Interview: How Miles Caton’s Spiritual, Musical Connection to Sammie Helped Bring Ryan Coogler’s Vision For ‘Sinners’ to Life
Midway through Ryan Coogler’s sensational Sinners, there lies one of the best scenes of the year, in which the visionary director tracks the history of blues, and how the origins laid the foundation for every single type of genre found in modern music. At the center of this stunning moment lies one of 2025’s brightest discoveries, actor Miles Caton who plays Sammie, the cousin of Smoke and Stack Moore (Michael B. Jordan), who possesses the ability to transcend reality by playing the cords on his guitar. It’s a special gift that is passed down to a select few across each generation, and becomes something he must fight to protect once others come to try and steal Sammie’s gift. Much like Sammie, Caton is a special musical talent, one that blew away audiences this year with his singing and acting in his debut performance.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Caton roots lie in gospel music as his mother and aunt were renowned gospel singers, and through them, he gained his passion and inspiration for music. As he grew older, he gained the notice of some after going viral on a video of him singing Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good,” which was used in the opening video for Jay-Z’s song ‘4:44’. From that moment, he started to work as a background singer for artists like Yolanda Adams and H.E.R., the latter of which he went on tour with, before returning home to graduate high school in 2023. At the same time, he started releasing his own solo music, and heard about an opportunity to land a part in the latest film from Ryan Coogler, and the rest, as they say, was history, as Caton landed the role of a lifetime in Sinners.
In his review from earlier this year, our own Trace Sauveur praised Caton’s work as the “budding blues performer stifled by his father’s exhortation of religious ideals;” which I’ll take a step further and state that the heart of Sinners lies within Caton’s work on the screen, as well as off the screen working with composer Ludwig Göransson for craft the originals songs found in the film. A lot of praise will go to Coogler for his vision, Michael B. Jordan for his dual performance, and the entire artisan team for their below-the-line work, but without the work of his young, new artist, Sinners just wouldn’t work.
In a recent conversation, Caton and I spoke about the audition process of becoming Sammie, his first impressions of the project and Ryan Coogler, and working within the film’s incredible ensemble. We also talked about how his gospel background helped him relate to Sammie, his collaboration with Göransson, what it was like to shoot the “I Lied To You” sequence, and what he hopes to do next following this unique, special experience.
Ryan McQuade: I wanted to go back to the beginning of all of this for you. What was the audition process like for yourself in landing the role of Sammie? From my understanding, it was like a two-month process. Did you ever feel anxious, hoping you’d get the call from Ryan [Coogler]?
Miles Caton: I mean, after I had done the impersonal audition I got back home, there was definitely a week or two that went by where I didn’t hear anything. So it’s always that feeling, just wanting to know. Even if it’s a yes or no, you just want to know what the answer is so you don’t have to anticipate. But maybe that second week, I was at the mall and I got a call from an Oakland, California number and I picked it up and it was Ryan, and he was like, “Bro, I want you to be a part of this.” So after that, I just started working on everything and it was surreal.
RM: How did you first hear about the project?
MC: Yeah, yeah. So it was actually while I was on tour singing background for H.E.R., she told me that somebody in the crowd had seen me perform and they thought that I should audition for this movie. There was nothing attached to it, no name, no type of information, but that it would just be a movie. So she called me, she was like, “Yeah, they said they want you to audition for a movie. It could be cool. You never know.” I was like, “Yeah, why not?”
So she connected me with the people. I sent in my first interview, just saying my name, where I’m from, all of that stuff. Then I got a call back. They asked me for a video of me singing and playing the guitar, and I couldn’t play guitar. So I learned a video on YouTube, “Bring It On Home to Me” by Sam Cooke, just a couple chords, and how to play it. So I tried to learn that as fast as I could. Recorded it, sent that in. Then I got another call back. So now I’m like, “Okay, they seem like there’s a little interest here,” so I get a little excited. So they send me the initial script, like the sides, just to read the audition sides. So that’s the opening scene you see in the plantation. And then they sent me the argument that Sammie has with his father.
So I read that down and I sent that in. Then I got another call back and they flew me out to do the in-person audition where I met Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler, Ludwig, all the producers, Francine Maisler, who put my audition video in front of Ryan. So once we got there, I was like, “All right, this is serious now.” I was like, “Yo, this could actually.”
So after that, I feel like the audition went well. I left it all out there, and then I went back home, and then two weeks later I got that call. So it wasn’t slow, but it felt like days the way everything happened.
RM: Yeah. It feels like just the endless time, but it’s only this short amount of time. Right?
MC: Yeah, yeah.
RM: Once you got the script, what stood out to you about the film? Was it the scope that Ryan had built within the genre film, or was it Sammie’s ambition as a musician? Did you relate to that?
MC: Man, honestly, it was the script and the film in its entirety for me. Number one, I grew up watching a bunch of horror movies, so that was something that was already like, “Wow, my first movie could be a horror film.” But then it also had a music element to it, and this is my first time acting, so going into this is everything’s brand new. I don’t really have a reference point for how to approach it, but I had music as a sense of comfort for me to guide me through the process. So the fact that I got to sing, that I got to be a part of the film musically, that was another thing that was just unreal.
And then I grew up watching a bunch of special effects and art videos, how they made The Nutty Professor and the work that they did on The Mask and stuff like that. So to get to be a part of that, the special effects, just doing the prosthetics and everything, that was another thing. So it just felt like a movie that was tailor-made for me to do. And as crazy as that sounds for it to be my first one, it just felt like I’m supposed to be here. So it was everything.
RM: When you get into the character, everybody has to do research. And like you said, you learned to play the guitar and you’re learning about music of the time. Were there also film influences as well that you and Ryan discussed about the film, and particularly Sammie as a character in his arc? What were those initial conversations post getting you prepared to play with Ryan for Sammie?
MC: Yeah, I mean, the next step after that, we definitely had a couple Zoom sessions. And he just talked to me about what made him want to write this story. He spoke about his uncle, who was a lover of the blues, and him being from Mississippi and around that time. So he had so many stories and stuff that he wanted to tell about his uncle and about his experience.
And so it started there. And then he just talked me through the character, how important Sammie would be to the movie and to the film. And that sequence that you see, just highlighting the past, present, the future. Talking about the blues and how influential it’s been to the culture and how it’s been to music, it birthed rock and pop and hip hop, all of those genres. So he really just talked to me about the importance of this movie.
And from then on, I started working with Beth McGuire, the acting and dialect coach, who helped me to really just break down the script and learn about the different techniques that I could use to develop my character. And Ryan sent me an essential blues playlist that allowed me to listen to Buddy Guy and Charlie Patton, Son House and Muddy Waters, and those were the guys I started to listen to develop my sound for the character.
RM: No, that’s great. The idea of faith in music being such a core thing within, not just Sammie’s life, but researching a little bit about yourself and in your life as well too. And for Sammie, there’s this struggle between the desires of wanting to be within music and then also the trepidations of his father to get into that world. Could you talk a little bit about your relationship with music and faith and how that played into your connection with Sammie in the film?
MC: I come from a Christian household and I grew up in gospel music and church. So growing up with those morals and stuff, those were things that always stuck with me, even touring and venturing off into other things. And so I think that was something that I related to the character a lot, just being in the world and having to navigate through things, but also remaining true to where you come from and the morals and the values that you grew up on.
So I think that for me, I haven’t had to compromise those things, and I’ve still been able to remain true to where I come from to what I stand on. So I think that’s what Sammie was trying to relate to his father. But obviously when you go to those different places, those morals and those values are not there. So it can be easy or it can look easy for you to get caught up in it or to forget those things, or to have people influence you to do things that you didn’t grow up being taught to do.
So I think that was Sammie’s fear. And that’s a common fear in the world for parents and for their children. So that was definitely something that I related to, but for me personally, those morals and those values always remain true.
RM: In the film there’s this notion that the power of music and those who can perform are special, that they have this connection not only with the music itself, but with the audience with who are going to listen to it. And those who can harness this ability are generational, vital to the culture, but also can be corrupted upon by outside forces as you see in the film. Could you talk about this idea that things defined in our culture are worth fighting for or protecting because they make us special, unique?
MC: Right. I think that was another theme and focal point of the film, just to remind people of the importance of really just remembering history, remembering where we come from, remembering where it all started. I think as time has gone on and we’ve had different stars or different people become the face of things, we have forgotten where certain things have come from. So I think it’s important to continue to remind people of history so that we can be informed and that we can move forward in the future just better.
RM: This is your first film, which is crazy. You wouldn’t know it by your performance in it. Can you talk a little bit about what working within this ensemble and any lessons you might have learned from working with Michael [B. Jordan] or Delroy [Lindo] or when just being a part of this vast, talented ensemble?
MC: Yeah. I think once I locked in on the different techniques and stuff that I was taught and learning the script and knowing the script, I think that was the first start for me was really understanding the script and then knowing my lines so that I can really start to add the nuances and stuff to it.
The next step was just getting there and actually doing it. That was definitely nerve wracking for me because I was definitely, I felt like I was in my head starting out and I felt like I didn’t want to mess up or I didn’t want to look crazy. But pretty early on, Ryan and Mike, they just told me like, “Bro, don’t be afraid to just try different things. Don’t be afraid to just really just dive into the character. If you do two or three takes the same, it is cool to try something else. You never know what you’re going to get.”
And I learned that from watching Delroy Lindo, I call him the improv king man because the way he’s just able to completely transform a scene by just adding little details into it just makes a complete difference. So seeing that was a masterclass for sure. And I use all of that advice throughout the film, just to gain more confidence and just be willing to try different things. Yeah.
RM: You’re not only acting in this film, but then you’re creating music in this film with Ludwig. I mean, what were those early conversations in writing the songs for the films, and what was the collaboration like with him in making these songs that are so important to the film come to life?
MC: Ludwig was in the in-person audition. And I remember he tried to have me learn a song on the spot on guitar, and that’s when they realized that I couldn’t play guitar.
RM: Little trial by fire.
MC: Yeah. They were like, “Oh, yeah, he needs a guitar teacher.” So that was the first step, getting that. And then as I started to practice, they sent me the different ideas that they were working on, like what I should be practicing to prepare for the film. And once I got out there, I think the first week he played me the chords for ‘I Lie To You,’ and he taught them to me on guitar, and that was the start of understanding the scope of the film sonically.
And there would be days where I would shoot on set and then I would drive straight to the studio. And we worked at this crazy, incredible studio. It was actually a church that they had turned into a full recording studio. Esplanade, I’ll never forget it. And that was their camp. He has his whole team and they all worked on the music every day.
So I would go there and they would have a different musician there. They called a bunch of incredible musicians from New Orleans and from Mississippi to come down and be a part of the soundtrack and the score. So just to get to see all of those people and hear the different ideas, like Ludwig is really a genius, what he’s able to come up with sonically and make everything blend together.
RM: The ‘I Lied to You’ sequence is one of the best scenes of the year, and you are right at the center of it, as we see the history, both past and present and future, of the music Sammie is singing comes to life. What was it like shooting these sequences and what did it mean to you as a musician to see what Ryan was trying to say about how music connects the soul from all generations?
MC: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it meant a lot because I feel like that’s why I do what I do. I feel like when you have a gift and you have something special, you’re placed on the earth to make a difference and to use your gift to inspire other people to do the same. So in that moment, I felt like that was the true essence of that scene. And also just paying tribute and acknowledging the blues for what it’s been able to do for our culture and for music in the world globally. So understanding that was an important piece.
And then just actually getting to do that scene was so much fun. I remember they had played me an animated video that they made of how the scene was going to go, because that scene, it was all the cameras, the camera guys moving through all of that. It’s literally 40 people all just dancing, singing, playing the drums, playing instruments at once.
So the choreography was definitely a difficult element, but of course, I just had to stand in the middle and do my thing. But it was definitely interesting to watch how they were able to successfully do all of that stuff. So by the end of it, watching it back, I was like, “Man, that was worth it.”
RM: At the center of all this, and this camera’s just moving through everything. I would’ve been looking around and going, “Whoa, what is happening?”
MC: And it’s the IMAX camera too, so it’s loud and it’s like there’s so many things going on. But when you’re locked into the music, when that music is playing, nothing else matters.
RM: Collaborating with Ryan, seems like the process was very open for input but also singular in the vision he’s creating. What was it like working with him from start to finish on this project?
MC: It was really, really special for sure, from the beginning. Again, him telling me the importance of what the movie meant to him and to his family was where it started. And then that playlist was definitely an important aspect of it too. And then he just spoke to me about the character, and he spoke to me about Sammie being the tour guide or the lens for the audience.
Sammie is experiencing everything that the audience is experiencing for the first time. And so that was an important piece for me to really understand and act. And really just trying to listen to the different actors or the different characters, listening to their stories and just using that to make his own informed decision of how he wanted to go about doing his music and just his career. So that was dope.
And just what surprised me a lot was just how inclusive Ryan is, man. How he works with everybody with the same precision, the same respect, the same care throughout the whole process. There’ll be days where I’ll be working or I’ll be focusing on the scene, and there will be a million other things. He’s the director, he’s the boss, so he’s got a million other things that he has to do. But he’ll cut through all of those people just to come to you and make sure you’re okay, ask you if you need anything, what could be better? What do I need? And so that was really dope to see.
RM: The response to Sinners has been a global phenomenon, with everyone dressing up as characters for Halloween, to the film being re-released in theaters, and the passion for the film growing even after it’s been out for most of the year. What has stuck with you on this journey of the film being released to the public around the world? Has there been a moment of audience feedback or reaction that’s resonated with you?
MC: Yeah, I think it’s honestly everything. Just to see everybody’s personal interaction with the movie, how much it means to them. I’ve had people come up to me and tell me how it reminded them of this time in their life, or how it reminded them of their loved ones and their family members, and remembering where they come from. And how I inspired people to pick up the guitar, how I inspired people to pursue what they’re trying to do. And just being a representation of a person who just loves what they do and is willing to not be afraid to seize the moment and take advantage of an opportunity. So just to be an inspiration to people has really been the most special thing for me.
RM: Going forward, what do you, Miles Canton, hope to explore in future roles and opportunities that you’re given in your career? And as a little bit of a fun thing as well, are there any other directors or actors that inspire you that you’d love to collaborate with hopefully in the future?
MC: Yeah, there are a lot for sure. I love Marvel, love Amblin really into sci-fi and action and stuff. Those are movies that I grew up watching, so I would love to definitely venture off into that. And yeah, Leonardo DiCaprio is one of my favorite actors. I just saw him in One Battle After Another with Chase Infiniti. She’s incredible as well. So it’s a lot. I’m excited to see my fellow peers, the other actors who made some noise this year. I really would love to work with them as well.
RM: And thank you for your time, Miles.
MC: Yes, sir. Great questions, bro. Appreciate you.
Sinners is currently available to stream on HBO Max.
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