TheGrio caught up with RZA as well as the cast of the Hulu series ahead of the premiere of the series’ third season.
The “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” story is coming to an end. The acclaimed Hulu series is currently in its third and final season, dubbed “the final chapter.” TheGrio caught up with the cast and creatives of the series, breaking down their farewells, what makes the third season a unique entry and more.
The third season of the hit streaming series follows the iconic Wu-Tang Clan members after the release of their debut album, as each member tries figures out where he or she fits in the world of music. “As money, fame, ego, and business threaten to tear the group apart, they must find a way to come together and cement their legacy,” the synopsis reads.
It was “gratifying” ending the story on their own terms for the series co-creator and founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, RZA. “When we said cut and there was a season wrap, nobody went and grabbed their bags and left,” he explained, recalling the final day on set. “It was a five-year journey … I think we all appreciate the art we created and the time we spent together.”
Co-creator Alex Tse added, “Being able to do the season that we did, to do the things that we talked about doing from jump before even breaking Season 1 … It makes it easier to kind of go to the next chapter. To be able to end on the terms creatively that you want to end with, that is very helpful to move on to the next thing.”
Dave East, who plays Method Man in the series, is particularly looking forward to fans seeing this specific iteration of the legendary hip-hop group in the third season. “This is the season that shows who they were when I got into them as a child,” he explained. “I feel like a lot of people will be able to identify with this season.”
Still, the end of the journey is bittersweet, especially for cast members who have been telling this story since its first season in 2019. “I super appreciate and love the whole experience of the ‘American Saga’ journey,” TJ Atoms who plays Ol’ Dirty Bastard, told us. “It was a real experience.”
Shameik Moore (Raekwon The Chef) thinks he did what set out to do. “I’m honored to have stepped into The Chef’s light, to do my best portrayal,” he explained. “I got to meet these great talented young actors, worked with some cool directors … all of these great things. It’s bittersweet.”
Ashton Sanders (RZA) likened the third season to their “senior year” of high school. “It’s like, ‘Alright, I am kinda ready to go to college, but also, like I want to enjoy this last year with my people’,” he said. “I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to play RZA, to meet these guys, to work with Shameik.”
Speaking to the unique opportunity the show presented the actors — specifically the chance to connect to the real-life rappers they were portraying — Siddiq Saunderson (Ghostface Killah) said, “Once I realized it was a tool and less of a burden, it was super helpful. I would call Ghost and just speak to him and a lot of the time we would talk for an hour, two hours and not about the show … We would just kind of talk and those were the moments where I understood who he was.”
Zolee Griggs (Shurrie Diggs) expressed her gratitude for the close connection the cast had with The Wu-Tang Clan, specifically RZA. “I’m super grateful for RZA and his family for welcoming me with open arms,” she said. “I had a lot of offscreen time hanging out with his family.”
“At the end of the day, Wu-Tang, the music, the idea, the vision … it saved a lot of guys from our community,” RZA said in reflecting on the legacy of the show.
“It allowed families to eat and express themselves and here it does the same thing in its own way. Some of our actors, this is their first series, of course some were established like Ashton and Shameik, but it was still an elevation of a platform for them … so to see that Wu-Tang did something during the time that we lived it and to see that it’s doing something for another group of young people is beautiful.”
The third season of “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” is currently streaming on Hulu.
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