During filming of the sixth season of “Snowfall,” stars Gail Bean and Isaiah John were told they might be in a spinoff series about the hip hop world, “The Drop.”
“Nothing was confirmed,” John says, “but it was a possibility.”
“All I knew is that it was about music,” Bean adds.
The premise: Bean’s character Wanda Bell and her husband Leon Simmons want to break into the West Coast rap world. Wanda’s cousin, Lamar, shows promise and could be their ticket in.
Gail Bean as Wanda Bell in "The Drop: A Snowfall Saga."
Wanda’s drive, Bean says, is a result of her past. “She’s been through so much,” including a period as a crack addict. “After a while, you see so much, you experience so much, you lose so much. You reach a point where you just want more for yourself, for the people around you. She knows it’s possible.”
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Wanda’s past adds to her ambition. “She expanded her mind by going to Ghana,” Bean explains. “She knows, ‘OK, this is where I come from. There is a possibility to be amongst my people and be in harmony. There is a possibility to grow and gain more.”
In the trip to Ghana, Wanda and Leon reconnect with their roots and find healing and a way out of their previous lives.
Bean says she can relate to Wanda, “but there are times when she has tunnel vision and I’m like, ‘Let me move out of her way.’”
Asante Blackk, who plays the cousin, has been a good diversion — and an ideal scene partner.
Asante Blackk as Lamar Kinsey in "The Drop: A Snowfall Saga."
“It’s like playing tennis,” Bean says. “I love working with him because you may rally for 10 scenes and each one is good and you feel good. And then you get this person and he helps up my game. He’s willing to go wherever I go.”
As Wanda maneuvers the music industry, Leon deals with the gang world.
When talking with former gang members, John says he learns plenty about their world. “They feel seen,” he says. “They definitely love the show and are very receptive.”
John and Bean, meanwhile, are learning how to lead a company of actors.
Isaiah John as Leon Simmons, left, and Mykelti Williamson as James 'Big Daddy' Kinsey in "The Drop: A Snowfall Saga."
“You set the tone for being prepared and knowing your lines,” Bean says. “What I love is we are each other’s checks and balances. You know not every day is going to be a great day. When things are going great, everybody’s happy. When things are going bad, we’re the ones who have to step up and say something. We have to say sometimes, ‘Look, this isn’t the battle we’re fighting.’ But it’s nice, it’s fun.”
“We’ve created a new family and it’s something we’re able to cultivate,” John adds. “We all enjoy each other, on and off the set. That’s the great thing because you can really see that bond on screen. It’s just so authentic.”
“The Drop: A Snowfall Saga” airs on FX.
