Starting on September 18, SNL alum Sasheer Zamata will take on her biggest role to date, appearing as Jennifer Kale opposite Kathryn Hahn in Marvel’s long-awaited WandaVision spinoff Agatha All Along. However, while speaking about her journey from comedy stints to venturing into the world of Hollywood, Zamata reflected on her sexuality.
Coming out as a “late-in-life lesbian”, Sasheer Zamata noted how she began questioning her sexuality after being repeatedly cast in queer roles post-SNL career. According to the actress, as directors kept casting her in lesbian roles, Zamata eventually developed a profound—an unspoken connection between the characters she played and her own unfolding story.
Queer Roles That Echoed Sasheer Zamata’s Journey Navigating Her Sexuality
After her memorable four-season run on Saturday Night Live, which ended in 2017, Sasheer Zamata set out to explore new horizons in Hollywood. Little did she know that her roles would mirror her own journey of self-discovery in a way that would end up being almost prophetic. Thereafter, as she ventured into new projects, Zamata noticed an unexpected pattern, where she kept landing roles as queer women.
Speaking with Them, Sasheer Zamata noted embarking on a series of roles that seemed to hint at something amusing and curious. Appearing in projects including Woke, Home Economics, Tuca & Bertie, and The Last O.G., Zamata revealed how she was repeatedly asked to step into the shoes of queer women across various projects. And according to the actress, these roles arrived before she fully understood or articulated her own queer 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.
I was like, ’Whoa, what are these casting directors seeing that I’m not seeing?’ That’s what conservatives joke about all the time. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, they’re turning everyone gay.’ And it happened.
Sasheer Zamata, who is now set to appear in Marvel’s Agatha All Along, revealed wondering if these casting choices were more than mere coincidences. For Zamata, it was as if the industry, with its keen eye, was seeing something she hadn’t yet grasped about herself. Eventually, the actress figured out that the roles she was portraying were not only shaping her career but also mirroring a personal journey toward embracing her own queerness.
Marvel Star Embraced Her Identity After Casting Choices Mirrored Her Journey
The roles that Sasheer Zamata played reflected a growing trend of increased representation of queer characters. But on a deeper note, for the actress, the roles she was cast in seemed to foreshadow her journey, offering a narrative parallel to her evolving self-understanding. Zamata soon began discovering her own queerness amid a time of immense personal and global upheaval—the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the pandemic swept across the globe, causing chaos and confinement, and offering people time to reflect on themselves, many individuals in entertainment began coming out and embracing their queer identities more openly. Sasheer Zamata was part of that wave. According to the actress, after her repeated queer roles, she reflected inward and figured out that they were far from being mere coincidences.
I’m out in my life and I do keep my personal life kind of private, but I also don’t necessarily want my identity to be private. I guess I’m one of those late-in-life lesbians. I just feel very comfortable and confident in my life.
Eventually, Sasheer Zamata’s exit from SNL and casting in queer roles, helped the actress fully embrace her own queer identity. Zamata later admitted to chopping her hair off and even reflected on her attraction towards women. During the discussion, the actress noted how her friends and people close to her began noticing subtle changes, but somehow they couldn’t put their finger on it until Zamata herself came out of the closet.
Agatha All Along is set to release on September 18, 2024.
