Pop-Culturalist.com

Shannon Dang is a dynamic storyteller who is best known for her versatility and ability to transform into any character. Currently, she can be seen in her starring role as Althea Shen in the CW’s Kung Fu.

Now in its third season, the series picks up following the aftermath of an earthquake that hits Chinatown, leaving Nicky (Olivia Liang), her family, and her community attempting to rebuild their beloved city in more ways than one. Nicky, still reeling from her abrupt breakup with her boyfriend Henry (Eddie Liu), and the shocking death of her nemesis-turned-ally Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman), puts on a brave face as she juggles a new job teaching kung fu while fighting a growing crimewave in San Francisco. But she’s thrown on her heels by the introduction of a mysterious vigilante, Bo (guest star Ben Levin) — and the shattering return of a woman who appears to be her deceased shifu, Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai).

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with Shannon about the season 3 finale of Kung Fu, how playing Althea has taught her to trust her instincts, and the changing media landscape and the contributions that the series has made to that movement.

PC: At the end of Season 3, Althea has suffered so much loss. Her journey has been about adapting and finding a new path, which you’ve brought so much nuance to. As an actress, how did you create the space for yourself to dive into that arc? Was the preparation this season different given where we find Althea?
Shannon: Good question. I feel like every season she’s had this journey of an arc. At the end of Season 2, she’s lost everything. Heading into Season 3, I knew she was going to lose her tech rights and access to the internet. That was really interesting. I didn’t know where she was going to end up because the writers and showrunners like to keep things a secret. It’s kind of nice that I wasn’t able to plan too much ahead. They do it for you with the writing. I found it easy to commit to what I knew was happening and then find out later. It is nice to see that growth. When in doubt, I always approach her as struggling and conflicted, so there’s room to grow after. I think that’s why she’s so relatable. I want to show that vulnerability.

PC: Ahead of each season, Christina [M. Kim] and Bob [Berens] sit down with each of the cast members to discuss what they want to see from their characters. What did you want to make sure was part of Althea’s arc this season?
Shannon: I always secretly hint that I want to see Althea throw a punch and fight every now and then, which we did get to see a couple of times! That’s been really cool because she has that one little kick with a squeal. That was exciting. I was happy about that.

We did discuss that the Shen family, specifically that Althea and Ryan were going to get more involved in Nicky’s quest and with the Shooby gang. In the past, Althea’s been this tech warrior behind the scenes. That’s how she helped Nicky with her quest. That was her comfort zone. In Season 3, she’s in the danger zone. She’s in the field. She’s putting herself out there. I definitely was excited about that. I wanted to get more involved. It was cool to see. Althea got that cool opportunity in Episode 310 where she got to go undercover. I had no idea about that. That was really cool to get to see her be hands-on.

PC: The last time that we spoke was in Season 2, and you said that one of the things that you wanted to see was Althea team up with Zhilan. What was your reaction when you read Episode 310 and the journey that these two have had throughout the series?
Shannon: Oh my gosh. It was so much fun. I rarely work with Yvonne [Chapman]. It’s really funny because we’re close outside of work, but we never share screen time together. That was the first time that we got to do it, and I think it was received really well. All of the fans on Twitter and Instagram loved the Althea/Zhilan team-up. They never knew they needed it. It was unexpected, and it was really fun. That contrast worked really well. Zhilan is very stoic. Althea is happy-go-lucky. It was a cool moment to see.

PC: Althea and Dennis have been through the wringer, but their love and support have never wavered. You’ve said in previous interviews that growing up you never saw a young Asian couple on screen. What has it meant to you to be able to reflect that dynamic on screen and be that representation that you didn’t see growing up?
Shannon: Wow. I almost forgot that I mentioned that because it feels like so long ago. I said that in Season 1. You’re so right. It’s been really cool. The show has several examples of what love might look like with Asian American couples, whether that’s Althea and Dennis, Nicky and her love triangle with Henry and Bo, Jin and Mei-Ling, and Ryan and Sebastian. There are so many different versions of that. It’s really cool. Me and Tony, it’s just been a blast. I forgot that we talked about that. It seems normal now, which is really cool. That’s the whole point of representation and seeing it on screen; it just normalizes it.

PC: You’re also an actress who likes to immerse yourself in your surroundings ahead of a scene. Has that always been your process? How does that work with those more emotional moments?
Shannon: I do like to immerse myself. Everyone knows how I work. They all joke about it. I sit there and I’ll take in the notes or any direction and I’ll stay silent, but they know it’s because I’m processing. Any new director, I’m like, “If I’m silent, it’s because I’m processing. I want to get it all.” I’ll just stand there. But everyone is like, “She’s processing.” Even in between takes, I like to sit there and take in the elements. It helps ground me. Sometimes when we’re blocking, we don’t have to wear our shoes because we want to wear our cozy shoes, I like to wear my heels because they make me feel like Althea. That’s always a fun thing. I’ll just wear the heels the entire day; I won’t take them off. We all know that once you take the heels off, they’re very hard to put back on. I’m glad that I’ve worked in an environment that allows me to immerse myself creatively.

PC: There are so many decisions and character choices that happen before you start filming. Fashion has been a cornerstone of Althea’s identity. How has your collaboration with the costume department grown? How have the choices you all have made allowed you to deliver the performances that you have?
Shannon: When people think of Althea, they think of tech and clothes, which has been really fun to play. I’ve mentioned this before, but when I first auditioned for this character, they didn’t mention anything in the breakdown regarding fashion. It just said, “Tech-savvy sister planning her wedding.” I was like, “Well, what would a tech-savvy sister wear?” I was like, “Nah. Let’s show up in a bright pink fitted jumpsuit with a big purse, coat, bunch of accessories, and heels. Let’s see what that looks like.” I remember the showrunners saying that wasn’t what they had in mind for the character, but it inspired them, and she became this bubbly, out-there, expressive, fashion-forward character.

Since then, it’s been amazing collaborating with the costume department. Our costume director Angus [Strathie] is great. He’s always collaborative. He will show me a bunch of things. Ultimately, they want us to be comfortable. They want to inspire us to feel like our characters. When we first started, I tried to stay away from dark colors because I wanted her to feel bright and bubbly. I wanted those colors and accessories to match her personality. It’s been a lot of fun to find new ways to add to that.

PC: In the latest episode, the Shen family faces a near-death experience after being marked by Xiao. How will that affect them in the upcoming season finale? What can you tease about Althea’s arc in that episode?
Shannon: Well, first, I got emotional watching that episode. I forgot it before it aired, and I cried on two separate occasions. The first was when Mia dies. The second was at the end with Henry and he’s looking for the Shens and using his compass powers. They did this flashback of all the prior seasons with baby Nicky and the baby Shens. It felt like a full-circle moment, not only of the show but of my life. I was a blubbering mess. We definitely planted seeds. It felt like closure.

It leads into the season finale. Yes, we almost died. What does that look like now that we survived? There’s still danger ahead. The season finale is going to be filled with action and family (which is the heart of our story). It does a great job of closing up chapters but also planting seeds to make people excited like, “Oh, I didn’t expect that! That could be all of Season 4.” It’s a great balance. Since we don’t know if we have a Season 4, it was a perfect balance to tie it all up but leave the potential for more.

PC: You’ve had so many standout moments. Which has been your favorite scene to film? Which has been the most challenging?
Shannon: I will say the most impactful episode was 310. Nicky’s under home arrest so she can’t continue the mission. Everyone has to decide who is going to go and fight the bad guys because Nicky can’t do it. That was the first time that Althea found the courage to physically put herself out there. There’s this beautiful moment between Nicky and Althea. Nicky doesn’t want to put her in danger. Althea wants her to trust her. It’s almost like the momma bird not wanting the baby bird to fly away from the nest but needing to trust that it will be okay. I loved that scene. That whole episode, in general, I was very grateful to have that opportunity.

It was nine shooting days. That was the first time that I ever shot nine out of nine days. For me as an actor, that was a milestone. That was a marathon. I was exhausted. Props to Olivia, who is always doing that. For me, that was a really proud moment. I’m really thankful for Christina and Bob for giving me that opportunity.

PC: The cast is multitalented. You’ve got dancers and you’ve got singers. Tony joked a couple of weeks back that you’ve been an advocate for a musical episode. How many times have you pitched it? Why hasn’t it happened yet?
Shannon: It’s funny. I love musicals. That’s not to say that I can sing, but the musical theater child inside of me wants to do it all. I think we can make a Kung Fu musical episode. I joke about it on the internet. Our showrunners and writers definitely see it. I haven’t done it in person, but they know. But who knows…maybe Season 4? Tony will be the lead singer. Ben sings as well.

PC: This is the longest that you’ve lived with a character. What have you learned about yourself and your craft having played Althea now for three seasons?
Shannon: I feel like playing Althea for three seasons has made me trust my instincts more. Naturally, when you’re starting out on a project or doing an audition, you’re trying to navigate how this character thinks, what her essence is, and what motivates her. Now, it feels like second nature. It’s funny because now when I read new material or things that are not Althea, I’m like, “This is so much harder.” You get so used to putting your heart and soul into this character. It’s definitely made me hopeful that I can do that with my next character. I am interested in how different that would be from Althea. I would love to work on something that’s completely different from her.

PC: Kung Fu is a show that has had such an impact on audiences. Has it changed the way that you look at future projects and what you want to say as an artist?
Shannon: Yes. I feel like in Season 1 there was a lot of pressure. Kung Fu was the first predominantly Asian cast for a drama series on broadcast television. That comes with a lot of pressure. We were really honored and humbled to have that, especially during a time when there was Asian hate and COVID, we were this beacon of hope. But being the first comes with a lot of pressure and that fear of tokenism and the responsibility of being that “shiny example.” That’s hard—being the example of what any Asian family or show could look like.

Ever since then, there have been a lot more projects with Asians in front of the camera and behind the camera. That’s great. It’s so nice to see because we’re not the only ones; it’s normalized. In Season 3, we’ve become a well-oiled machine. We’re just a good show that just happens to be Asian. There isn’t tokenism or pressure to represent. We can just exist because people enjoy us as entertainment. Slowly over time, there are more projects. That’s the whole point; it’s to normalize things and have more opportunities and not stick to one box.

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: Jason Rivera