Here’s Why the ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’ Cast Looks So Familiar
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
PureWow Editors select every item that appears on this page,, and the company may earn compensation through affiliate links within the story You can learn more about that process here. Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
Read the original article on Purewow.
As you’ve binge-watched the entirety of Hulu's Wu-Tang: An American Saga, you've probably wondered where you've seen the actors before.
The talented cast has been winning fans over since the first season premiered in 2019. And now that the biographical drama, which depicts the ’90s hip-hop group's rise to fame, has come to an end with its third and final season wrapping in April 2023, we’re satisfying our curiosity by highlighting the Wu-Tang: An American Saga cast, along with details on where you may have spotted them before.
What Is ‘Wu-Tang: An American Saga’ About?
Created by Wu-Tang Clan group member RZA (aka Robert Fitzgerald Diggs) and Alex Tse (Watchmen, Superfly), Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga centers around the formation of one of the biggest hip hop groups to hit the scene in the early 1990s. Set in New York during the crack and cocaine epidemic, the series follows Bobby Diggs, who has the idea to form a rap group that later goes on to take over the music industry.
Wu-Tang: An American Saga went on for three seasons, with the first episode premiering in September 2019 and the last episode debuting on April 5, 2023. Season one focused on the birth of the Wu-Tang Clan. Season two followed the group members trying to focus on their music careers and lead a crime-free life. And season three focused on the rap group’s rise to superstardom.
In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, RZA shared how making the Hulu series has been a “fulfilling” experience for him and the rest of the Wu-Tang Clan members.
“The last five years have been as challenging and fulfilling as our first five years in the industry,” RZA told the publication. “The first five years culminated with the success of the album Wu-Tang Forever. The last five years with the completion of the series and its inspirational content echoes those words.”
So, who is in the cast and why do they look familiar?
Hulu
1. Ashton Sanders
Character: Bobby "RZA" Diggs
What else he’s been in: Moonlight, Native Son, The Equalizer 2, Judas and the Black Messiah, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody
You may recognize the California native from the Whitney Houston biopic, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, where he portrayed the famous singer's husband, Bobby Brown. Sanders is also known for his portrayal of teen Chiron in Moonlight, which won three Academy Awards (including Best Picture).
Hulu
2. Siddiq Saunderson
Character: Dennis Coles / D-Lover / Ghostface Killah
What else he’s been in: Boomerang, Messiah, Mother's Milk
Saunderson landed his first role back in 2013, when he appeared as a party guest in the movie It Felt Like Love. He has since guest-starred in multiple shows, like Redwood Time and Boomerang. His movie appearances include R#J and Mother's Milk.
Hulu
3. Julian Elijah Martinez
Character: Mitchell "Divine" Diggs
What else he’s been in: Swimming, Dominant Species, High School Lover
The Yale grad has performed on Broadway and off-Broadway, but he has also appeared in TV shows like Elementary, Prodigal Son and Law & Order: SVU.
Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu
4. Shameik Moore
Character: Corey Woods / Sha Raider / Raekwon
What else he’s been in: Dope, The Get Down, Let It Snow, Joyful Noise
It all started in 2012, when he collaborated with Nick Cannon on the Cartoon Network sketch comedy series, Incredible Crew. Moore went on to guest star on quite a few popular shows, like Reed Between the Lines and House of Payne, before landing his first lead role as Malcolm in Dope. (Fun fact: He also voiced Miles Morales in the 2018 film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.)
Hulu
5. T.J. Atoms
Character: Russell Jones / Ason Unique / Ol' Dirty Bastard
What else he’s been in: The Forty-Year-Old Version, Orange Is the New Black, Power, Mike
Per IMDB, the young rapper has been making waves in the acting industry, despite having little to no formal training. His TV credits include Netflix's You, Power, Godfather of Harlem, Orange is the New Black and Blue Bloods.
Hulu
6. Johnell Young
Character: Gary "GZA" Grice / The Genius
What else he’s been in: Making Moves, Kold x Windy, A Holiday Chance
Young has appeared in other projects like Secret Society 2 and Blind Currency. In 2020, he landed a role in NBA 2K20, where he worked alongside Idris Elba, Rosario Dawson and Thomas Middleditch.
Hulu
7. Zolee Griggs
Character: Shurrie Diggs
What else he’s been in: Cory in the House, Bride Wars, Archenemy, The Enforcer
You might've spotted a much younger Zolee as Tanisha in Disney Channel's Cory in the House. Since then, she picked up small roles for movies and TV shows like Boomerang, Ballers and Public Disturbance.
Hulu
8. Marcus Callender
Character: Oliver "Power" Grant
What else he’s been in: Power, The Breaks, Shades of Blue
The Brooklyn native is best known for his portrayal of Ray Ray in Power and Power Book II: Ghost, but he has also appeared in The Equalizer (series), Evil, New Amsterdam and Blindspot.
9. David "Dave East" Brewster
Character: Clifford "Shotgun" Smith / Method Man
What else he’s been in: Monsters and Men, Monster, Elementary
The 34-year old rapper and actor was first discovered by Nas, who signed East to his record label after hearing his mixtape. He garnered an impressive following as a musician, then started to pursue acting in 2017. After landing small parts in shows like Being Mary Jane and The Breaks, he finally scored his breakout role in Wu-Tang.
Hulu
10. Erika Alexander
Character: Linda Diggs
What else she’s been in: Living Single, The Cosby Show, Black Lightning, Get Out, Swimming with Sharks
Aside from playing the iconic Maxine Shaw in the '90s classic, Living Single, the actor and producer appeared in dozens of shows, from HBO's Insecure to Grey's Anatomy. Her film credits include Déjà Vu, Earth Mama, American Refugee and 30 Years to Life.