Wunmi Mosaku, star of HBO’s much-anticipated series Lovecraft Country, is a British Academy of Film and Television award-winning actress. She is also extremely honest about her vulnerability. Had we been doing this interview in person and not been in the midst of a global pandemic, I would have asked her if she’d like a hug. Wunmi’s voice sticks in her throat as she walks me through how working with Misha Green, Lovecraft Country’s showrunner, has ushered her into a new space where she’s finally comfortable talking about race and how racism has affected her. I’m very much a nurturer and want to stop the interview, wrap her in a hug and encourage her that she’s doing, and has for a long time done, an extraordinary job just being present.
Let’s get this straight: Wunmi Mosaku works. Since her first credit in 2006, there has not been a year where she didn’t star in a short film, a television series or a feature film. She has the range, OK? Starring in everything from the BBC’s daytime soap Doctors to blockbuster hit Fantastic Beasts, Wunmi moves from role to role with a fluidity that belies her age. The 34-year-old may be finding her feet in political discourse surrounding her intersecting identities but when it comes to her job? She’s as sure-footed as they come.