Winsome Sinclair, a veteran casting professional who worked on scores of films and TV shows — many as casting director — including Malcolm D. Lee’s The Best Man, Steven Spielberg’s Amistad, the Gabrielle Union series Being Mary Jane and a dozen Spike Lee movies, died August 12 of colon cancer on Long Island. She was 58.
Her rep Clorissa Wright-Thomas confirmed the news to Deadline, saying Sinclair had been in hospice care and that her family was at her bedside. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Winsome Sinclair, a woman of extraordinary faith and a trailblazer in the film industry,” her family said in a statement (read it in full below). “Winsome’s life was a testament to radical faith, and she lived each day with a heart full of love and gratitude.”
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Born on October 27, 1965 in Jamaica, she grew up in New York after her family moved there when she was a small child.
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Sinclair served as casting director on more than a dozen films and several TV series and in the casting department for more than 50 others — ranging from an internship on Spike Lee’s 1990 Mo’ Better Blues to several current projects in various stages of production.
She also worked on Spike Lee’s films Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Clockers, Get on the Bus, He Got Game, Summer of Sam, 25th Hour, She Hate Me, Inside Man, Miracle at St. Anna and Red Hook Summer. Sinclair’s many other credits include John Singleton’s Higher Learning, 2 Fast 2 Furious and Abduction and Malcom D. Lee’s The Best Man (1999) and Barbershop: The Next Cut.
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Other films on which she served in the casting department include Spielberg’s Amistad, Lee Daniels’ Precious, Forest Whitaker’s Waiting to Exhale and the Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me. Along with Being Mary Jane, Sinclair’s TV credits include Dee Rees’ biopic Bessie, starring Queen Latifah as blues legend Bessie Smith.
Sinclair is survived by her two young adopted sons, brothers Micah and Kairo; her parents Shirley and Walter Sinclair; brothers Nick, Mike, Kirk and Barry; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.
Here is the family’s statement in full:
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Winsome Sinclair, a woman of extraordinary faith and a trailblazer in the film industry. Winsome, a graduate of Florida A&M University, passed away on August 12th after dedicating nearly three decades to casting and filmmaking, working alongside iconic directors such as Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, and Lee Daniels. As the founder of Winsome Sinclair and Associates, she was a guiding force behind countless cinematic masterpieces, including Amistad, Malcolm X, and The Best Man. 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.
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.
We love her and will miss her dearly.
In loving memory of Winsome, we kindly ask for your support in helping her sons Micah and Kairo during this difficult time.