Sep 11
'Saturday Night Life' Alum Sasheer Zamata Comes Out Just Before Witchy Role
Emell Adolphus READ TIME: 2 MIN.
After years of playing queer characters on screen, "Saturday Night Live" alum Sasheer Zamata has found her truth.
In an interview with Them, Zamata came out as a lesbian as she prepares to bewitch audiences in the Disney+ series "Agatha All Along," which is a spinoff of the streamer's hit, "WandaVision."
At 38 years old, Zamata called herself "one of those late-in-life lesbians."
"I was like, 'Whoa, what are these casting directors seeing that I'm not seeing?'" she said, referring to her previous roles playing a lesbian in "Woke," "Home Economics," "Tuca & Bertie" and "The Last O.G." According to her, that was "before I, myself, was figuring out my identity," she explained.
Since leaving "SNL" in 2017, Zamata said she has come into her own and is "very comfortable and confident in my life." Yet she said she still felt like she would be ignoring that part of herself if she didn't say anything publicly.
"It felt like if I didn't say anything, I'd be ignoring a part of me, and that doesn't feel very good," said Zamata. "I've definitely had thoughts of, not necessarily keeping it a secret, but [that] there's no need to say anything about it."
Next, Zamata will play potions expert Jennifer Kale, a character she said she relates to because she has been an outcast. There's no word yet on whether the character is queer.
"I think what this show is going to do is also open up the door to a whole new fan base of people who maybe didn't see themselves before in the Marvel Universe," said Zamata. "I hope people watch it and can see a little bit of themselves in it."
Rounding out the cast is Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness, Joe Locke as Teen, Debra Jo Rupp as Mrs. Hart/Sharon Davis, and Alice Wu-Gullive as Ali Ahn. Aubrey Plaza also stars as Rio Vidal.
The show hits the streaming platform Sept. 18 and will pick up right where "WandaVision" left off, with a "down and out of power" Agatha "after the suspicious goth teen helps break her free from a distorted spell."
