Say More

Sasheer Zamata reveals how her interest in witches fatefully led to 'Agatha All Along' — and her hopes for a Season 2

The "Saturday Night Live" alum on the future of stand-up.
 By 
Kristy Puchko
 and  Warren Shaw  on 
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On Mashable's Say More, hosts Kristy Puchko (Mashable's Entertainment Editor) and Mark Stetson (Senior Creative Producer) bring humor and their trusted insights to the biggest shows, films, digital trends, and cultural moments. From viral-worthy rants and passionate raves to smart recaps and first-look teasers, they cover what everyone is talking about. Celebrity guests join the conversation for real talk about their careers, upcoming projects, and what’s trending online.

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Sasheer Zamata has earned fans for her Saturday Night Live impersonations of Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Tyra Banks, and Beyoncé. But she's become a force all her own through stand-up specials like The First Woman and her critically heralded portrayal of midwife/witch Jennifer Kale in the musical MCU spinoff Agatha All Along, for which the actress earned the Breakthrough Performance Award at the Critics' Choice Association's 2nd Annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television.

Following the award ceremony, Zamata sat down with Mashable Entertainment editor Kristy Puchko for Say More to discuss her career, online obsessions, and — of course — witches. You can watch the full interview on YouTube. The clip above focuses on how Zamata was already falling down a witchy rabbit hole in writing The First Woman before Agatha came knocking.

Zamata also shared the research she did on how mystics, witches, and women have been "demonized" in trying to better understand their own bodies and the world. "I hope we get to see more coverage of that because it's fascinating, and also it still happens," she said.

Could we see more of Jen in a second season of Agatha All Along? Zamata would be game. "I'm so interested," she said, "I've made it very clear that I would love to keep playing this character in any capacity. But I haven't heard anything. We'll see."

Zamata also spoke to how she uses stand-up to share her own story, which creates a space in her sets where people can relate and feel seen. "I kind of like comedy for that reason," she said, "I think it connects people in a way you wouldn't usually get to connect on that level."

For more from Zamata, including what it was like to play a costumed character at a Disney theme park, check out our full interview on YouTube.

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Kristy Puchko

Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she's an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers.


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