Everyone’s talking about Sinners, and for good reason.
Well, when she sat down with us to discuss working on the film, Hailee revealed that her friend and former co-star Daniel Kaluuya played a part in her wanting to work with Ryan Coogler.
Speaking to BuzzFeed UK, Hailee shared that, during the Spider-Verse press tour, she and Daniel got to talking about how fantastic it was to work with a director like Ryan, saying, “Daniel had described him in this way that instantly made sense the minute I sat down and started talking to him. He has such an inviting presence, and he’s the most incredible listener. “
Hailee explained there are often hundreds of people on set and lots of moving parts, but Ryan always ensured that his actors stayed grounded and focused, saying, “Ryan would find his way to you through all the chaos and all the noise and speak to you. And he would make you feel like you’re the only person in the room when you are, in fact, not.”
Daniel Kaluuya, who worked with Ryan in Black Panther, had similar praise. Speaking about the film back in 2018, he described Ryan as intuitive, saying, “The way he deliberates and thinks things through, the way he communicates with his cast and crew – everything about the movie radiates that.”
Hailee made her admiration for Ryan clear, and if the reviews of Sinners are anything to go by, his directing method is clearly working. “I think he brings the best out of everyone around him, and you just rise to the occasion when he’s around.”