylist: Shameela Hicks
Makeup: Uzo
Hair: Vernon Francois
Creative Director: Jordan Benston
Production Company: The Oracle Media
Production: Haley Poole