Although Wunmi Mosaku’s searing portrayal of Annie in Sinners has propelled her into the Oscars race, when she talks about how the role transformed her life, it becomes clear that the greatest impact on the Nigerian-British actress was personal, not professional.
“This year, being a part of Sinners, (writer-director) Ryan Coogler gave me one of the greatest gifts of my career in Annie. Annie provided me with the opportunity to connect deeper with myself, my present, my ancestry, my past, my purpose, my future,” Mosaku said as she collected yet another honor this week, this time at the San Francisco Film Awards.
” Learning Annie meant learning, and more importantly, unlearning so many things that have come from colonization, from being an immigrant and the want to assimilate,” she added. “Learning Annie meant tapping into my potential, my power and my truth.”
Mosaku was one of four honorees at the San Francisco Film Awards on Monday. Also feted were actress-director Kristen Stewart, director Scott Cooper and Benicio Del Toro, who was given his award by his fellow One Battle After Another castmate Regina Hall.
Mosaku’s award — The George Gund III Award for Virtuosity — was handed to her by Sinners co-star Delroy Lindo. He told the audience about the light that radiated from Mosaku on set and raved about her talents: “Profound doesn’t begin to express it: It’s pretty remarkable,” he exclaimed.
“She grew up very far from the Mississippi Delta where Sinners takes place, and yet, as we see, she discovered this profound meaning in Annie, in what is clearly a grieving mother, and the ancestral ties that are in fact very close to her own.”
Mosaku said the role helped her learn her native Yoruba language in a way she hadn’t in five years of studying. “I can now speak my mother tongue, and I really feel Annie unlocked that in me. It’s amazing — so far apart, and really so connected,” she said during her acceptance speech.
The San Francisco Film Awards represents one of the many celebrations of the awards season leading up to the Oscar race. Mosaku has also won the Outstanding Supporting Performance award at the Gotham Awards and Best Supporting Actress from the African American Film Critics Association. She is nominated for the same award at the upcoming Critics’ Choice Awards.