Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler spoke backstage at the Oscars after Sinners won four awards, including Best Actor for Jordan and Original Screenplay for Coogler. The pair discussed their creative process for the film on March 16, 2026.
Ryan Coogler, writer-director of Sinners, explained his casting choice for the lead characters Smoke and Stack. “As soon as I imagined what those two characters were going to be, I knew I had to call Mike,” Coogler said backstage after picking up two of the film’s four Oscars, as reported by Deadline on March 16, 2026. Jordan, who won the Oscar for Actor in a Leading Role, described his preparation method. “I try to go from the earliest memory that I can conjure up and think of, and I write all the way up to the first page of the script,” he said. “That gives me an opportunity to figure out where they’re coming from... Smoke is quiet, he’s a protector, and then Stack is a little bit more light and buoyant, a little bit of a slick talker and a troublemaker.” Coogler drew inspiration from his Uncle James, whom he described as “the closest thing he has to a grandfather.” “I’m so proud that he gave me the gift of his stories about Mississippi,” Coogler said. Jordan reflected on his win, crediting predecessors: “I’m here because of the people that came before me,” mentioning Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Halle Berry. Variety reported Jordan reacting to the win: “I didn’t even think I heard what I thought I heard. It was an incredible feeling.”
