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"Damn, that’s me!" - Miles Caton speaks his heart out on how Sinners happened to him and his journey of becoming Sammie
Miles Caton made his acting debut in Sinners, a period vampire horror film that released in theaters on April 18, 2025. Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film also stars Michael B Jordan in the lead playing the role of twins Smoke and Stack. Caton plays the role of their teenage cousin Sammie who is gifted with preternatural musical abilities.
The 20-year-old is excited to be on the big screen on the first time. In an interview with Variety, Caton shared his experience of watching the finished film saying, “I’m overwhelmed. It’s still hard to process. It’s different filming than getting to see it on the actual screen. I was like, ‘Damn, that’s me!'”
Set in 1932, Caton’s character in Sinners, Sammie, is a young sharecropper and the son of a local preacher. He has a dream of becoming a blues musician, and is invited by Smoke and Stack to perform at their new juke joint. However, Sammie’s talent sets off a series of supernatural events and things take a turn for the worse very fast.
How did Miles Caton get cast as Sammie in Sinners?
The son of gospel singer Timiney Figueroa, Miles Caton has been singing since he was three years old. His performances have attracted the attention of gospel singers such as Fred Hammond, Faith Evans, Erica Campbell and Bishop TD Jakes, as well as Academy Award and Grammy winner H.E.R. The latter enlisted Caton to join her on tour before he finished high school at the age of 16.
They reportedly became very close, with Caton describing her as an older sister. It was H.E.R. who pushed Caton to audition for the role of Sammie in Sinners.
“She called me one day after we got back from tour, and she was like, ‘Bro, somebody was in the crowd watching you, and they want you to audition for this role. I think you’ll be dope.’ I was like, ‘OK,’ not really knowing what to expect,” he recalled. “I did the audition, got a call back, and then sent in a couple of videos of me playing. A couple weeks later, I got the call, and that was it.”
For director Ryan Coogler and casting director Francine Maisler, Caton was an unknown face prior to the casting call of Sinners. They were impressed by the fact that Caton had the opportunity of becoming a professional singer without finishing high school, but decided to graduate anyway.
Coogler claimed Caton’s audition tape stood out for him because “he was just in the dark — like he didn’t turn his lights on. Something about that was, like, so intriguing. This kid looked like he was in his basement, like in between homework assignments. But he had this voice — a once in a lifetime voice — and he also felt like the character.”
How did Miles Caton step into the shoes of Sammie in Sinners?
Canton admitted to being a massive fan of Coogler’s work, which includes blockbusters such as Black Panther and Creed. After his conversation with the director about his role in Sinners, the teenager started to prepare for his part two months before the start of filming.
“I had to learn how to play blues guitar, so I worked for two months with Randy Bowland. He’s an incredible touring guitarist and taught me the fundamentals,” shared Canton. “Then, I worked with a dialect and acting coach, Beth McGuire, to understand the Mississippi dialect and learn all the nuances of the sound.”
Toiling with his guitar for five to six hours a day, Canton was extremely excited and nervous on his first day on set. He received a pep talk from Coogler, before shooting a scene with Michael B Jordan himself. Canton shared that the star was supportive of the debutant, and helped him out with different acting techniques.
“Mike taught me that it’s about being present and having a conversation within the scene,” he said.
Canton was determined to bring his A-game to the performance in Sinners, memorizing all his lines ahead and practicing over and over. However, he admitted learning on set not to be afraid to make mistakes.
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