Wu-Tang: An American Saga finally returns to Hulu on September 8 for its second season after a wait of nearly two years. The biographical drama series set the groundwork for what would become the Wu-Tang Clan in its first ten episodes, deepening viewers’ knowledge of Bobby Diggs (Ashton Sanders, Judas and the Black Messiah) before he became RZA.

The show also introduced fans to some important members of his family, especially matriarch Linda (Erika Alexander, Black Lightning) and younger sister Shurrie (Zolee Griggs) – who is an amalgamation of a few siblings in real life. Shurrie has her hands full this season as she starts a family with Bobby’s best friend Dennis (Siddiq Saunderson), and Linda has to keep not 0nly her son on the right track, but all eight of his nearest and dearest as well.

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Alexander and Griggs spoke to Screen Rant about how the Diggs family is holding up in season 2, and how it feels to be some of the only women in such a male-dominated cast.

Screen Rant: Erika, you have a lot on your plate as the matriarch of not only the family but the whole clan. What is it like watching Bobby turn into RZA, and all of these boys growing into who they become?

Erika Alexander: It’s a relief. This woman in real life had 11 children. On the series, it’s only 4. And these four children have taxed her to the edge of the Earth – she even had to move out of Staten Island and go to Cleveland to try to [find] peace and then ends up bringing Shurrie, who has a baby. It’s a whole other thing.

But I think that what it shows is the perseverance of women – and, especially in that era, Black women were going through a lot. There was the specter of the street, mass incarceration, drug addiction, and the lack of value toward education. And so a lot of these people who were there barely made it, or they were in jail.

The fact that the Wu-Tang Clan did not go there, and they managed to make a legacy that is worldwide, is one of the most phenomenal things we’ve ever seen. It is an amazing thing, and it is – I’m sure, for her – a relief.

Speaking of Shurrie, now that she and Dennis have a baby, she still has to share him with Bobby. Can you talk about this struggle?

Zolee Griggs: Yeah, I think it comes down to trying to [understand.] I understand that you’re making music and changing your life with the guys, but you have bigger responsibilities – as in a new life.

It’s a weird dichotomy because Bobby is my brother, so I have to remind him, “I’m still your sister. I’m still family. Don’t think that you can disregard me just because of that matter.” It’s a big jumble, and it’s a big balance. Shurrie definitely tries to balance it all and manage it all, but I think the guys have a harder time trying to do it all. But we all make it work. It might just be a little messy.

In real life, there were 11 siblings, which has been obviously condensed for the show. Are there any conversations about who is being presented on screen now? Or about those dynamics and how they’re going to be adapted for the screen?

Erika Alexander: We talked about that more in season 1, where it really did matter that Shurrie’s character was a compilation of a few sisters. And so were the brothers. And we should mention the beautiful Justice, who plays the younger brother, Randy. They would have to embody a few of the characteristics, so RZA – who I call Bobby – said he would mix them together to make one.

And I think that was a really good negotiation you must have had to have with 11 children, but that’s just too many chicks. That’s more than The Doobie Brothers.

What was it like for you to step back into this role after two years, especially with a global pandemic?

Zolee Griggs: It was exciting. I was eager, but it was also a completely new chapter, you know? Because Shurrie was enduring different things with her mind, body, and soul.

The stakes were a bit higher, but it was great. Because I was able to speak to a lot of different women – personal and even women on set – and I would just ask them, “What’s it like being a mother? What’s it like during this stage of pregnancy?” and so on and so forth. That was really beautiful to have those conversations with women and to get their point of view.

I just took as much of that internally as I could, considering I’ve never been pregnant before. It was a great lesson to be able to speak to so many amazing women who gave me great advice.

Wu-Tang: An American Saga season 2 premieres September 8 on Hulu.

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About The Author


Tatiana Hullender
(636 Articles Published)

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Tatiana Hullender is a writer at Screen Rant, focusing on film and television, as well as a co-host of several podcasts. In the interviews she conducts for Screen Rant, she seeks to learn what drives each creative mind and how different experiences influence the same narrative. As a graduate of Columbia University in New York City, Tatiana studied theater and comparative literature. She has been passionate about all manner of storytelling since being exposed to Jane Austen and BBC adaptations of her work all at once. But Regency satire of manners isn’t the only genre she loves, as a love of comic books naturally developed into a love of cinematic universes and their superheroes. So long as a story has heart and humor, there’s a chance of finding something to enjoy in the telling of it.
Visit @myrcellasear on Twitter to follow Tatiana’s articles, interviews and podcasts including: The Flash Podcast, Pop A La Carte and Ladies With Gumption. Subscribe to them on the Podcast app, or contact her directly at painted(dot)out(at)gmail.com.

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