Brighton’s beloved soul food queen, Momma Cherri, has always been larger than life on the city’s culinary scene – but now she’s stepping onto an even bigger stage. Alongside launching a new podcast and taking part in October Unpacked, she’s about to make her Hollywood debut.
“I love the word starring,” she laughs. “I’m not quite starring in Bugonia, but I am appearing in it.”
The opportunity came when Brighton casting agent Sally McCleery asked her to audition for a secretive project. “They asked me one question, ‘Do you believe in the supernatural?’ Well, I went off on one about the Holy Ghost, made it funny, and they loved it. Two days later they told me, ‘We don’t just want you as background, we’re giving you lines.’”
That project turned out to be Bugonia – a remake of the cult Korean classic Save the Green Planet – by Oscar-winning director Yorgos Lanthimos, and starring Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. Momma Cherri plays Tina, opposite Plemons’ character Teddy. “I’ve got actual lines with him! They say this could finally be his Oscar year – so I’m just hoping I’m in another Oscar-nominated film.”
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival to rapturous reviews, even landing a rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it screens at the London Film Festival this October.
Back home in Brighton, Momma Cherri is as busy as ever. She’s teaming up with chef Chrissy Ranks for October Unpacked, a two-night pop-up at Red Roaster (28–29 October).
The duo are also launching a podcast exploring the shared roots of soul food and Caribbean cuisine. “It’s about food, culture and real conversation. No topic is off-limits. Eventually, we want it on TV and on tour.”
Momma Cherri’s YouTube channel has also returned after a three-year hiatus due to illness; both she and her husband are now fully recovered. “Mama ain’t going nowhere,” she beams. “Unstoppable!”
Community remains central to everything she does. As an ambassador for The Starr Trust, she donates 10% of her earnings to support young people. “You have to give to receive,” she says. “I’ve got my health back, so now I give back.”
That commitment has deep roots. During the pandemic, she spoke at a BLM protest march in Brighton. The outfit she wore that day, a striking vision of socially distanced activism, is now part of Brighton Museum’s permanent collection, displayed alongside excerpts from her speech.
