A Star on The Rise Story with Damani D. Sease: Landing the role of U-God on Season 2 of Wu-Tang An American Saga

The Start of His Journey   

We all have that burning desire inside of us that keeps us going. That itch we can’t scratch. That feeling that we need to be on the right path even when we are on the wrong one. That’s precisely the story for Damani D. Sease regarding his journey in entertainment. 

At an early age, he knew that entertainment was his genuine desire. But because of his friend circle, who mostly participated in sports during grade school, he took that path with them. He was good at it, and that was a fact, but something was missing from him. “But I wasn’t as passionate about it as I was for acting,” stated Sease. He couldn’t share this passion with his friends because he knew they wouldn’t understand.   

When he enrolled in college, he knew this path wasn’t meant for him. But Damani said, “I dropped out of college to pursue acting full-time because I knew this is what I wanted.” This was a serendipitous moment for him because his father, a long-time stuntman in the industry, informed him that there was a role in the first season of Wu-Tang Saga that he knew would be perfect for him to audition for. So, with joy and eagerness, Damani took the audition. To his surprise, the team loved his audition, and a couple weeks later, he was informed he got the role.   

“After we shot the scene, I told my dad that I forgot something on set. I didn’t actually forget anything. I went back there and took a moment in and said I will be back here very soon,” said Sease.  

As a very spiritual individual, Damani took this moment as a sign that he was on the right path. Thankful for the opportunity, he understood it was just the beginning, as now it was time for him to put in the work. “I went out for auditions and wasn’t booking roles,” said Sease. This only fueled him to reach higher, so he enrolled in acting classes and decided it was time to get an agent. Fearlessly took to the stage and auditioned in front of several top agents from Los Angeles and New York. This sets Damani apart from others because where people receive no’s and give up, he looks for ways to create opportunities.  

Time for U-God & Wu-Tang An American Saga   

Damani’s spirituality always pays off for him in the end. After auditioning in front of those agents, he was signed within a few weeks. “My agent called me and told me about the role of U-God on Wu Thang and said I was the perfect fit for it since I looked so much like him,” said Sease. It was actually a social media frenzy when it came to U-God not being on the show initially, and fans kept asking, “Where is U-God.” Damani was candid about not knowing much about U-God initially. So he took to the internet and studied everything about Wu-Tang and U-God, from voice to mannerisms. He was determined to land this role.   

“I was auditioning for other things, so I didn’t go too deep into it since I was just auditioning, but I wanted to ensure I was prepared,” said Sease.   

Damani stated, “this was the longest three weeks of my life.” He was confident in his audition but said you only know once you get that call. He almost thought he didn’t get the role since the callback took a while. But even during that waiting period, he “left it to God” and “prayed every night” because that kept him grounded. The moment he got the call, he recalled that it was “random because that day, I stopped thinking about getting the call, and then my agent called me.” Damani had auditioned for two different projects during that time, so his agent informed him that he had yet to get the other role but did land the role of U-God.   

“I started crying because you know how it makes you feel when you work hard for something and finally get it. I had been working towards this for a year,” said Sease.   

Damani replied, “this was really a blessing from God for this to be my first major role early in my career, and U-God and I are similar in many ways.” He was able to prepare for this role because they came from the same neighborhood. This gave him a sense of U-God’s behavior, thought process, and actions. The ‘why’ behind any character is most important for development. Damani had the opportunity to connect and speak with U-God to better understand who he is.   

“What was most important for me during this process was being able to capture the essence of U-God and not be exactly like him,” said Sease.  

Photo Credits:
Photographer : Tyler Patrick Kenny
Wardrobe Stylist: Gloria Johnson