Who was Winsome Sinclair? Casting director who often teamed up with Spike Lee passes away at 58

BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee's go-to casting director Winsome Sinclair passed away aged 58. Sinclair's passing was confirmed by her publicist Clorissa Wright-Thomas via an Instagram post on Wednesday, August 14. Clorissa Wright-Thomas revealed that the veteran casting director passed away in a Long Island hospice care with her family at her bedside.

The publicist confirmed that Sinclair passed away on Monday, August 12, after a long battle with colon cancer. The Jamaica-born Long Island native has worked with film industry legends like Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, and Lee Daniels. She was the founder of the Winsome Sinclair and Associates casting agency.

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Winsome Sinclair worked as a casting director on a dozen Spike Lee movies

Winsome Sinclair, one of the most well-respected casting directors in Hollywood, passed away in hospice care on Monday. The Uniondale High School and Florida A&M University graduate was born in Jamaica on October 27, 1965, but was raised in Long Island.

According to IMDb, Sinclair's first-ever credit in the film industry came from her work as a casting production assistant on Spike Lee's 1991 hit Jungle Fever, before which she worked as a casting intern on Lee’s Mo’ Better Blues. Sinclair's first-ever credit as a casting director was for Hype Williams' 1998 DMX, Nas, and Taral hicks starrer Belly.

Winsome Sinclair has worked as a casting director on a dozen Spike Lee movies. Some of these films include hits like 1992's Malcolm X, 1994's Crooklyn, 1995's Clockers, 1996's Get on the Bus, 1998's He Got Game, 1999's Summer of Sam, 2002's 25th Hour, 2004's She Hate Me, 2006's Inside Man, 2008's Miracle at St. Anna and 2012's Red Hook Summer.

Other prominent projects Sinclair has worked on include 2017's Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me, Steven Spielberg’s 1997 hit Amistad, John Singleton's Paul Walker starrer 2 Fast 2 Furious, Forest Whitaker’s Waiting to Exhale from 1995, Craig Brewer’s 206 film Black Snake Moan, and the BET series Being Mary Jane, among others.

Winsome Sinclair's last credit as casting director was for the 2023 short film Seeking: Mapping Our Gullah Geechee Story. As per IMDb, Sinclair will posthumously be credited as the casting director for 5 upcoming projects, The Promise Keeper, Lost Seoul, Cases, I Am Maurice, and the short film Althazagora.

Sinclair launched her New York-based global casting agency Winsome Sinclair and Associates in 1996 before relocating to Atlanta in 2014. In the same year, she and her partner Donald Jarmond launched WSA CONSULTATION for assisting and advising actors and upcoming producers in film and television.

Additionally, Sinclair had served as the producer for 2017's Mainard, and 2022's I Wish I Never Met You. She also served as the executive producer for 2024's One Night Stay. She was also an associate producer of the upcoming short Althazagora.

The official statement released by SInclair's family called the casting director a woman of "extraordinary faith" and a "trailblazer in the film industry". The statement called her the "guiding force" behind many cinematic masterpieces. The statement continued:

"Her passion for storytelling and commitment to her craft touched the lives of many, both within the industry she cherished and the community she held dear."

It further continued:

"Winsome’s life was a testament to radical faith, and she lived each day with a heart full of love and gratitude. Beyond her professional achievements, she was a devoted mother to her two children, Micah and Kairo, whom she loved with all her heart. As we grieve this unimaginable loss, we find solace in the respected body of work and legacy she leaves behind."

Sinclair is survived by her children Micah and Kairo, parents, Walter and Shirley, brothers Nick, Mark, Barry, and Kirk, and her cousins, nephews, and nieces. A GoFundMe was launched with a target of $150,000,000 for Sinclair's children Micah and Kairo.