The glitz and glamour of awards season often feel like a world away from real-life news. For British actress Wunmi Mosaku, that distance has collapsed entirely. The Sinners star, who recently received her first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, has openly shared that she cannot bring herself to celebrate the career milestone. The reason is the heavy shadow cast by the recent fatal shootings of two American citizens, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, by ICE agents in Minnesota.
In a candid conversation with The Sunday Times, Mosaku described the painful conflict of holding personal joy and public tragedy at the same time. She used simple but powerful words to explain her current state of mind, calling the situation “truly dystopian.”
The Emotional Conflict Behind the Nomination
Wunmi Mosaku earned her nomination for playing Annie, a spiritual leader and healer, in Ryan Coogler’s vampire thriller Sinners . The film itself has been a major force this awards season, securing a record-breaking 16 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan . For any actor, this is the kind of moment dreams are made of.
However, for Mosaku, the dream has felt out of reach. She admitted that the timing of the nomination collided with a period of intense political turmoil and violence in the United States. When she spoke to The Times, she laid her feelings bare.
“I’ve not been able to celebrate because of what’s going on right now, with the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minnesota and the kidnapping of a five-year-old boy,” Mosaku explained .
She described the jarring contrast between her professional achievement and the disturbing headlines. “It’s difficult to hold both the nomination and the news because one feels beautiful and one is so dark and heavy; truly dystopian,” she said. “How can I possibly go out and buy some drinks and enjoy the moment?” .
Understanding the Tragedies in Minneapolis
To understand Mosaku’s reaction, it helps to know what happened in Minneapolis earlier this year.
On January 7, 2026, Renée Good, a 37-year-old poet and mother of three, was shot and killed by an ICE officer while sitting in her car . Less than three weeks later, on January 24, another tragedy struck just a mile away. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who worked at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was fatally shot by federal agents during a protest .
Cell phone footage of the Pretti shooting, widely aired by US media, showed him filming agents in the street. After an agent shoved a woman protester, Pretti stepped in and was sprayed with a chemical irritant. He was then pulled to the ground, and as officers struggled with him, shots were fired . Pretti’s parents released a statement calling him a “kindhearted soul” and accused the Trump administration of telling “sickening lies” about their son .
These incidents sparked massive protests in Minneapolis and drew sharp criticism from leaders across the political spectrum. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the shooting of Pretti “horrific” and demanded that the state, not the federal government, lead the investigation . Even some Republicans, like Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, called for a joint federal and state investigation, stating that “the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake” .
A Different Perspective on the “American Psyche”
During her interview, Mosaku also touched on a cultural observation that resonated with many readers. She noted the difference in reaction between herself, who was born in Nigeria and raised in the UK, and her American-born husband.
She shared that her husband is “not as shocked as I am at the news.” This led her to comment on what she sees as a “very strange American psyche.”
“There’s a very strange American psyche where terrible things happen and people still can go to work the next day, whereas I’m floored for a week and think, ‘How are people going to crowded places when this has just happened?’” she said. “I want a cocoon. My reaction reminds him that this is not normal” .
Her words highlight a sense of numbness that some feel has taken root in the face of repeated national traumas.
Hollywood Voices Join the Criticism
Wunmi Mosaku is not alone in speaking out. Several other prominent figures in entertainment have used their platforms to condemn the actions of federal agents.
Veteran actor Jamie Lee Curtis did not hold back in an interview with Variety on February 5. She called the situation with ICE “out of control” and described the events in Minnesota as an “abhorrence.”
“Every day I think I’m not going to be shocked anymore and then I’m shocked. It’s just inhuman. It is inhuman the way this administration is treating its citizens and its constituents and people in need. It’s an abhorrence what they’re doing. The ICE situation is out of control” .
On The View, Whoopi Goldberg became visibly emotional while discussing the shootings. “They murdered a man. He is standing, he has his phone and he has a bottle of water. And they shot him ten times. What the—. I don’t know what you’re investigating, if you’re not investigating the straight up murder,” she said .
At the 68th Grammy Awards, artists like Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish used their speeches to declare “ICE OUT,” while others, including Justin and Hailey Bieber and Kehlani, wore pins with the same message .
The Child Detention That Added to the Pain
Mosaku also mentioned the “kidnapping of a five-year-old boy” in her comments . This refers to the case of Liam Conejo Ramos, a preschooler who was taken into custody by ICE agents along with his father. The family’s lawyer, Marc Prokosch, pushed back against the idea that they were “illegal aliens,” stating that they were following all protocols and pursuing their claim for asylum lawfully . The boy and his father have since been released .
For Mosaku, this detail added another layer of heartbreak to an already heavy news cycle.
A Record-Breaking Film Overshadowed
Despite the political turmoil, Sinners remains a critical and commercial powerhouse. The film, which also stars Michael B. Jordan in a dual role, tells the story of twin brothers returning to their hometown only to discover an evil greater than themselves. It has been praised for its cinematic scope and cultural relevance .
Mosaku previously shared her excitement about working with Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan, describing the set as a “safe, creative space” where actors were encouraged to push themselves . She was drawn to the project because of Coogler’s track record for making films that are “culturally relevant” and “beautifully shot” .
Yet, as the Oscars approach on March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, the joy of these achievements remains complicated for the actress .
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The Weight of Holding Both Realities
Wunmi Mosaku‘s honesty offers a raw look at how current events can seep into every part of life, even moments that are supposed to be purely celebratory. Her ability to name the discomfort—the feeling that popping champagne feels wrong when others are grieving—has struck a chord with many.
She competes in the Best Supporting Actress category against Teyana Taylor, Elle Fanning, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Amy Madigan . Whether she wins or loses, her words have already sparked a conversation about the responsibility of artists to acknowledge the world around them, even when it is messy and painful.
For now, Mosaku sits with the weight of two very different realities. As she put it so simply, one feels beautiful, and the other feels dark and heavy.
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