Wunmi Mosaku | |
|---|---|
 Mosaku in 2025 | |
| Born | Oluwunmi Mosaku (1986-07-31)July 31, 1986 (age 39)[1] |
| Education | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2006–present |
Oluwunmi Mosaku (listenⓘ; born 31 July 1986[1]) is a Nigerian-British actress.[2][3] She rose to prominence for her roles as Joy in theBBC Two miniseriesMoses Jones (2009) and Holly Lawson in theITV seriesVera (2011–2012). She won theBAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Gloria Taylor in the TV filmDamilola, Our Loved Boy (2016). In 2019, she appeared in the fifth season ofLuther,[4] followed by her role as Ruby Baptiste inHBO'sLovecraft Country (2020). Since 2021, she has portrayedHunter B-15 in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) seriesLoki and reprised the role inDeadpool & Wolverine (2024).
Mosaku was nominated for theBAFTA for Best Actress and won theBIFA for Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film for her role as Rial in the filmHis House (2020).[5] Her role as Annie in the 2025 horror filmSinners, was a nominated for theGotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance.
Mosaku was born inZaria, Nigeria,[6] toYoruba parents who were both professors.[7] When she was one year old, the family emigrated toManchester, England, where she attendedTrinity Church of England High School andXaverian Sixth Form College. She sang for eleven years in the Manchester Girls Choir. Her mother started a business and her father eventually returned to Nigeria.[4] Mosaku studied acting at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art,[8] graduating in 2007 with a BA in Acting Degree (H Level).[8]
Mosaku made her professional stage debut in 2007, at theArcola Theatre in a production ofPedro Calderón de la Barca'sThe Great Theatre of the World.[1] In 2008, she appeared inRough Crossings, directed byRupert Goold and based on the book bySimon Schama, at theLyric Hammersmith;[1]The Vertical Hour (2010),[1] byDavid Hare, andTruth and Reconciliation (2011),[1] both at theRoyal Court Theatre.[1]
In 2008, she appeared in the first of theUNDEREXPOSED exhibitions at theNational Portrait Gallery, designed to raise the profile of black role models and celebrates the talent that exists among the Black British community.[1] Her photo also appeared on Commercial Way,Peckham, London, as part of the exhibition. In 2009, she starred in theBBC Two seriesMoses Jones, for which she won Best Actress in a Miniseries at the Rome Fiction Festival.[9]
She featured on the front cover ofScreen International magazine June–July 2009, as one of the UK Stars of Tomorrow, and in 2011 was featured inNylon Magazine's 2011 Young Hollywood issue. In 2010, Wunmi Mosaku was named one of The Seven Fresh Faces ofToronto International Film Festival, forI Am Slave,[10] in which she starred. She plays Malia, a girl who has been kidnapped from her village inSudan and sold into slavery.[10] Her performance garnered several awards: Best Actress at the Birmingham Black Film Festival, Best Onscreen performance at the Cultural Diversity Awards, and Best Female performance at theScreen Nation Awards.[10]
In 2011, Mosaku appeared inVera in the role of Holly Lawson.[6] In 2015, Mosaku played the part of Quentina, a traffic warden, in the three-part BBC seriesCapital, based on John Lanchester'snovel of the same name.[11] In 2016, she appeared inPlaytest, an episode of theanthology seriesBlack Mirror.[6]
Mosaku won the 2017BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Gloria Taylor in the TV filmDamilola, Our Loved Boy.[12]
In 2025, Mosaku appeared as thehoodoo healer Annie inRyan Coogler's vampire filmSinners.The New York Times called her performance "the soulful core" of the movie.[13]
When asked to list her personal heroes, Mosaku included her grandmother Anike Adisa, whom she described as having "taught me so many lessons"; actorAlbert Finney, who was her inspiration for attending theRADA; her colleague and former instructor at RADA,William Gaskill;Paul Newman, whom she admired, not just for his acting, but also for his philanthropic efforts withNewman's Own; andOprah Winfrey, whom Mosaku considers "a superwoman".[14]
Mosaku is married and a mother.[15][13][16]She has been taking Yoruba language lessons since 2020.[13]
| Year | Film | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | The Women of Troy | Helen of Troy | Phil Hawkins | |
| 2010 | Honeymooner | Seema | Col Spector | |
| Womb | Erica | Benedek Fliegauf | ||
| I Am Slave | Malia | Gabriel Range | ||
| 2011 | Citadel | Marie | Ciaran Foy | |
| 2013 | Philomena | Young nun | Stephen Frears | |
| 2016 | Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice | Kahina Ziri | Zack Snyder | |
| Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Beryl | David Yates | ||
| 2018 | Leading Lady Parts | Herself | Jessica Swale | Short film |
| 2019 | Sweetness in the Belly | Amina | Zeresenay Berhane Mehari | |
| 2020 | His House | Rial | Remi Weekes | |
| 2022 | Call Jane | Gwen | Phyllis Nagy | |
| Alice, Darling | Sophie | Mary Nighy | ||
| 2024 | Deadpool & Wolverine | Hunter B-15 | Shawn Levy | |
| 2025 | Sinners | Annie | Ryan Coogler | |
| 2026 | The Social Reckoning | TBA | Aaron Sorkin | Filming |
| TBA | The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd | TBA | Tim Blake Nelson | Post-production[17] |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sold | Firefighter | Episode #1.5 |
| 2008 | Never Better | Server | Episode: "First Week Euphoria" |
| Doctors | Nurse Kelly Strathairn | Episode: "Who Do You Think You Are Kidding?" | |
| The Bill | Sophie Oduya | Episode: "Trial and Error: Part 1" | |
| 2009 | Moses Jones | Joy | Miniseries |
| 2010 | Silent Witness | Charlie Gibbs | 4 episodes |
| One Night in Emergency | Beautiful Nurse | Television film | |
| Father & Son | Stacey Cox | Miniseries | |
| Law & Order: UK | Tamika Vincent | Episode: "Survivor" | |
| 2011 | Vera | DC Holly Lawson | 5 episodes |
| 32 Brinkburn Street | Joy | ||
| The Body Farm | Rosa Gilbert | Miniseries | |
| Stolen | Sonia Carney | Television film | |
| 2013 | Dancing on the Edge | Carla | Miniseries |
| Jo | Angélique Alassane | ||
| Truckers | Danielle | Episode #1.3 | |
| 2014 | In the Flesh | Maxine Martin | 6 episodes |
| 2015 | Don't Take My Baby | Belinda | Television film |
| Capital | Quentina | Miniseries | |
| 2016 | Black Mirror | Katie | Episode: "Playtest" |
| Damilola, Our Loved Boy | Gloria Taylor | Miniseries | |
| 2017 | Fearless | DCS Olivia Greenwood | |
| The End of the F***ing World | DC Teri Darego | 5 episodes | |
| 2018 | Kiri | DI Vanessa Mercer | Miniseries |
| 2019 | Luther | DS Catherine Halliday | 4 episodes |
| Animal Babies: First Year on Earth | Narrator | Docuseries | |
| Temple | Mercy King | Miniseries | |
| 2020 | Lovecraft Country | Ruby Baptiste | 10 episodes |
| 2021–2023 | Loki | Hunter B-15 / Dr. Verity Willis | 11 episodes |
| 2022 | We Own This City | Nicole Steele | 6 episodes |
| 2023 | Scavengers Reign | Azi (voice) | 12 episodes |
| 2024 | Boarders | Grace | Series 2 |
| Passenger | Riya Ajunwa | 6 episodes |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Rome Fiction Festival | Best Actress in a Mini-series | Moses Jones | Won | [9] |
| 2017 | British Academy Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Damilola, Our Loved Boy | Won | [12] |
| 2021 | British Academy Film Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | His House | Nominated | [18] |
| British Independent Film Awards | Best Performance by an Actress | Won | [19] | ||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Lovecraft Country | Nominated | [20] | |
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | [21] | ||
| 2025 | Astra Midseason Movie Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Sinners | Runner-up | [22] |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | Best Actress in a Horror Movie | Nominated | [23] | ||
| Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | Best Supporting Performance | Nominated | [24] | ||
| Gotham Film Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performance | Pending | [25][26] | ||
| Ensemble Tribute[a] | Won |
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata| International | |
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