Actress and former Saturday Night Live cast member Sasheer Zamata has come out as a queer recently. In an interview piece with Them on September 9, 2024, the actress said although she liked to keep her personal life private, her identity should not be so. Zamata worked on SNL from 2014 to 2017.
She also featured in the comedy series Woke and Home Economics, and will soon appear in Disney’s Agatha All Along alongside Kathryn Hahn. In the interview with Them, Sasheer Zamata said:
“No one asks straight people about their journey of discovery, but I guess it felt like if I didn’t say anything, I’d be ignoring a part of me, and that doesn’t feel very good. But yeah, I’ve definitely had thoughts of, not necessarily keeping it a secret, but there’s no need to say anything about it.”
She considered herself fortunate to have fans who respect her privacy and expected the same to continue. Sasheer Zamata believed that coming out need not be a dramatic event, but she felt it was something she wanted to do.
Describing herself as a ‘late-in-life lesbian’, the actress and comedian shared that she felt comfortable and confident in herself. When asked if Hollywood made her queer, Zamata laughed and acknowledged that it was a common joke among conservatives, who often claimed everyone being turned queer.
Sasheer Zamata played a few queer roles in her acting career
The actress further noted that her realization came after years of playing lesbian characters on screen. She pointed out that she had been cast as queer women in various roles. Moreover, she found it intriguing that these roles kept coming her way while she came to terms with her identity.
“I kept getting cast as queer women. I played a lesbian on Home Economics. I played a lesbian on Woke. I played a lesbian on Tuca & Bertie. A lesbian on Last O.G. I kept getting these roles. And this is before I myself was figuring out my identity,” Sasheer Zamata said.
As a result, this made her wonder what the casting directors saw that she hadn’t yet recognized.
Beyond these roles, she continued to perform stand-up, with her second special The First Woman. Additionally, she is a co-host of the popular Best Friends podcast with Nicole Byer, whom she described as her soulmate.
As she recalled, the last time she experienced a moment of magic, Zamata immediately thought of an encounter with a swarm of bees trying to return to an old hive that had been removed from her house. She went outside to communicate with them but kept herself at a safe distance.
Her upcoming role will be as sorceress Jennifer Kale in Marvel’s eagerly awaited Agatha All Along. Regarding the role, she appreciated portraying a character who has been an outcast for much of her life. Zamata found it fitting to be involved in a show that delves into diverse female and queer themes.
