Sasheer Zamata leaving Saturday Night Live after three years
According to Entertainment Weekly, Zamata is going to be exiting the long-running sketch show after just three years on the program, which is a surprise move given that the majority of cast members hired either tend to last just one or two seasons or stick around for at least six these days. Zamata, who is a prominent stand-up comedian, was first hired in January 2014 after an outcry for more diversity among the cast. She was brought in at the same time as Leslie Jones was hired as one of two new writers for the show; she made her debut on Weekend Update later that season before being added as a featured player in the fall of 2014.
In looking back at Zamata’s run on the show, she is probably best known for being an anchor for comedy in most of the sketches she was in. Rarely was she ever the main star of a sketch, but she would allow for other cast members and hosts to be crazy about her. She did a wide range of impressions, could do physical comedy effectively, and also deliver some witty one-liners. Unfortunately, she never could break out in the way in which she wanted.
Probably the biggest bummer of this announcement is that it comes after a brilliant spoof of The Bachelorette, which featured her and was co-written by her, didn’t make it onto the air in a recent episode. Maybe if the cast was a little smaller, she would have had more changes to find her footing and showcase her talent. The good news for her is that she’s clearly going to be in contention for other things, whether it be network comedies or cable projects. She also still has a standup career that she can choose to further pursue whenever she has free time.
Are you surprised about Zamata’s exit, especially given there was so little buzz about it going into the finale? Share in the comments.
Meanwhile, head over here to read our full review for the extremely-funny finale hosted by Dwayne Johnson, and also featuring the musical stylings of one Katy Perry. (Photo: NBC.)