Wunmi Mosaku says celebration feels impossible while ICE actions unfold
Wunmi Mosaku, recently nominated for the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role as Annie in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, says she can’t fully celebrate while violent immigration-enforcement incidents are taking place. In an interview with the Times of London, Mosaku called the moment “truly dystopian,” explaining that news of the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — and the reported abduction of a child — made private joy feel wrong.
Her reaction captured a harsh, immediate contradiction: personal achievement on one side, public pain on the other. Mosaku described the oddness of wanting to share in a career milestone while feeling weighed down by grief and disbelief, where routine celebratory acts suddenly seemed out of step with what was happening elsewhere.
A personal response that echoes broader unease
Mosaku’s choice to temper her celebration isn’t just personal theatre; it echoes a dilemma many public figures face when honors collide with crisis. The applause that accompanies recognition can feel hollow in the face of ongoing suffering, and the spotlight that elevates an individual can also highlight the distance between ceremony and reality.