How Wunmi Mosaku Tapped Into ‘Sinners’ Role As Hoodoo Healer

In Sinners, Wunmi Mosaku leads as Annie, a soft-hearted yet strong-willed Hoodoo practitioner and herbalist who boasts strong intuition and keeps Smoke (played by Michael B. Jordan) grounded in reality. Off camera, the Nigerian-born British actress is just as sharp as she explains how stepping into the role changed her viewpoint. 

“She is so connected and so loving and understanding,” the actress tells VIBE ahead of the New York City Sinners premiere. She smiles through the discussion as she reflects on the thrilling film that intertwined fated love stories with vampire gore.

“She is like Smoke’s protector, and a protector of the culture, and of Hoodoo and Hoodoo practices, and the traditional medicines. I just feel like there was so much that she offered as a beacon of her society and community.”

 

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler reunites with his muse in Jordan for the movie, his first original screenplay since 2013’s Fruitvale Station, which also stars the New Jersey-bred actor. With Mosaku and the rest of the cast, which includes Hailee Steinfeld, Jack O’Connell, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, and Delroy Lindo, Sinners ushers the director into new territory.

As the identical twins Smoke and Stack, Jordan faces the task of moving the brothers forward from their past troubles, only to be met with unforeseen obstacles in their quest to break generational curses. The residents of their hometown are keen on their lore and welcome the twins back as they must eventually band together to fight for the soul of Clarksdale, Miss.

 

While creating the film, the entire cast and crew ventured to Mississippi, where they not only shot the feature but also immersed themselves in the magic of the Magnolia State, soaking up knowledge from experts on twins, Hoodoo, and the rich history of the Deep South. 

For Mosaku, the experience had a profoundly lasting impact on her life. Prior to Sinners, the BAFTA-winning actress has excelled in roles that have taken her far from her Manchester, England, upbringing. From playing Hunter B-15 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Loki to portraying Ruby Baptiste in HBO’s haunting Lovecraft County, Mosaku has perfected the subtle art of scene-stealing. 

She takes away something from each role, and her future on the silver screen exists in the same vein. For Mosaku, learning and exploring are part of the job. As her journey continues, the 38-year-old artiste hopes to build on her “spiritual life and my connectedness, tapping into my power” through her dynamic characters.

Wunmi Mosaku: So much was on the page. She is so connected and so loving and understanding. She is like Smoke’s protector and a protector of the culture, and of Hoodoo and of the Hoodoo practices, and the traditional medicines. I just feel like there was so much that she offered as a beacon of her society and community. I feel like I did a lot of research into Hoodoo because that was such an integral part of who she is, and it really took me by surprise. I didn’t know anything about it. I had only heard of Voodoo in James Bond and in The Crucible, and that was it. I thought it was a scary thing, and all of a sudden, I’m inspired and feel like this is such a beautiful and healing and loving practice.

I met Hoodoo priestesses, conjure women, people who talked me through their lineage and their community and their initiation. I learned so much about that, and it in turn, taught me a lot about myself because I’m a Yoruba woman, and I had never heard about Ifa. I’d never done any research into it. And realizing that these women, this culture, this practice is actually a part of my ancestry, too. It was a profound awakening for me.