SNL's Newest Cast Member

Sasheer Zamata is her name and comedy is her game! She is the newest cast member of the long-running NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. Sasheer is a member of the improv-sketch comedy group "Upright Citizens Brigade." According to the UCB website,

The Upright Citizens Brigade came to New York, from Chicago, in 1996. After staging their award winning sketch comedy show, and introducing the long form improvised structure of the "Harold" to New York audiences the UCB soon began their training program.

Former SNL cast member Amy Poehler is one of the four founders of "UCB."

Zamata is set to make her debut on "SNL" January 18th. The new season of "Saturday Night Live" marks its 39th season. The famously popular sketch comedy show has produced such stars as John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Dana Carvey, the late Chris Farley, Jane Curtin, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and the list goes on. There was a lot of controversy surrounding "SNL" for a while, which is one of the reasons why Zamata was added to the cast, her talent being one as well of course.

(Zamata far Left) Picture by: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Comedy Central

Zamata pictured above and to the left is the first black "SNL" female cast member since Maya Rudolph in 2007. This photo is from the "Inside Amy Schumer" premiere screening party. For a while especially in recent months, many have criticized "Saturday Night Live" producers for the lack of diversity amongst the female cast members. According to a Washington Post article written by Soraya Nadia McDonald, Saturday Night Live held invite-only auditions for female black comediennes. In the same article current cast member Kenan Thompson claimed that "casting directors for 'SNL' never seemed to find black comediennes who were 'ready'." Well now the casting directors have and ready or not she's starting on January 18th. Congratulations to Sasheer Zamata!