Sasheer Zamata

Sasheer Zamata Moore (/səˈʃɪər zəˈmeɪtə/; born May 6, 1986) is an American actress, stand-up comedian, and singer. Zamata is best known for her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2014 to 2017. Since her departure from SNL, she has garnered wider attention for her leading roles in the TV series Woke (2020–2022) and Home Economics (2021–present). She has served as a celebrity ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Early life
Zamata is the daughter of American parents, Ivory Steward and Henry Moore, a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force. She was born in Okinawa, Japan, because of her father's military career. She is the great-granddaughter of Leroy Washington Mahon, a formerly enslaved man who founded the town of Fargo, Arkansas.

Zamata was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is a graduate of Pike High School. She stated her parents named her after the alien flower-like crystal called the "Sahsheer" from the Star Trek episode "By Any Other Name".

She attended the University of Virginia, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Zamata was a founding member of the university's long-form improv comedy troupe, Amuse Bouche. While a student at UVA, she participated in the Disney College Program for one semester, where she portrayed various costumed characters.

Career
Zamata has performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City since 2009. She co-starred in the ABC News hidden camera series Would You Fall for That? and was a cast member on MTV's series Hey Girl. Zamata also appeared in sketches on Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell and Inside Amy Schumer. She stars in the webseries Pursuit of Sexiness. Additionally, she has appeared in sketches for CollegeHumor.

Videos on Zamata's YouTube channel include impersonations of Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Tyra Banks, and Beyoncé.

Zamata also voices the character Sally in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Zombie mode. In 2021, Zamata voiced the character Mary in Muppets Haunted Mansion.

She co-hosts Best Friends, a podcast with best friend and fellow comedian, Nicole Byer.