Marvel Studios and Disney+’s Agatha All Along releases on Wednesday, September 19, and fans are buzzing with excitement to see the infamous Agatha Harkness, portrayed by Kathryn Hahn, back to give hilarious one-liners. The famous Wandavision witch will go on a new journey to the Witches’ Road. Alongside her, the cast includes the characters of Teen, portrayed by Joe Locke; Mrs. Hart, portrayed by Debra Jo Rupp; Alice Wu-Gulliver, portrayed by Ali Ahn; Lilia Calderu, portrayed by Patti LuPone; Rio Vidal, portrayed by Aubrey Plaza; and Jennifer Kale, portrayed by Sasheer Zamata.
mxdwn.com had the pleasure of interviewing Zamata as she teased what her character would be like, what it was like working with Plaza and Hahn, and discussed her other roles where comedy and horror complemented each other. The interview is available to read below.
mxdwn: Let’s get started! So, the first question is: Your comedy special, The First Woman, has a lot of feminist and witty interpretations of witches. And you also end your special by saying that we should recognize Amina Earhart as the most notable witch to sweep herself off her feet. I wonder how working on Agatha All Along where you’re, currently playing a witch, has changed or contributed to your thoughts on witches? Are there any other witches, like Amelia Earhart, we should recommend as a society?
Zamata: Oh, um, being on Agatha all along, I think, showcases that there can be so many different types of witches. Each character is very different from the other, and I also believe that to be true in the real world as well. Different types of people got labeled witches in history as a way to cast them out or punish them for whatever reason, and many different people consider themselves to be a witch. So I like the variety that’s displayed in the show, and one witch in particular, that I am a fan of, that I would love more people to know about, is Marie Leveaux. She was a very powerful woman in New Orleans, and she’s been in shows and media a bunch already. She was in Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story, the Coven series, and other things. But I just like her as a character and as a, you know, a person of note. So yeah, that’s definitely someone I would want to prop up.
mxdwn: That’s really nice to hear. What can you tell us about your character, Jennifer Kale’s, part in Agatha All Along?
Zamata: Jennifer Kale is a witch who has known Agatha for a long time. A lot of witches know about Agatha and how she has a really bad reputation, and Jennifer is pretty wary in this journey. She’s very skeptical of everything, but she does have goals and wants. I think that’s why she decides to take a leap and trust Agatha and kind of follow her on this journey, because ultimately, Jen does want to take care of herself. She thinks by starting this adventure, she can get closer to something she’s been wanting for a really, really long time.
mxdwn: I’m looking forward to meeting this character! So, what was it like working with Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza in Agatha All Along?
Zamata: Oh, so great! I was already a fan of both of them before working on this project, and being able to work with two women who are so funny and talented was amazing. And really I feel so lucky to be a part of a cast that’s so rich. It’s really an embarrassment of riches with like Patti LuPone, Joe Locke, Ali Ahn, and Deborah Jo Rupp, like everyone, is so incredibly talented and has worked so much before the show. And yeah, we kind of created a really solid group of solid coven.
mxdwn: Really, really nice. So how does it feel to be part of the MCU? Were you a fan of the films, all of the series’ prior, and how much research was required for your character in this role?
Zamata: I was already a big fan of the MCU before joining. I have watched many, many films and TV shows. And I watched Wandavision on my own, and loved it, and thought it was so smart and different from anything the MCU has done before. So when I heard they were doing a spin-off just based on the Agatha character, I got really, really excited, because I wanted to explore more of the magic side of the MCU and to know that I had the chance to be a part of a show like that was incredible and mind-blowing. And yeah, I rewatched Wandavision again while we were shooting, and I’m still blown away by the writing and how the story continues, but changes so much in this show, and I think audiences are going to be very excited to see this side of the MCU.
mxdwn: I’m excited also! So you mentioned in other interviews that Agatha All Along will be very scary and violent, and will be featuring a lot of horror, but would also include humor. So as a comedian, like yourself, what do you think about combining horror and comedy elements in the story, and in such a horror-filled show like Agatha All Along, how do you think comedy elevates and enhances the series?
Zamata: I think horror and comedy kind of go hand in hand. I feel like, you know, just throughout cinema, horror does these a lot of comedic elements in there. And I think just because it’s nice for the audience to have a little bit of levity once they’re in a scary mode, and Agatha All Along, uses so many elements. Yeah, it’s definitely, I would say spooky more than violent, but it’s got those horror elements. It’s got comedy, it’s got drama, it’s got suspense. It’s so much. And I think it’s really cool that we were able to tell the story in so many different tones. Truly from episode to episode, you’re getting a different thing. I think the comedy is throughout, and it’s fun because the audience is still getting the ampy light that Agatha brings to everything she’s in. And as a comedian, it’s fun to play a character that has a lot of jokes and comedic elements to the project, because that’s my wheelhouse. I love being able to use comedy to entertain.
mxdwn: And speaking about the theme being spooky, how do you think horror and comedy complement each other?
Zamata: I think it’s nice to have comedic moments when you have a spooky story, and I think the thrill that you get when you’re watching something and you’re scared, that jolt, that could make you scream, or shudder, or shy away, I feel like the same excitement happens in your body when you laugh at something. So being able to laugh, scream, cry and jump all in the same watch, I think creates a really exciting, physical moment for people.
mxdwn: I believe the same. So, witches often reflect social values and fears. So how do you think Marvel’s portrayal of witches like Agatha, Wanda Maximoff, and Jennifer Kale, including your rendition of Jennifer Kale, perpetrates or challenges these values and fears?
Zamata: I think what Marvel’s doing with these stories is showing that witches can be often misunderstood. Like characters like the Scarlet Witch and Agatha and my character, you can’t really put them in a box. They’re not completely evil, they’re not completely heroes. They’re all over the place. And I remember when we were shooting, Patti LuPone was talking about witches, as we all were at the time, and she was saying what she likes about the witch title is that you can’t really define a witch. They’re sometimes mysterious, or kind of haggardly, or sultry or cunning, or sweet, like you can have so many definitions for what a witch is. And I think it’s really cool that we’re getting to see so many different types of witches on screen in this one show.
mxdwn: And you also starred in Spree, which has a similar horror and comedic tone as Agatha All Along. How did you approach this role differently given your experience in the comedy genre?
Zamata: Spree was really fun and is a horror comedy. There’s there. I was playing a comedian in that movie, and it’s such a wild ride. And I think what was different for me in that movie is that I was more of a, I guess, scream queen, or like someone trying to literally escape murder. And in Agatha, the spooky elements are all around us. It’s not just like one villain or bad guy who’s chasing us. It’s really everything. The environment is scary. We are scary. There are other elements that we’re encountering that are scary. It’s it’s kind of all over. You’re not really sure episode to episode, what you should be afraid of each time. But in Spree, and like other horror movies and TV shows, you can kind of like, pinpoint it to, like, one bad guy, but in Agatha, you don’t really know.
mxdwn: Speaking about shows with horror and comedic tones…you worked with Stranger Things star Joe Keery in the movie Spree. Have you watched Stranger Things? And if you have, who’s your favorite character in Stranger Things?
Zamata: I have watched a few seasons of Stranger Things, and it’s very cool and spooky as well. And my favorite character? Hmm, I do like Joe Keery’’s character, and I really liked when Maya Hawke got put in the show, I feel like their dynamic was really fun and cute. I just really like when they have group scenes and group dynamics, because, again, all these actors and characters are so different, but they are all coming together to fight literal demons. And I think that’s cool, which is also kind of like Agatha All Along, where all these characters and actors are very different, and come from very different walks of life, but when they come together, it just works.
mxdwn: So, since you spoke of women working in this genre, you have also portrayed the role, the role of Denise, who is an LGBTQ teacher in the sitcom, Home Economics. What were the challenges of playing such a delicate character, yet blending it with the comedy of the show itself? And what was your favorite storyline for your character?
Zamata: I really liked playing Denise, and I feel very fortunate that I got to play a queer character on a show where there were queer writers in the writer’s room, so a lot of the stories that were being portrayed were stories from those people’s lives. And we had a whole IVF storyline or an adoption storyline, and it was nice because this was an ABC family comedy, but we were talking about all kinds of lifestyles on the show. And I really appreciated that we were able to do that in a way that felt very normal and not like, you know, ‘this is a very special episode’ where we’re exploring queerness or homosexuality, it was just like this is part of the family, and these aspects are part of a lot of people’s families, and I am glad we were able to show that.
mxdwn: That is a really nice thing to say. Also, alongside being a comedian and actress, you are also a voice actor, as you have voiced for movies such as The Pole, Tuca & Bertie, and Muppets: Haunted Mansion. What was the most difficult thing to do while voicing your animated characters? What did you love most about being a voice actor?
Zamata: I really like being a voice actor because you get to explore your performance and vocal range in a way that you wouldn’t be able to in live action. I feel like, in live action, the camera’s so close, you have to be mindful of your body, your facial expression, your space in your surroundings, and other people in the room. When you’re doing voice acting, you’re truly in a booth by yourself going wild, and people are like, you know, dialing you up and down while they’re in the studio. And it’s just fun. I did a voice on Exploding Kittens recently, and it came out on Netflix, like earlier this year, and that was probably the most challenging voice work I’ve done, because I’m I’m playing a devil cat, and I had to scream and yell and have a demonic growl to my voice. And that’s something I was, I’ve never been asked to do before, but it was super fun to play like that and bring a different part of my voice to the forefront.
mxdwn: You have become a celebrity ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union, which is a nonprofit human organization that will defend the rights of every person who lives in the US by providing legal law assistance to cases in which people’s civic liberties are at risk, according to Wikipedia. What made you want to join this organization in the first place? And how is being part of something so enlightening and inspiring to us women? And how is it working for the huge women’s rights projects?
Zamata: Well, I feel very fortunate that the group approached me when I was in New York and doing stand-up, sketch, and improv. Some people saw me and thought that the things I was saying and the work I was doing aligned with the values that they were working on. And I love that. That’s like a big point of pride for me, that the work that I put out in the world resonates with people, and makes them feel like they are seen and and that the stories that I’m telling are very relatable, so they wanted to find a way to kind of make the work they’re doing digestible to a broader audience. And so I helped write some sketches and make videos, and we released them, and it’s just a very easy way for them to have their message in a funny lens and use humor to educate and have a thing that people can, just like, send to their friends on whatever they’re working on at the moment. And it really was a symbiotic relationship, because I was able to add humor to what they were doing and also help reach a different type of audience, and they were able to educate me on things that are happening in legislation that are related to women’s rights, and I continue to use that in my stand up and in my work, because I am a woman and I like my rights, and it’s helpful to have a little more input when I’m creating.
mxdwn: So speaking about giving input while creating, you also have a podcast with your best friend and colleague, Nicole Byer, named Best Friends; how did the idea of launching your podcast come up in the first place? Have you always loved podcasts? And what are the challenges of posting an episode per week?”
Zamata: It’s actually funny. We were also approached to do this podcast. Nicole and I have been performing together since 2009 and I think people, thankfully, can see our chemistry and our humor together is special. And so, Earwolf approached us and said they wanted to try to do some sort of podcast with us. And we were trying to think of ideas of what to do together, and we were like, ‘well, I mean, we’re best friends and have been for a while, and maybe we could just do a show about friendship.’ So the idea of the show is really us being friends and kind of talking and messing around, and then people write in questions about friendship.
We started this show in 2019 and I don’t think I anticipated how many different types of friendship questions you can get. Because there’s questions about like, you know, life changes. ‘My friend had a kid, and I don’t know how to deal with that transition.’ Or, like, ‘my friend moved to the other side of the country, and it’s really hard for us to see each other,’ or ‘my friend is no longer talking to me. How do I deal with that loss?’ And I like that we have a show dedicated just to friendship because there’s so many different podcasts and shows dedicated to romantic relationships or being a parent or being a spouse, whatever you know, but not so much about adult friendships because that’s a really valuable relationship to have in your life. And I also believe that doing the show, Nicole and I have really analyzed our friendship, and we get to really think about, like, how we handled situations, or how we would like to handle situations if they come up. And yeah, it’s a very fun ride, and I feel very lucky that people like listening to us because it’s very easy for us. Nicole and I talk every day, and if we didn’t have a podcast, we would still be talking. So it’s nice that we have a way to do that where people get to enjoy it too.
mxdwn: Also you have voiced the character for the video game Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Zombies in Space: Slam, and your character’s name is Sally. So would you ever love to continue voicing video game characters and do you play video games in your free time? Maybe with your best friend? And if you do, which one is your favorite?
Zamata: I would be down to do more video game voices, um, the Call of Duty one was very fun. It was very silly. And I was Sally from the valley, and we were, like, set in the 80s, and I had a valley girl accent. And this storyline was like a time-traveling one where we also went to the 70s. It was like a lot, but it was very fun. And I did a really small part on NBA 2k where I got to wear the motion capture suit. And that was a trip that like, being able to, like, you know, perform and act and then have them animate it in a way that it’s you, but it’s not you. It’s really cool. So yeah, I would totally be down to do more. Also, there are so many video games that have full stories and full worlds, it’s basically movies now. Video games are really a huge industry now. So yeah, I’m down to be a part of that. I don’t play many video games. I got an Oculus recently, and I have been playing the cookout one, where you’re like, in the kitchen, cooking, and all these animals are like, ‘I have to, I gotta go to work. I need my breakfast.’ And you’re like, trying to, like, make sandwiches as fast as possible. And I am sweating every time I do it, because it’s like, so intense and so stressful. And I’m really glad I’m not a chef, because I would be so stressed out with all these people like making orders and demanding things so quickly. So I that’s like the little dabbling I do in video games. I don’t know if I can do more, because, again, I think I would get very stressed out. (laughs)
mxdwn: (Laughs) And…I believe that’s pretty much it. Thank you so much for speaking with us, Mrs. Zamata. I can’t wait to see you play in Agatha All Along, and I hope to speak with you soon.
Zamata: Great. Thank you. Good talking to you.
Marvel’s Agatha All Along premieres on Wednesday, September 18 at 9 p.m. ET only on Disney Plus.