Here’s Why the 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga' Cast Looks So Familiar

Published Feb 14, 2023

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, is returning for it's third and final season, 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.

wu tang an american saga cast ashton sanders

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).

wu tang an american saga cast siddiq saunderson

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.

wu tang an american saga cast julian martinez

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.

wu tang an american saga cast shameik moore

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.

wu tang an american saga cast johnell young

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.

wu tang an american saga cast zolee griggs

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.

wu tang an american saga cast marcus callender

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.

wu tang an american saga cast erika alexander

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.

Nakeisha Campbell

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

Nakeisha has been interviewing celebrities and covering all things entertainment for over 8 years, but she has also written on a wide range of topics, like career...

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Here’s Why the 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga' Cast Looks So Familiar

1. Ashton Sanders

2. Siddiq Saunderson

3. Julian Elijah Martinez

4. Shameik Moore

5. T.J. Atoms

6. Johnell Young

7. Zolee Griggs

8. Marcus Callender

9. David "Dave East" Brewster

10. Erika Alexander

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

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