After holding “secret” auditions in December, Saturday Night Live has chosen actress Sasheer Zamata to join the cast — debuting on January 18’s episode hosted by Drake. Zamata will be the first black female Saturday Night Live cast member in five years. The move comes after Lorne Michaels and the show took heat for bringing on five white men and one white woman this season. (Also, Kenan Thompson’s comment that the black female comedians they saw weren’t “ready” didn’t help.) Zamata is a stand-up and Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre alum, with plenty of comedy under her belt — including the web series “Pursuit of Sexiness,” which was named one of Variety’s “Top Ten Web Series” last year. Her name has been thrown around for years as an ideal fit for SNL. To get a taste of Zamata, watch the series’ first episode below:
