Sasheer Zamata Lands Coveted SNL Black Female Cast Member GigPosted by Wilson Morales
January 6, 2014
After auditioning several African American women for its coveted Black Female Cast Member position, University of Virginia alum Sasheer Zamata has landed the big role for the 39th season of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, reports Deadline.
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.
Trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, Zamata becomes the first black female Saturday Night Live cast member in five years since the departure of Maya Rudolph.
Entering its 39th season, the show had been under scrutiny when it failed to hire any black females when its new slew of cast additions included not one person of color.
Zamata’s credits also include videos for College Humor and The Cooking Channel’s web series Fodder and appearances on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and Inside Amy Schumer.
