From horror to heroism, Wunmi Mosaku is the kind of actress who transforms everything she touches. It doesn’t matter if she’s the face splashed across movie posters or not — those who know, know. The British-Nigerian powerhouse takes over every genre she steps into, whether it be supernatural thrillers, historical dramas or superhero epics.

Mosaku has a rare gift: She disappears into characters while making sure they leave a mark. Her range allows her to go from playing a morally torn time cop in the Marvel Universe to a mother grieving in silence and rage. She brings a sense of soul, struggle and strength to every role, and in a moment where audiences are demanding more layered Black female leads, she’s already delivering.

From critically acclaimed performances in Lovecraft Country and His House to standout roles in Sinners and Call Jane, here are nine of her best performances and why you should be watching everything she touches.

1. Annie in Sinners

In the supernatural flick Sinners, Mosaku portrayed Annie, a spiritual guide who leaned on Hoodoo traditions and intergenerational wisdom. Her presence was a spiritual anchor throughout the film, connecting the narrative’s horror elements with its deeper themes of ancestry, resistance and healing.

Rather than playing the mystical figure as a stereotype, Mosaku’s Annie was layered and emotionally raw. She brought emotional depth to the role, rooted in the history and spirit of Southern Black communities. With every gesture and glance, she shifted the energy in the room, making Annie more than a character — she became the story’s spiritual conscience.

2. Ruby Baptiste in “Lovecraft Country”

Mosaku’s portrayal of Ruby Baptiste in “Lovecraft Country” was a standout in a series full of larger-than-life performances. Ruby was ambitious, brilliant,and bitterly aware of the limitations society placed on her because of her race and gender. When given the supernatural power to literally become someone else, Ruby is forced to reckon with what she’s always wanted and the price of having it.

Mosaku navigated this inner turmoil with extraordinary vulnerability and command. Her work captured the beauty and tragedy of transformation, both physical and emotional. It’s a performance that highlighted how fantasy storytelling can explore very real issues, and Mosaku elevated it at every turn.

3. Rial Majur in His House

As Rial Majur in the psychological horror film His House, Mosaku embodied a South Sudanese refugee haunted by both literal spirits and the pain of forced migration. The character’s grief, strength and dislocation were all layered into a performance that felt rooted in truth.

Throughout the film, Mosaku used stillness as power. Her silences were heavy with meaning, her words cut through with precision. Rial’s emotional journey became the emotional core of the film, and it’s Mosaku’s ability to ground horror in lived experience that made this role so unforgettable. It’s not just a ghost story; it’s a story about a dark past, survival and what it means to find home again.

4. Hunter B-15 in “Loki”/Deadpool & Wolverine

In the Marvel series “Loki” (and, briefly, in the same studio’s Deadpool & Wolverine), Mosaku played Hunter B-15, an agent of the Time Variance Authority tasked with keeping multiversal chaos in check. What began as a stern, by-the-book enforcer transformed into something far more compelling as her character regained fragments of her former life and identity.

Mosaku balanced physical toughness with a growing emotional depth. She captured the sorrow of stolen memory and the defiance of someone reclaiming agency. Within a show built on world-building and spectacle, her arc became one of the most grounded and human. It was a reminder that even in alternate timelines, justice and identity still matter.

5. Gloria Taylor in Damilola, Our Loved Boy

In the emotionally wrenching drama Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Mosaku starred as Gloria Taylor, the mother of a young boy who was tragically killed in a real-life case that shook the U.K. She brought a powerful quiet to the role — never overplayed, but deeply affecting.

Mosaku’s portrayal showed a mother navigating unspeakable loss while trying to protect what’s left of her family. Her silences spoke volumes, and the emotional control she demonstrated made the performance all the more potent. It also led to one of her career accolades: A British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress.

6. Gwen in Call Jane

As Gwen in Call Jane, Mosaku plays a key member of an underground collective helping women access reproductive care during a time when it was criminalized. Her character is calm, resourceful and principled, which placed her as the steady force within the group.

What made Mosaku’s Gwen stand out was the measured command of the screen. She didn't rely on big speeches or heavy dramatics (even when she fought against decisions she felt weren’t conducive to Black women). The performance was that of empathy and resilience, embodying the type of unsung hero often missing from historical narratives.

7. Sophie in Alice, Darling

In the psychological drama Alice, Darling, Mosaku portrays Sophie, one of the closest friends of a woman caught in an emotionally and psychologically abusive relationship. Sophie’s role was (for the most part) subtle, but it became central to the story’s emotional trajectory.

Mosaku delivered a portrayal of friendship that felt authentic and affirming. She created space for emotional honesty without forcing it, modeling the kind of support systems that real people rely on. Her warmth and clarity brought a sense of hope to a film centered on self-liberation and recovery.

8. Marie in Citadel

Citadel is a gritty horror-thriller set in a decaying cityscape where fear becomes physical. Mosaku’s role as nurse Marie may not have dominated the film’s runtime, but her presence lingered throughout. She brought a sense of grounded empathy to an otherwise relentless and eerie world.

Even in a limited role, Mosaku elevated the material. She had a way of injecting quiet urgency into even the smallest scenes, offering viewers a moment of human connection amid the dread. It’s an early glimpse of the emotional intensity she would later bring to more high-profile projects.

9. Nicole Steele in “We Own This City”

In the limited series “We Own This City,” Mosaku played Nicole Steele, a civil rights attorney investigating police corruption within the Baltimore Police Department. Inspired by real-life efforts to bring accountability to law enforcement, Steele was a moral anchor in a world that felt increasingly compromised.

Mosaku approached the character with intelligence, restraint and conviction. She doesn’t grandstand — she listened, questioned, and pushed for truth even when surrounded by resistance. The role was a study in principled resolve, and Mosaku played it with clarity and care, reinforcing her strength in socially charged storytelling.