People may recognize Sasheer Zamata for a few very different things. From standup specials to SNL to the MCU, she's done a lot. In fact, you can now catch her currently on the Marvel series Agatha All Along if you have a Disney+ subscription. However, before all that, she was in the Disney College Program working at Disney World. Now, as she celebrates the success of Agatha, she's throwing it back to her old job in the parks and talking about an experience in a Buzz Lightyear costume that induced a level of fear that I'd feel if I were on the Witches Road
The comedian was on kcrwlosangeles’ radio station recounting the whole nightmarish event from her days in the DCP, explaining:
It’s kind of like a study abroad [program], but in Florida. … Well, I did have a panic attack in the Buzz Lightyear costume. … Buzz is in the 5’7” to 5’9” category, but I was a little small for the costume, and it’s like a heavy chest pack and this helmet. I couldn’t touch my hand to the other hand. And I remember explaining this to a manager and being like, ‘I don’t think I fit this costume.’ And she’s like, ‘Everyone hates the costume. Get out there.’ And I’m like, ‘But I’ve – please.’
The Disney program is an internship of sorts and hosts many students on an annual basis. She’s probably not alone in the experience of wearing ill-fitting costumes that make it so she can't showcase Buzz's best self. Zamata went out regardless, adorned in the oversized costume doing her best but pretty shaken up inside. She went on to say:
And so I was like out, in front of the kids, like stamping the books, sobbing, sobbing inside of the costume. … So everyone be nice to the character performer.
It’s a great reminder for us all to treat character performers and park staff with respect and awareness, regardless of ticket prices. Hopefully, Zamata had some kindness from the public that day.
Now, it would be nice to know how the costumes have developed over the decades and if they are more manageable for people of varying sizes. Plus, with the Disney Parks always expanding, and so many people going to work at them through programs like the DCP, I hope they're all being treated well.
The ex-Buzz Lightyear performer has been making quite a name for herself since her days working at Disney. Zamata has her standup comedy special Sasheer Zamata: The Last Black Unicorn. She's appeared in shows like The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and The Last O.G., and of course, she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Not to mention, she’s BFFs with Nailed It’s Nicole Byer, a killer bestie combo that beats some of the classics, in my opinion.
Plus, Agatha All Along premiered on September 18th and has been a hit on the 2024 TV schedule. Sasheer plays Jennifer Kale, a sorceress and potion expert, who belongs to Agatha’s coven, and she's been killing it. Overall, she's come a long way since she was a panicked college-aged Sasheer as Buzz Lightyear in the parks, and I couldn’t be more pleased that she’s in much better-fitting costumes these days.
