Delroy Lindo Reveals What Grounded Him in Oscar-Nominated 'Sinners'

Sinners was my favorite movie of 2025. Few movies are ever able to make me feel such a wide range of emotions, and Ryan Coogler’s vampire film did so with aplomb. Am I a sucker for horror films and twin narratives? Absolutely! But the film still manages to exceed my expectations every time I watch it. I’m still in tears during the incredible moment that Sammy sings and plays his guitar, causing the movie to transcend time and space for a glorious moment.

There’s also Delroy Lindo. The man’s performance in the film is as good as the best roles in the greatest movies. He’s grounded in a way that almost feels impossible for the heightened nature of the film. That’s the case with most of the actors, but Lindo finds these beautiful moments throughout the film (one of my favorites of which is the mix of bravery and sad terror he displays in his final scene), and it elevates the whole picture. According to him, I’m not the only one who thought so.

The legendary actor recently did a cover story for The Envelope and was asked about his time making the film. He explained that Coogler was very nervous about making the movie and didn’t want any accidents, especially for a scene where Lindo would be standing up in a moving car. The actor took that into consideration, did the scene (where he yells at a chain gang to hold their heads up), and later, his agents received an email from the movie’s publicist, Anna Fuson, saying how she and the crew were moved by his work. “That doesn’t happen,” he noted in the interview.

Well, it does on the Sinners set, because that wasn’t the only time. Another highly emotional scene involved Lindo’s character, Delta Slim, recalling the time a friend of his was lynched for being black and having money. It is a devastating story, and plays into the larger themes at play in the film. After shooting it, Delroy explained that Zinzi Coogler, who is Ryan’s wife and a producer on the film, emailed him as well, singing his praises.

“Those two moments gave me a grounding,” Lindo told the outlet. “It let me know this work is impacting people. And you can’t put a value on that kind of thing.” Hearing about how supportive that shoot was makes a lot of sense. You can feel the love and emotion in every frame and performance. It’s a beautiful work of art, and it sounds like it was generated from an equally beautiful place.