Out and About with Sasheer Zamata

In our latest Out and About interview, we catch up with the talented actor and comedian Sasheer Zamata, currently starring as Jennifer Kale in Marvel’s Agatha All Along on Disney+. From hilarious travel adventures with her Best Friends podcast co-host and real-life bestie Nicole Byer to discovering unexpected LGBTQ-friendly gems like Cincinnati, Sasheer shares her passion for exploring the world – whether it's jet skiing in the Bahamas or uncovering queer history in Athens. She also reflects on how travel has deepened her understanding of diversity and inclusion, both at home and abroad.

Favorite season?

SZ: I think Spring might be my favorite season when the days start getting longer and warmer, but not too hot that I won’t want to leave my house.

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Must have travel essential item(s)?

SZ: Jao sanitizer is useful for keeping your hands clean while traveling, and it’s also great as a deodorant if you need one on the go. And baking soda tooth powder is great because it cuts down on the amount of liquids you have in your luggage and lasts a long time.

Your go-to movie to watch on a flight?

SZ: I like watching cartoons on flights. I finished all of Rick and Morty, so I need something new. I’m also a sucker for watching Pixar movies and quietly sobbing to myself. I watched Brave and Frozen back-to-back on a flight and was an emotional wreck.

If you found yourself stranded on an island, which three items would you hope to have with you?

SZ: A pillow, body scrubber, and nail clippers.

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Beach or mountain escape?

SZ: Even though I don’t often get in the water, I’m going to choose a beach escape. I’m great at watching everyone’s stuff while they splash around in the water. And no one expects you to do more than lounge on the beach. When you’re on a mountain, people expect you to do things like hike and build fires, and I’m not here for all that.

What’s been your most memorable/humorous travel experience so far, and why?

SZ: One of the funniest moments, but also harrowing, was when my bestie Nicole Byer and I rode jet skis in the Bahamas. We asked our driver if he had any recommendations for jet skiing, and he told us, “he’s got a guy,” which should’ve been our first red flag. We pulled up to a beach and there was a man with two jet skis that looked like they’ve lived a lot of life. We got on and these lethargic teens showed us how to use the machines. Both of our skis had blinking red lights and I asked if we should be worried about that and they said no. So we didn’t ask any follow-up questions and they let us loose on the water, unsupervised. We were having so much fun, chasing each other, exploring; at one point, I said, “I wonder how much gas is in these things?” But we trusted the process and kept it moving. We decided we should go back to shore and have one of the teens take a picture of us on the jet skis. We started heading back and Nicole’s machine sputtered to a stop. We had no idea what to do. She looked at me and was like, “Well, you can’t just stay out here with me,” and she told me to go to shore to get someone. So I zoomed off, frequently looking back at my friend, getting smaller and smaller in the middle of the ocean. I found the teens and told them that Nicole was stranded. One of them hopped on with me and I brought him to Nicole, but you know what he didn’t bring? Rope. He brought nothing but his hands. So he leaned off the back of my jet ski, grabbing hold of the front of Nicole’s jet ski, and we slowly headed toward shore. I’m talking at a snail’s pace because if I went any faster, this boy would fall into the water. Finally, an adult who worked with these kids came to the rescue. He pulled up on a jet ski, helped bring in Nicole’s dud, and gave us gasoline to fill the tanks. It was a mess, but we were actually in good spirits about the whole thing until one of the teens told me and Nicole to get on the same jet ski to go back. For some reason, he thought he could also fit on the jet ski. He hopped up and tipped the whole thing over and Nicole fell in, and that’s when it wasn’t fun anymore. We left the beach, got in the car fully wet, and rode back in disbelief at how wild that experience was.

What’s one travel destination that exceeded your expectations and why?

SZ: Cincinnati, Ohio, definitely exceeded my expectations. I don’t know if I even had expectations for the city, but once I was there, I saw that it’s full of young people and so many queer-owned establishments. I was pleasantly surprised at how progressive and fun it was.

Can you share a travel tip or hack that has made your journeys more enjoyable or convenient?

SZ: Bring satin pillowcases with you when you travel. You should be sleeping on one at home anyway to keep the moisture in your skin and hair, but you should bring one when you travel to put over the hotel or Air BnB pillows so you don’t dry out during your stay.

Are there any travel destinations on your bucket list that you haven’t had a chance to visit yet, and if so, where are they?

SZ: I was born in Japan and haven’t been back since. I feel a cosmic pull to go back and see my birthplace at some point, so I hope to do that soon.

Do you have any favorite LGBTQ+-owned or LGBTQ+-friendly businesses, hotels, or restaurants that you would like to recommend to travelers?

SZ: I was just in Athens and I took a Women in Ancient Greece tour with Culture Hunters, and it was so cool. We learned about Sappho and other badass women of history, and our tour guide was queer and gave us great recommendations in the city for us to do during our stay.

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What role do you believe travel plays in promoting diversity, inclusion, and understanding?

SZ: I think traveling is a great way to introduce diversity to a place. I’ve been to places where you can tell they’re not used to seeing Black people, and hopefully, the exposure gives them more knowledge of our existence and humanity. Traveling helps give me a better understanding of how people who are new to the United States feel. When I’m in different countries and don’t know the language, I appreciate when people are patient with me, so I have more empathy for people in the States who are having trouble like I did in other countries. And it’s great to talk to locals in different places and hear about the social issues going on there and get a first-hand account, instead of just going off what I see on the news.

Have you ever faced any challenges or encountered discrimination while traveling as an LGBTQ+ individual?

SZ: Having to look up if it’s safe to publicly show affection in certain places is new to me. A majority of my relationships have been with men, and I never had to think about that before. Now that I’m dating a woman, I have new concerns to consider, and that was a privilege I wasn’t really conscious of before.

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