Exclusive Interview: Shannon Dang Chats Kung Fu Season 2, How Making Bold Choices Landed Her the Role of Althea, and More

Shannon Dang is delivering one of the most versatile performances on television. Starring as tech-savvy Althea Shen in the CW’s Kung Fu, Shannon has shown her depth as an actress by displaying her impeccable comedic timing as well as tackling emotional storylines with vulnerability.

Now in its second season, Kung Fu follows a young Chinese-American woman, Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), whose quarter-life crisis causes her to drop out of school and make a life-changing journey to a monastery in China. When she makes her return home, she discovers that her town has been overrun with corruption. Nicky must rely on her community as well as her martial arts skills to protect those she cares about the most and seek justice for those who are unable to.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to catch up with Shannon to talk about Kung Fu Season 2, how making bold choices landed her the role of Althea, and where she’d like to see her character’s story arc head in the future.

PC: In Season 1, Althea’s journey was about healing from her trauma and finding her voice. In Season 2, we’re seeing her back in the workforce and stepping into her own. How did the preparation differ from season to season?
Shannon: In Season 1, Althea’s story arc was a lot heavier than in Season 2. Althea has always provided the levity in the family. That was in contrast to the deep stuff that she was going through. But in Season 2, I love that she has healed and blossomed. She has left the past behind her and grown. Now, she wants to be her own boss. You see her going back into the workforce and wanting to be the CEO of her own company. How does she combine tech and her brilliant skills with her love for helping Nicky and her quest, her community, and her family? I feel like it’s a great contrast. It’s been a fun two seasons.

PC: In this high-stakes world, Althea brings a lot of levity, like you just said. You and your character have had some of the best one-liners and fantastic facial expressions. Has comedy always come easy for you?
Shannon: I have to thank the writers for all of that because I could not deliver those lines if they didn’t write them for me. But yes, I love comedy. I grew up watching a lot of Disney Channel where everything was about making people laugh. Rom-coms are my favorite genre. It’s my dream to be in a rom-com. That naturally shaped my personality growing up. What’s really cool is the writers have really seen and gotten to know all the actors. They write stories and dialogue to match the actor’s essence. I feel like since the beginning, Althea has been me. It’s really fun. I feel so fortunate to be able to lean into that comedic side. I feel very lucky.

PC: The relationship between the Shen families, particularly the siblings, is a favorite amongst the fans and the cast. What has that collaboration been like working with Olivia and JP [Jon Prasida] as you approach the sibling dynamic? Was it natural from day one?
Shannon: It’s very natural. I don’t even think that the three of us had a conversation where we were like, “What is our sibling dynamic? What is that relationship?” We just fell into place. I already knew Olivia from beforehand. Bringing JP in, he just meshed right away. It’s funny. The relationship that you see on screen, as far as the dynamics are concerned, that’s how it is in real life.

You’ll see a group of us and then Olivia and JP are very in sync. They’ll go off and play video games together. In a group setting, like yesterday, we were there and they went off to play Skee-Ball. You see that in the pilot when they go off and play ping pong. I’m nowhere to be found. [laughs] That’s how it is in real life. It’s not that I don’t want to play. They have a special bond. We love each other. It’s just funny that the relationship between their characters is as close as they are in person.

PC: Althea is known for her incredible fashion sense, which highlights one of the themes of her arcs, which is about taking up the space that she deserves. How helpful has it been having that wardrobe as you dove into her storyline and her character arc? If you could choose one of her outfits to keep, which would it be?
Shannon: Yeah! It’s funny because in the pilot and the original audition sides, the character description never said anything about fashion or about how she dressed. It said that she was a very tech-savvy older sister who was planning her dream wedding. I remember getting ready for the audition I was like, “How does one dress as if they work in tech?” In the waiting room, a lot of people came in office clothes, which is great.

I pulled out clothes and I was like, “This looks smart, right?” Then I was like, “You know what? I don’t want to wear that. I’m going to put on this hot pink, skin-tight jumpsuit with flared pants.” I wore a pearl necklace and everything. I don’t know why I was being so extra. I remember coming into the waiting room and everyone was like, “What is she wearing?” I started thinking, “Oh my God. I’m so overdressed. I don’t know. We’re going with it.”

The showrunners later told me that they loved that choice and that it brightened up the character. They wanted that throughout the season, and now that’s Althea. She’s a tech-savvy genius, but she’s always dressed to the nines. It’s really cool that every time I go into a fitting we get to collaborate on that. I always ask for color and things to match her levity and her bubbly personality. It’s definitely her signature.

The outfit that I would pick is in Episode 204. She wears this hot pink motor jacket with these flared pants. I was obsessed with that outfit, so I would keep that. It’s similar to the one that I auditioned with.

PC: Speaking of Episode 204, we see Althea and Dennis get in on the action. Can we expect more of that as the season unfolds? How much fun was that for you to play as an actress?
Shannon: That was so fun. Both Tony [Chung] and I can agree that that was the most fun episode to film to this day. It was really cool to get in on the action. We weren’t fighting like the typical kung fu action in our show, but we had our own stunt doubles. That was really exciting. We were like, “Look at us.” Then the car chase was really fun. To see how a car chase is actually made was crazy. There were so many moving bits and pieces. We were in the back seat for the majority of the day. We were filming at an airport on a tarmac, and we were going back and forth, back and forth. Olivia is in the front. It’s funny because we’re not actually driving. We’re being pulled on this rig in a car in front of us. We have to pretend to swerve right, swerve left, scream. I’ll never forget it. It was so much fun. I hope to do more action in the future!

PC: We’ve got new faces joining the cast this season and the sense of family comes off even stronger on and off screen. How have you and the cast been able to build on the chemistry that you’ve had from Season 1 in addition to having all these new faces join?
Shannon: It was quite easy. A couple of us have known each other since before Kung Fu, which has been nice. When we got to Vancouver, it was very effortless. Some of it had to do with us all being Asian. [laughs] There’s this unspoken understanding when it comes to different things.

But also the pandemic! We were up there, and we couldn’t fly back and forth to LA. We were really all each other had. We were each other’s coworkers and social circles. We really bonded as a family. Because if you didn’t, you wouldn’t have friends. So we had to. Just kidding.

Building off that, every guest actor came and fit right in. We had some great guest actors. There are a few that have been with us throughout the season. Everyone fit in really nicely. It’s fun to see our Kung Fu family grow.

PC: You and the cast were recently at WonderCon where for the first time since the series premiered, you’ve been able to see fans in person. What was that experience like?
Shannon: That was really cool. WonderCon was the first time we’ve been together in person for a live panel. We’ve done lots of Zoom panels, but that’s never the same. It’s hard to talk over people and everything. This was the first time in person, and I think it went really well. It was really fun. We didn’t have the total freedom of interaction that we normally would have at WonderCon where we’d get to meet and take pictures with fans and sign autographs, but we really did feel the love from the stage. It was funny. After that, we talked amongst ourselves and we were like, “Wow. People came to our panel. That means people actually watch our show. What?” Because it was the first time we got to see the fans in person. Everything has been virtual, so it was really nice. It was really exciting for all of us.

PC: We’ve got a really serious question for you. You’re a professional dancer. We’ve gotten to see a glimpse of the characters sharing their moves. Who is the best dancer in the cast who doesn’t have a dance background?
Shannon: Best dancer in the cast who doesn’t have a dance background? I would say JP. Ironically, he’s so funny. I am always the one to be like, “We have to do this TikTok. It’s super easy. It’s this song.” JP will always be like, “I don’t know if it’s my thing.” We laugh because the one time we did it and he agreed, he was in the center. We were doing this dance and he was loving it. He was so into it. He nailed it. It was so funny. Now we always joke and I say, “We’re going to do this TikTok. I know it’s not your thing, but…” [laughs] He’s great.

PC: We saw the video that you shared on social media. Were the two of you able to get on the jumbotron?
Shannon: Oh, no! Unfortunately. We realized it’s not because our dancing skills were inadequate. So, we were at the Clippers game, right? We were trying to get on the jumbotron, but we realized we were in a suite. We were like, “Where are the cameras? Where are the cameras? Why aren’t they finding us?” We looked down and the cameras were right below us. I was like, “Well, that’s why we’re not being shown on the dance cam. The cameras can’t point up!” I was like, “I give up.” [laughs]

PC: We also learned in Season 1 that some of Althea’s guilty pleasures are reality TV, kimchi, and curry. When you have a day off, how are you indulging?
Shannon: Oh my gosh. When I have a day off and I’m indulging, it’s funny because everyone knows that I love the gym. I love to work out. It’s my therapy, but it’s also because I love to eat stuff. So if I’m indulging, I’m getting all-you-can-eat sushi. I love sushi. Sushi and pizza are two of my favorite things (and peanut butter, but that’s not really a cuisine that I can’t live without). That’s right where I’m headed if I’m hungry.

PC: You and your character have had so many standout moments throughout the series. If you had to pick your favorite from Season 1, which would it be and why?
Shannon: I would say a moment from Season 1 that stood out to me the most was Episode 104. It was when Althea confides in Nicky and tells her of her past and that she was sexually assaulted by her boss. I remember, as Shannon, I was so nervous for this day. But Olivia and our director America Young were so generous with their time, their energy, and their art. I really felt safe and was able to be vulnerable. It was really a memorable moment for me. I feel like it was a pivotal point in my acting. Whenever you feel like you’ve reached a new level, you’re like, “Wow. I did that.” That was a moment that was really rewarding artistically because I’ve never had to go that deep emotionally or be that vulnerable before.

PC: The writers and showrunners have thrown so much at you and your character. What is your reaction when you’re getting a new script? Has anything surprised you about Althea’s journey thus far?
Shannon: I would say the only thing that surprised me about Althea’s journey was that episode in Season 1. When I first auditioned for the show, she was the levity. She was the comic relief. They did not tell me until after I had booked it that this was the journey that she was going to go on. I was like, “That’s so dramatic. You’ve never even seen me do that stuff. Are you sure you want to trust me with that story arc and everything?” That was the only time I felt like I was surprised and the rest of it was fun. That was the only time.

PC: You do both so brilliantly. I’ve got one final question for you. Kung Fu was recently picked up for a third season. Congratulations by the way. Where would you like to see Althea’s storyline head in the future? Is there a character that you would love to see her interact more with?
Shannon: If I could choose some things for her to do in Season 3, I would say, not going to lie, it’d be fun to bust out some kung fu and join in on the fun. She would probably wear a fabulous outfit while she did. I don’t know if she’d be good or not. I think Althea would love to get in on the action and have some fun. Olivia, Eddie [Liu], Yvonne [Chapman], they’re killing it in the action department. They’re always in stunt rehearsals. They work so hard, and they make it look effortless. So I would love to join.

I think it’d be cool if Zhilan and her became friends. They’re so different. Yvonne and I are very close in real life, but we never work together! That’s what’s so funny. We never do, and I almost forget. I was like, “Oh my god. I’ve never worked with you.” That’d be fun.

To keep up with Shannon, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Catch new episodes of Kung Fu every Wednesday at 9/8c on the CW.

Photo Credit: Noah Asanias