Biografía

In addition to German, her native language, and English, she can speak fluent French after getting a bachelor's degree in French language.

Born in Berlin, Germany, raised in Manhattan, New York, she spoke German and English at home. Her father is German and her mother is African-American.

Her father emigrated to the United States after the fall of the Berlin Wall to do janitorial work for the summer, and after receiving a general education equivalent he went to a trade school, eventually becoming a cabinetmaker. Her mother is a social worker form New York City with a master's degree.

Her name is pronounced Zah-SEE Bates (similar to the Bee in Beethoven).

She performed in community theaters and on local stages from the time she was a child. She trained at Muscota New School, the Harlem School of the Arts, and Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. She earned her bachelor's degree from Skidmore College.

Agriculture is one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Cars? Planes? Trains? Nope. Cow farts.

Walking in the street, particularly in a city like New York, every single day, I am reminded of how objectified women can be. Being catcalled every day, multiple times a day, all the time... it just constantly happens.

In the United States, if you're African-American, it can be assumed that your family has been here for generations. In Europe, colonialism is much more alive, and it's assumed you're from Nigeria or Senegal.

I've had acting teachers say, 'If you want to do anything else but act, that means you're not an actor,' which I think is stupid!

I always thought my alternative life, if I wasn't acting, would be to become a midwife. I love women. I want to help them exist.