Sasheer Zamata joins "Saturday Night Live" as a newest cast member, Deadline reports. Zamata will make her debut on the late-night sketch comedy show on Jan. 18. Drake will also host that same night and will be a musical guest.
Zamata, who trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, will be the first female African-American cast member since Maya Rudolph left in 2007. Recently, "Saturday Night Live" came under fire for their lack of diversity when it came to black female comediennes.
Kenan Thompson and Jay Pharoah, both "SNL" cast members, said they wouldn't dress in drag anymore to portray black female characters. This started a fire storm for "SNL" who secretly held auditions amid the backlash to fill the spot.
Dozens of female actresses auditioned for the role. According to Deadline, Zamata was among 12 women asked to test on the "SNL" stage on Dec. 16.
"I'M SO EXCITED!!!" Zamata tweeted including a welcome message from "SNL." Fans of the NBC comedy show will have all season to get to know Zamata but here are a few fun facts about the newest cast member.
1. According to her website, she has a webseries called "Pursuit of Sexiness." The skit follows Sheer (Zamata) and her best friend Nicky (comedienne Nicole Byrer) who "are broke, single and (adorably) self-absorbed" as they look for men and love and an easy way to make some extra money.
2. Zamata is not only a funny girl but she can act and has appeared in commercials for Target, Verizon Wireless, NY Lotto and Apple.
3. She graduated from the University of Virginia three years ago
4. She loves to thrift shop and eat
5. A scary car accident inspired her to want to spend the rest of her life making people laugh. According to Radar Online, in a 2010 essay Zamata told the story how she was crossing through traffic on her way back to her college dorm when she was it by a speeding car.
"I bounced off the hood, spun in the air, hit the back of my head on an adjacent car, and I landed on the asphalt," she wrote, Radar reports. "When I landed, I could see my bloody arm in front of my face; and beyond that, I could see the driver running to me with a terrified look on his face."
Zamata said she was overwhelmed and shocked by all the well-wishes and support she received and was able to find happiness from the accident. She said she wanted "to spread [that happiness] to others" and started to devote the rest of her life to making people smile.
