EXCLUSIVE: Four years after she graduated from the University of Virginia, Sasheer Zamata is landing a very big break — the young comedy performer has been selected to join Saturday Night Live as a new cast member. Zamata will make her debut on the venerable NBC late-night sketch comedy series on its next live show slated for January 18 with Drake as host and musical guest. Zamata, who trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, becomes the first black female Saturday Night Live cast member in five years since the departure of Maya Rudolph. The lack of female black performers on the show stirred a debate last fall while SNL boss Lorne Michaels had been quietly conducting a talent search. Several dozen actresses were seen in multiple cities. Zamata, whose name had been floated as a suitable SNL candidate before, was among 12 who received callbacks and were invited to test on the SNL stage on December 16. She will now be a featured player on the show that has launched the careers of a slew of young comedians. Below you can watch her character reel that includes impersonations of Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Sherri Shepherd, Ru Paul and Nicki Minaj. She is repped by Gersh and Bleeker Street.
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Never heard of her. Who is she???
The very first sentence of the article says: “Three years after she graduated from the University of Virginia, Sasheer Zamata is landing a very big break”. This is most likely the reason you’ve never heard of her. Think about this: the next time you read about her, you will have heard of her. You’re welcome.
Hilarious.
SNL typically casts people who are little known. I can’t think of one talent they cast who was already well known.
Robert Downey Jr and Chris Rock.
Neither of whom lasted long. Destined for greater things.
Traditionally that is true, although they did a few seasons where they brought in established talent, although in all cases, those members only stayed for 1 season:
1984: Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer
1985: Joan Cusack, Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr., Randy Quaid
1994: Chris Elliot, Janene Garofalo, Michael McKean
You have to go back quite a ways. They did it occasionally in the 80s-90s. Randy Quaid and Michael McKean are two examples.
Kenan Thompson was well known as a Nickelodeon star, having done sketch comedy on All That and starring in a movie based off an All That sketch called Good Burger.
that’s nice news. i wish her well.
But she is not even attractive. Whats the point here?
*yawn* Comment deemed predictable.
Bullshit. The woman is gorgeous.
Well, no shit she is. But who the hell cares? This guy is trying to rile people up and no doubt comments on the looks of women who would never give him the time of day. Goddamn comment sections are a breeding ground for mean and lonely pricks.
your comments are irrelevant and misogynistic for attacking her for her appearance. How many funny men are out there with ugly bodies and faces? She’s a cutie and you’re a rude jackass.
Agreed!!!
Seriously? She’s very pretty. Kick rocks.
Get a grip! I think she is beautiful…to each his own, but what do looks have to do with her having a job and being successful? I wish her well and hope she makes you feel as small as you sound!
You kidding? Meow…
Are you being sarcastic? Or are you trolling?
i think she looks good
Such a comments speaks loads about how you see yourself. She’s an attractive girl. I can only pity you and your envy.
Does it really matter if she is attractive or not?! That is not the point. Were you attracted to Chris Farley when he used to be on SNL before he passed? The point is if they are hilarious and will make you laugh. That’s what SNL is all about. If you want to be turned on go watch some porn. I watch SNL to laugh my ass off!
Only women are defending her as being attractive…typical. Look we live in Hollywood and entertainment we are allowed to say if she is attractive or not. She might be your cup of tea she might not be but don’t call someone “misogynistic” just because they aren’t attractive. Honestly, SNL has never really cast what we would consider “Hollywood” attractive people…that is why they have a weekly host.
*yawn* to you too. Can’t a woman be talked about without her damn looks coming into it. Get over yourselves.
She’s super-cute. In fact, I wish more black chicks looked like her.
In the words of Tommy: “Cole…you stupid.”
“I wish more black chicks looked like her”.
hmmm, Fluffo…you stupid.
She’s beautiful and you’re a moron.
So who gives a f*ck?
Are you privy to some ‘standard’ of attractiveness none of us know about? Remember ‘beauty is…in eye…of beholder’? Look a little deeper, dude.
That’s your opinion, which I don’t happen to agree with.
Good for her.
But is she funny? God knows none of the new cast members are.
HILARIOUS!!!!!!!
Um Kate McKinnon is hilarious!!
Good for her. Being on SNL is a civil right.
Very happy for her! Great addition to the cast of SNL.
The Mrs. Obama pinup. I hope she plays her and do a segment on telling us all not to be ballers while having Jay-Z and B over for dinner.
Very smart casting for SNL, and could not be happier for Sheer.
This is clearly Affirmative Action at it’s worst! By hiring Zamata, SNL is denying work to yet another anonymous, interchangeable, indistinguishable, nondescript, totally forgettable mediocre unfunny white man.
(I hope people get the sarcasm in this comment, but I’d better make it explicit.)
Hopefully she gets to do more on the show than just Michelle Obama impressions. I do wish her the best of luck, god knows SNL isn’t easy, but I fear that she’ll only ever get opportunities when SNL needs to impersonate a black women. Time will tell, I’m crossing my fingers for some original characters from her.
Your probably right but I don’t know I’ve seen her youtube channel and she’s not exactly your stereotypical black girl. Where as mya Rudolph was able to play that type of role every now again I think Sasheer would fit in more with valley girl type roles. I do however see them
Check out her web page. WOW! Love her! Congrats Sasheer!
Congrats Sasheer. May your talent, wit and natural beauty carry you far on SNL, a show in dire need of fresh faces and energy.
I am wishing you nothing but the best — and more.
i like the chick on The Daily Show, she seems good for snl as well
here’s hoping she’s funny and smart enough to take over weekend update. cause god knows cecily strong is neither and will (and does) SUCK at the job once left by herself.
Are you joking!? Cecily strong is hilarious.
Cecily is both smart and funny. It’s okay to be happy for two women at once.
all her jokes are the same ‘incorrect pop culture references are hilarious!’
once, maybe.
i dislike her because her humor is insanely broad, repetitive and, to me, completely unfunny.
weekend update has always been my favorite part of the show, throughout the years no matter how bad it got i watched until WU, because of the acerbic wit and intelligence of the anchor(s).
this is why i dislike her. not because i can somehow only like one woman! the funniest people who have ever come out of that show have been, in my opinion, mostly women.
my favorites are, Gilda (of course!!), Julia Sweeney (so great she was rarely seen again!), Jane Curtin (great! anchor), Nora Dunn, Jan Hooks, and of course, Fey & Poelher.
but the list goes on and on with dratch, gasteyer, garafelo, wiig, oteri, rudolph, shannon…
frankly, i find your assumption that this is somehow sexist on my part to be quite offensive!
But Cecily is not a writer an the show – she doesnt write the jokes she gets to read in Weekend Update .. if you dont like the “content”, its not her fault .. if you dont like her delivery – that would be another case
You realize that Weekend Update is written by a team of writers, right? In addition to the SNL writing staff, there is a separate group of writers (both on staff and freelance) that provide jokes for Weekend Update. Cecily Strong doesn’t just show up with jokes for herself that only she has written.
ok, you you guy argue she’s a puppet with litle to no creative control? well, that’s a weird way to go…
Now she needs to be REALLY funny, because SNL will feel obligated to have her featured prominently in sketches AND have her on the show for several years or continue to be called racist.
Michaels is beyond pathetic. The only reason he did this was to appease those complaining about it.
What about the asian females, native american females, latin females, transgendered females, mixed race females, females with disabilities and anyone else I have left out?
What about a Muslim on the show?
Oh right. That’d actually take us from all the faux outrage that can easily be appeased with a tossed bone to real outrage from both sides of the situation.
Old Lorne needs to hang up his slippers. They’re tired. Just like him and what he passes for comedy.
That’s great, she’s very funny. In an odd way the controversy about SNL and this hiring works out for her better than if she’s been hired with the batch of new performers earlier. Nobody knows who their names are, but she’s going to be recognized by the public. So she’s going to stand out, and if she’s funny, then she’s set. Rather than hanging in the back line playing supporting characters like so many SNL new hires do.
Congratulations!
But damn as good as this news is, it’s also really irritating. All that whining and excuses about how hard it was to find a good black female comic performer, and oh, DUH, just put a little EFFORT into it, and they turn up a telegenic beauty with UCB training!!
SNL is racist and sexist.
HOW CAN YOU SAY SEXIST.WOMEN HAVE PRETTY MUCH TAKE OVER THE SHOW SINCE THE DAYS OF SHANNON,OTERI,GASTYER.I’M NOT SAYING IT’S BAD CUZ THE WOMEN WERE GREAT.AS FOR RACIST ,I DON’T BELIVE IT’S RACIST.IT’S JUST I DON’T THINK BLACK AUDIENCE IS THEIR TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC.IT’S A SHOW MORE FOR WHITE PEOPLE AS MUCH AS IN LIVING COLOR WAS MORE FOR BLACKS.IT WAS A MOSTLY BLACK CAST ALL BUT CARREY AND THE CHICK I DON’T REMEMBER HER NAME.
She was on the 3-part ABC News “Primetime” “Would You Fall for That” summer miniseries
This is great news. Sasheer is an awesome choice. Congrats to her!
Well this show has been terrible all year with both critics and ratings so why not add another unfunny long to this unfunny fire. So if and when she probably crashes and burns in a few years (Yvonne Harris and Ellen Cleghorn) will people finally stop complaining?
Welcome aboard. She can’t be any worse than some of the other regulars. Let’s give her a chance to shine and do her thing!! #Kudos
Why doesn’t SNL feel the same pressure to hire good writers?