Sasheer Zamata Is Back and Reinventing the Rom-Com
Anyone who saw Sasheer Zamata during her three-year stint on Saturday Night Live knows that the actress can make you laugh, but her latest project shows the full range of her onscreen talents. As Zadie, a comedian in search of her big break while still reeling from her last breakup, Zamata shines in writer-director Stella Meghie’s latest, The Weekend. The phrase romantic comedy still conjures thoughts of ’90s romps featuring Sandra Bullock and Kate Hudson, but Meghie’s story is something quieter and more complex. An exploration of black millennial relationships and the pursuit of lasting romance in the age of the hookup, it doesn’t gloss over its protagonist’s issues or the damage that love triangles can cause. The sense of realism is part of what drew Zamata to the project. “There are a lot of flaws there, but I liked that,” she shared on the phone from Los Angeles. “I enjoy seeing characters who seem like full humans and not just perfect, pristine women, and I liked playing someone you could be mad at for a little bit, but also want to root for at the same time.”
Abrasive, uncertain, and occasionally petty, Zadie makes more than her share of unfortunate life choices. The very act of inviting Branford (Tone Bell), her ex, and his new girlfriend, Margo (DeWanda Wise), along for a trip to her mother’s bed-and-breakfast is woefully self-destructive, but Zamata plays it gracefully. Reminiscent of the endearing yet flawed heroines that populate series like Girls and Insecure, she feels authentic even when she’s embarking on a bad idea. Zamata credits Meghie with giving all the players a level of nuance. “It’s a testament to Stella’s writing. She knows how to flesh out great characters,” she says. “You get to see all these different layers and feel so many emotions. You don’t see just one bit of any character—you see a little bit of everyone’s sadness, hurt, and what they look like when their guard is down.”
Zamata was eager to take on a character with depth. “A lot of the roles I get asked to do are the comedic sidekick roles, or bit parts where I just pop in, do a joke and leave,” she says. “This was asking for me to use a lot of my emotional well, and that was incredibly interesting for me. I’m thankful that Stella was able to create an environment that was so open and where I could try different things.” While the film explores drama and heartache, Zamata’s favorite moments were the ones that delivered belly laughs. Trapped in a teensy, overheated car with handsome B&B guest Aubrey (Y’lan Noel), Zadie has to get creative with her seduction, which results in a screwball attempted make out session. “I love physical comedy and I love when I have the opportunity to do it,” says Zamata. “We’re like truly in this cramped car and I’m throwing my legs all over the place. And then ultimately we realized that the car is too small for us to do anything romantic.”
Such passionate scenes were new territory for Zamata, who found humor in the process of filming them. “As a comedian, I’m not asked to do a ton of romantic stuff. So that was my first sensual kiss onscreen,” she says. “It was funny because it’s so not a romantic situation. There’s a whole crew of people surrounding the car. They’re like, ‘We’re losing light, we got to get this in!’ There’s someone in your face trying to make sure the light is reflecting in the right way, then I have to make sure my face is in certain spots [and that] the camera catches me just so—it’s just a lot of choreography for a thing that’s supposed to be natural.”
Logistics of onscreen kisses aside, Zamata has had fun embracing new facets of her career, whether it’s seeking out different types of roles or launching a podcast with best friend, Nailed It! host Nicole Byer. With The Weekend now in theaters, a forthcoming series on Hulu, and a thriving stand-up tour, Zamata appears to be enjoying a well-deserved moment. “It seems like people are craving different types of voices in the comedy space, and in really any creative space,” she says. “People are excited about diversity and hearing different opinions. So I’m really excited that there are more opportunities in the film space or in the comedy space, and the TV space for people to let us do what we’re here to do.”
Originally Appeared on Vogue
