Zolee Griggs as Shurrie Diggs: the story behind the "Wu-Tang: An American Saga" star

Shurrie Diggs, played by Zolee Griggs, is a fictionalised version of RZA's sister in the Hulu music biopic Wu-Tang: An American Saga. She is portrayed as a vital grounding force during the tumultuous origins of the Wu-Tang Clan hip-hop collective in early 1990s New York. On honouring iconic family members, Zolee told Wonderland Magazine:

I was nervous because I wanted to do right by them and tell their story properly.

Key takeaways

• The real Shurrie Diggs in Wu-Tang: American Saga was inspired by several of RZA's real-life sisters.
• One of RZA's sisters, Sophia Diggs, dated Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah.
• Zolee Griggs was a main cast member in Wu-Tang: An American Saga and portrayed Shurrie in all three seasons.

Zolee Griggs' profile summary

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RZA's sisters inspired Shurrie Diggs in Wu-Tang

Wu-Tang: An American Saga is a biographical drama series that highlights the rise of the legendary hip-hop group Wu-Tang in the 1990s in Staten Island, New York City. Core members of the collective included RZA, GZA, Russell Jones, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killah.

Wu-Tang's Shurrie Diggs is not one real person but a fictionalised composite of RZA's three real-life sisters. RZA, who also produced the show, told the Press Association in 2019 that they compressed his siblings into one character because:

I have 11 brothers and sisters. We can't put 11 brothers and sisters in our show... The root of this show is based and founded on truth. But the beauty of it is, even when we had to dramatise something, we still made sure the root of the truth was in it.

Shurrie Diggs kept the Diggs family grounded

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The RZA sister starts dating Dennis Coles, aka Ghostface Killah, in season one and becomes a mother in the second season. One of Shurrie Diggs' real-life inspirations was Sophia Diggs, who dated Ghostface.

Shurrie's age is not specified in Wu-Tang: An American Saga, but she is portrayed as a second matriarchal figure. She tends to her brothers in a violence-prone New York in the 1990s by reminding them that they can strive for better.

She is not a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, but she balances being present for her family with her dreams. In a 2019 interview with Wonderland Magazine, Zolee Griggs described Shurrie as:

[Tough] because she balances everything, but nobody really knows that – everybody kind of overlooks her. So, she's a really cool sister because, whether people appreciate her or not, she keeps the family balanced and in check.

How Zolee Griggs brought Shurrie Diggs to life

Griggs was in 30 episodes of the Hulu music biopic Wu-Tang: An American Saga (2019-2023) as RZA's sister Shurrie Diggs. She was 22 years old when she started playing the character.

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To understand the character, Zolee met and spoke with RZA's real-life sister, Sophia Diggs, who gave her insights into the family dynamic. The actress incorporated different facets of the siblings, which she told Meaww in 2019, gave her creative freedom.

Shurrie in Wu-Tang is one of the few female characters in the male-dominated story. In a 2019 interview with Schon Magazine, Zolee said she was interested in portraying the character because:

I wanted to be a part of rap history, telling Wu-Tang's story is very important, and I knew I'd be one of the only women on the show, so I wanted to represent that sliver of femininity right.

Zolee Griggs started as a child actress

Los Angeles-born Zolee appeared in commercial and print work from the age of two. She transitioned to child roles in Strong Medicine, Back When We Were Grownups, and Disney Channel's Cory in the House.

Shurrie in Wu-Tang: An American Saga was her first major adult role on television. In 2020, she landed the lead role of Indigo in the action crime film Archenemy and later portrayed Billie in The Enforcer (2022).

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Griggs is set to star in the upcoming animation, Captain Zero: The Movie. The film follows a Haitian-American teenager balancing life as a student, son, and loved superhero while facing a cyber stalker named W.Z.R.D. and his inner demon.

Zolee Griggs' movies and TV shows

Zolee Griggs is also a vlogger and fashion influencer

Griggs is popular across social media platforms where she shares vlogs, fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content. She created LMPYO (Lemme Put Y'all On), a recurring music and culture series that spotlights songs, artists, and stories.

Zolee is also a humanitarian. In 2017, the actress established Grl2Women, an initiative aimed at providing a judgment-free platform for young girls.

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Conclusion

Shurrie Diggs is portrayed on Wu-Tang: An American Saga as an indispensable part of the Diggs family during the rise of the legendary hip-hop collective. Despite the complexity of representing all of RZA's sisters, Zolee Griggs gave the character an unforgettable voice and presence.

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Source: Briefly News