ROMÁN ZARAGOZA
Artist. Actor. Storyteller.
"As someone who is mixed race, dual-identities, it’s important that I am able to tell the stories that not only resonate with me, but also speak to a larger picture."
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ROMÁN ZARAGOZA ON ‘GHOSTS’ AND GROWING NATIVE REPRESENTATION IN MAINSTREAM MEDIA
2/24/2022
Everything old is new again. In this week’s episode of Ghosts, Sasappis (Román Zaragoza) — a young Lenape man who died over 500 years ago — rediscovers his passion for storytelling while helping Sam (Rose McIver) complete the website for her new bed and breakfast in upstate New York, which she is opening with her husband, Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar).
“I think we see how Sas really cares about Sam and Jay, and he enjoys having them there and he wants to help out in any way he can,” Zaragoza told Observer. “Because at the end of the day, if she doesn’t finish the website, they don’t finish setting up the B&B, they might lose the house. We definitely see this new side of Sas, and he dives into this storytelling persona. It was just something that was so exciting to do and to work on.”
‘GHOSTS’ STAR ROMÁN ZARAGOZA: SASAPPIS IS A ‘YOUNG SPIRIT’ WHO ‘ENJOYS MAYHEM &DRAMA’
10/07/2021
The new CBS comedy series Ghosts premiered on October 7. The quirky show follows a young couple that moves into a country estate only to find out that it’s inhabited by ghosts of past residents. One of those spirits is Sasappis, played by Román Zaragoza. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with the actor about what to expect.
“Sasappis is an interesting character,” Román teased. “The way that we describe him is he’s this young spirit and old soul. He’s the youngest of the group in regards to how [old he was] when he died. He’s the youngest in that regard. However, he’s been dead for 500 years, so he’s this kind of wise elder that at times lashes out like a child. He’s trying to be the voice of reason. He’s trying to be the one to really call out people for their absurdity and to be the voice that is guiding the ghosts to a better place, but then you see he’s just a child that actually enjoys mayhem and drama. He gets his feelings hurt really easily, so it’s a fun line to walk because he doesn’t know who he is. Also, he’s been away from his people for 500 years. He’s been disenfranchised from his culture and his language and had to adapt to living with a bunch of English-speaking, mostly white people. That can be really difficult in that sense as well, so it’s been a really interesting character to dive into because there’s a lot to unpack in their reality and the honesty and the truth of it, but then also trying to find the comedy in all that.”
IN CONVERSATION WITH ROMÁN ZARAGOZA: HOW THE STAR OF CBS’ GHOST USED FILM & THEATRE TO LEARN TO LOVE HIS IDENTITY AND HIS PURPOSE
3/09/2022
Coming of age in a society that mocks minorities and excels in making these communities feel like the ”other” can have long-lasting psychological effects on these various groups. This type of deranged behavior must always be addressed no matter the circumstances, no matter the profession. And for Román Zaragoza, who plays Sasappis on CBS’ brand new hit comedy, Ghosts, he feels a responsibility to address the America-sized elephant in the room through his art: film and theatre. “With the platform I have, and through acting/producing, I want to be able to call attention to these issues that are often forgotten about,” says Zaragoza via zoom. "As someone who is mixed race, dual-identities, it’s important that I am able to tell the stories that not only resonate with me, but they also speak to a larger picture. Something we can all learn from on issues that only a few benefit from.”
SHEILA CARRASCO AND ROMÁN ZARAGOZA FEATURED IN CBS’S ‘GHOSTS’
11/11/2021
Scary season is here and CBS is welcoming it with Ghosts, a comedic-fantasy series featuring Sheila Carrasco and Román Zaragoza as recurring characters from the beyond.
Ghosts follows a struggling young couple, Samantha (Rose McIver) and Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar), whose dreams come true when they inherit a beautiful country house, only to find it’s both falling apart and inhabited by many of the previous deceased residents. Based on the popular BBC series of the same title, the show is written by Joe Port and Joe Wiseman, who worked together on the Fox comedy series New Girl.
The series’s ensemble cast also includes Rebecca Wisocky, Brandon Scott Jones, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman and Richie Moriarty.
ROMÁN ZARAGOZA AND ASHER GRODMAN TALK NEW CBS COMEDY ‘GHOSTS’
November 11, 2028
“Ghosts” focuses on Samantha (played by Rose McIver) and Jay (played by Utkarsh Ambudkar), a New York City couple that inherits a country home in upstate New York. The pair plans to turn it into a bed and breakfast and have to put a lot of work into the home, and when Samantha has a bad fall, she becomes able to see and communicate with the nine ghosts that have taken up residence in the home.
The series features Román Zaragoza, who plays Sasappis, and Asher Grodman, who plays Trevor, both of whom are ghost residents in the home. Sasappis, a member of the Lenape tribe, died in 1520 and is a blunt troublemaker who tries to fill eternity by having a little fun and creating some drama, while Trevor is a “finance bro” who died in the 1990s partying at a drug-fueled rager and now has to walk through eternity with no pants.
“Sassaphis is a young spirit yet an old soul, He died in 1520 around his mid-20s and has been dead for 500 years, so he has youth to him, but is also grumpy old man, living with white people away from his family and learning English,” said Zaragoza. “He’s sarcastic, often disappointed, so over it but learned to navigate this too. He knows how to have fun and knows how to stir up some drama and revel in the craziness from these excentric ghosts.”