Former Saturday Night Live cast member Sasheer Zamata has publicly embraced her identity as a “late-in-life lesbian.” The 37-year-old comedian and actress, known for her eclectic performances and quick wit, shared her experience of self-discovery in a recent interview with Them magazine.
Zamata, who is set to make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the WandaVision spin-off Agatha All Along, said she desired to be open about her sexuality. “I’m out in my life and I do keep my personal life kind of private, but I don’t necessarily want my identity to be private,” she stated, adding, “I guess I’m one of those late-in-life lesbians. I feel very comfortable and confident in my life.”
Videos by PopCulture.com
The actress’s path to self-realization was uniquely influenced by her professional experiences. Zamata noted a pattern in her casting history that predated her personal awakening. “I kept getting cast as queer women,” she reflected. “I played a lesbian on Home Economics. I played a lesbian on Woke. I played a lesbian on Tuca & Bertie. A lesbian on The Last O.G. I kept getting these roles. And this was before I myself was figuring out my identity. I was like: ‘Whoa, what are these casting directors seeing that I’m not seeing?’”
This string of roles portraying LGBTQ+ characters seemed to foreshadow Zamata’s own journey of self-discovery. When the interviewer suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that Hollywood made her gay, Zamata laughed and replied, “That’s what conservatives joke about all the time. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, they’re turning everyone gay.’ And it happened.”
Zamata’s coming out adds her name to a growing list of public figures who have embraced their queer identities later in life. The past year has seen similar announcements from celebrities such as One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush, comedian Amber Ruffin, and country music artist Maren Morris. This trend coincides with what many are calling a landmark year for lesbian representation in popular culture, marked by the rising prominence of artists like Chappell Roan.
The actress attributes part of her recent growth to a significant life change: discontinuing birth control after being on it since age 16. “It really did kind of change everything,” Zamata shared. “I cut all my hair off. And I was always attracted to women, but I think [that] really boosted it.”
While some celebrities opt for grand announcements or lengthy social media posts to come out, Zamata’s approach was more understated. She grappled with the necessity of making a public statement, noting, “No one asks straight people about their journey of discovery.” However, she ultimately felt that remaining silent would mean “ignoring a part of me, and that doesn’t feel very good.”
Zamata’s decision to open up was partly motivated by her stand-up comedy career. As she began incorporating material about dating women into her routines, she realized that censoring herself to avoid coming out would be akin to “being silenced.”
Despite her openness, Zamata emphasized the importance of maintaining boundaries between her public and private life. She cited Roan’s recent comments on privacy as a reference point for how she hopes the public will approach her sexuality. “As far as what people deserve to know? Nothing. They don’t deserve anything,” Zamata asserted, showing appreciation for fans who respect her privacy.
In her upcoming role as Jennifer Kale in Agatha All Along, Zamata found parallels between her character’s experiences and her own. “It’s nice to be able to portray a character who has been an outcast for a lot of her life, and to be in a show that’s exploring so many cool female themes and queer themes, it feels very appropriate,” she said.
The actress, who describes herself as a “self-confessed real-life witch,” believed the show would resonate with the LGBTQ+ community. “I think there’s a lot of queerness in witches, and being a witch, being the ‘other’, you’re cast out by nature, and you’re pushed aside for many reasons,” Zamata explained. “There’s something to creating your own community and using the magic within. The reason you are different is the reason you’re special.”
Zamata’s trajectory from a Disney park character to an SNL cast member and now a Marvel superhero includes a series of personal and professional milestones. As she embarks on this new chapter, both in her career and personal life, Zamata remains optimistic about the future of queer representation in media. “I’m so excited about all these shows that are exploring queerness and young people exploring their queerness and queerness being in the show and it’s not a big deal, and it’s not relegated to a special episode or something,” she said. The Disney+ original series Agatha All Along will premiere on Sept. 18.
