SNL Names Sasheer Zamata As New Black Female Cast Member

 

“Saturday Night Live” has hired comedian Sasheer Zamata as a new cast member for the late-night comedy sketch show, a spokeswoman for network NBC said on Monday, months after the program was criticized for a lack of diversity among its female cast.

Zamata, stars in her own internet comedy series “Pursuit of Sexiness,”.

She will be the first African-American female cast member since Maya Rudolph left “Saturday Night Live” in 2007.
 
The hire comes after last months announcement by SNL executives that the show would be holding auditions and that a black woman would be added to the cast in January.

Zamata will make her first appearance on SNL January 18, the same day rap superstar Drake will be hosting.