Michaela Coel and Daniel Kaluuya each made mega moves in 2022. Individually starring in a number of the 12 months’s most-buzzed-about and top-grossing movies

– Kaluuya shined in Jordan Peele’s NOPE alongside Keke Palmer, and Coel joined an all-star solid within the highly-anticipated Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Ceaselessly.

ESSENCE caught up with Kaluyya and Coel at Moët & Chandon’s 2022 Holiday Celebration at Latest York’s Lincoln Center David Geffen Hall as they toasted to the approaching holidays, rubbing elbows with fellow stars like Trevor Noah, Taylor Russell, Chanel Iman, Victor Cruz, and Vic Mensa, amongst others.

For Kaluuya, the last page of the calendar means time for some (much-needed) rest and recharging after a whirlwind benchmark 12 months in his profession. Foregoing any big travel plans or grand vacations,

Kaluuya tells ESSENCE that his holiday will probably be all about “Chilling with family, plotting the subsequent 12 months, relaxing, resting up.” Nevertheless, he admits he’ll enjoy “little vibes” at Disneyland in his downtime before it’s time to hit the bottom running once more.

“I’ve got a movie that I produced and co-wrote called The Kitchen,” Kaluuya tells us of what’s in store for 2023. “That’s exciting. I’ve also got Across The Spider-Verse coming out. That’s exciting. And my life. My life’s exciting.”

“I’m here to live. So I’m here to enjoy. My enjoyment…that’s exciting,” he says, smiling.

Outside of the worldwide event that was the release of NOPE, the actor reveals that finally bringing considered one of his decades-long dreams to fruition was the highlight of 2022.

“I’ve been writing [The Kitchen] for nine years,” he reveals. “That was really essential. It’s a state of the nation piece about dystopian London.”

Set within the 12 months 2044, The Kitchen has been picked up by Netflix for a 2023 release. It stars Top Boy lead Kane “Kano” Robinson and newcomer Jedaiah Robinson as residents of an encampment for the poor arrange just outside of London’s city limits, fighting for survival and trying to find family and meaning in a seemingly hopeless society.

For Coel, a retreat to her family’s homeland is so as.

“I are inclined to go into somewhat cave,” Coel says of her increasingly frequent time in Ghana. Despite the bustle and non-stop activity happening in and around Accra throughout the holiday season, or

“Detty December” because it’s turn into known lately, the actress prefers to deal with destressing and spending time with family. “My grandma lives there. My dad lives there. I’ll be spending time with my family, doing all of the boring stuff. It’s just family time and just working. I’m going to be there for a very long time.”

“I could turn up a few times. Perhaps Afrochella, perhaps,” she adds with a smirk.

It’s a mandatory reset for the actress who’s gearing as much as turn into an aunt for the third time over, a still-mysterious starring role in Donald Glover’s TV reboot/reimagining of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and one other hush-hush project she will be able to’t quite get into yet.

“That was fun!” Coel says of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. “I really like Donald a lot. It’s going to be a pleasant, busy 12 months.”

Though the highly coveted screenwriter and actress couldn’t get deep into detail about her other upcoming projects and soon-to-come announcements she hinted, she does give us one parting tidbit.

“I’m really looking forward to exercising some different muscles that I haven’t really worked before.”