Ryan Coogler Repeats Cast Ensemble Win With ‘Sinners’ Victory

Sinners filmmaker Ryan Coogler is the first person to direct two cast ensembles to Actor Award victory. With the triumph of the vampiric period drama at the 32nd Annual Actor Awards (fka SAG Awards), he followed up his initial 2018 win for Black Panther, which also starred Michael B. Jordan.

Though he did not join his cast on stage — which included winners Miles Caton (Sammie Moore), Buddy Guy (Old Sammie), Jayme Lawson (Pearline), Delroy Lindo (Delta Slim), Omar Miller (Cornbread), Wunmi Mosaku (Annie), Jack O’Connell (Remmick), Hailee Steinfeld (Mary) and, of course, Jordan (Smoke/Stack) — Lindo spoke for the awardees. (Steinfeld was not in attendance, and the cast — including Lola Kirke — was joined by casting director Francine Maisler on stage.)

Lindo described the project as “anointed,” saying the cast is “anointed to be a part of this incredible journey created by the genius Ryan Coogler. We brought ourselves. We brought our hearts, we brought our souls. We brought our spirits to this endeavor, and to be recognized by you all … thank you doesn’t come anywhere near to encompassing what we feel, the gratitude.”

Sinners, which is up for a record 16 Oscars this month, was up against fellow Warner Bros. film One Battle After Another, as well as Frankenstein, Hamnet and Marty Supreme.

Winners of the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in the past include such movies as The Birdcage, Gosford Park, Chicago, Sideways, Little Miss Sunshine, Argo, Parasite, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Oppenheimer and last year’s winner, Conclave.

Jordan was a repeat winner at tonight’s fete, taking home the Actor trophy in a shakeup of the Best Actor race, as Timothée Chalamet won the category at the Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globes (under the Music and Comedy subcategory) and Wagner Moura took home the trophy at the Globes (under the Drama distinction).