Sasheer Zamata, a seasoned Saturday Night Live alum and the captivating star of "Agatha All Along," is ready to shed light on her queer awakening with candor. "I live authentically, cherishing my privacy, yet I don't want my identity to remain shrouded in secrecy," she confided to Them in a captivating September 9th profile. "Perhaps I'm among those who embraced their lesbianism later in life, but I'm now content and self-assured in my skin."
While initially hesitant to discuss her personal life in the public eye, Zamata acknowledged that silence felt like a denial of a vital part of herself. "Straight individuals aren't probed about their journey of self-discovery," she observed. "Yet, staying mum felt like ignoring a crucial aspect of me, and that wasn't a pleasant sensation."
Despite this revelation, the 38-year-old comedian intends to maintain her personal life's veil of privacy. She elaborated, "As for what the public deserves to know? Nothing, really. They're not entitled to anything. I'm grateful for fans who respect my privacy, and I hope that respect persists." Drawing parallels to the queer pop sensation who recently emphasized boundary-setting with her fanbase, Zamata expressed, "I'm rooting for artists like Chappell Roan who are vocal about their limits and continue to do so unapologetically."
Zamata, whose four-year journey at SNL concluded in 2017, humorously hinted that her self-realization might have been sparked by years of portraying lesbian characters on screen. "I kept landing roles as queer women," she chuckled. "From 'Home Economics' to 'Woke,' from 'Tuca & Bertie' to 'The Last O.G.,' I was constantly cast as a lesbian, even before I fully grasped my own identity. It was like, 'What are these casting directors seeing that I'm missing?'" She added with a grin, "Conservatives often joke about Hollywood 'turning everyone gay,' and well, it happened to me too."
Since bidding farewell to SNL, Zamata has been keeping busy with a string of impressive roles in 'The Last O.G.,' 'Woke,' 'Home Economics,' and 'Tuca & Bertie.' She's also continued her stand-up comedy endeavors (her second special, 'The First Woman,' is now streaming on Hulu) and co-hosts the adored 'Best Friends' podcast alongside her "soulmate," Nicole Byer. Up next, she's set to enchant audiences as sorceress Jennifer Kale in Marvel's eagerly anticipated 'WandaVision' spinoff, 'Agatha All Along.' Although Zamata's character wasn't explicitly queer-coded, the role resonates deeply with her, filled with relatable themes of being an outsider.
"It's heartening to embody a character who's been marginalized for much of her life, in a show that delves into fascinating female and queer narratives," Zamata enthused. "It feels incredibly fitting."
