CBS ‘Ghosts’ Actor Román Zaragoza On New Role, The Outdoors, And Upcoming Project

This talented actor just made his mark in one of our favorite shows!

Fresh off of his run at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, actor Roman Zaragosa is back with a fan-favorite character in the new and popular CBS comedy series “Ghosts”.

We had the amazing honor to talk with Roman on his biggest inspiration, first calling to acting, and more!

When did you first realize you wanted to become an actor? 

R: “I first fell in love with acting when I was 3 watching my father play Chief Sitting Bull in the 1999 Broadway Revival of Annie Get Your Gun with Bernadette Peters. I fell in love with performing and wanted the community and atmosphere my father had while doing that show. I decided I truly wanted to continue to pursue this wild profession in 2015 when I was working on a reading of a play at Native Voices at The Autry called They Don’t Talk Back, a project we would produce a year later. At one of our performances of the reading at The La Jolla Playhouse, I broke down sobbing at the end of the performance when the amazing actor, Duane Minard (who was playing my grandfather) locked eyes with me as my character was leaving. We embraced and I felt such safety and connection. I proceeded to exit the sold-out room, passing the audience, and I noticed they were all crying with me. They felt it too. It was one of the most beautiful and cathartic moments of my life and really affirmed the fact that I want to do this for a living.”

Tell us about your character in the amazing new show ‘Ghosts’. 

R: “I play the sarcastic Sasappis, a Lenape man that died in the 1520s on Lenape land in what is now called the Hudson Valley. He is a dry and sassy guy who has a passion for storytelling, smelling pizza, and calling out people on their BS.”

Do you have any behind-the-scenes stories from behind the show? 

R: “I share a tent with Richie Moriarty (Pete) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Jay) and the two of them are so entertaining. They are masters at comedy and so I spend my days on set writing down all of their jokes to steal for my friends later.” 

We are so excited for “This Is Their Land”! Can you tell us a little more about it? 

R: “Thank you so much! That means a lot. This Is Their Land is a new short film I’m producing. It’s a powerful true story about the Modoc War of 1872, the nine-month war between the Modoc people and the US army in the lava beds and areas around Tulelake in Northern California. We had the amazing opportunity to work with direct descendants of the Modoc people who fought in the war, including Taylor Tupper, Debbie Riddle, and Cheewa James. We also worked with the incredible Joseph Dupris to translate most of the film into the Modoc language. I am so excited for people to see the work our team has been doing. The film should be coming out sometime this fall.”

When not acting, what are some of your favorite things to do? 

R: “I love to get outdoors, whether that is going to the beach, camping, traveling, rock climbing, doing yoga, or exploring a new hike. I also love photography and shooting on my Sony A7sii or my Canon AE-1 35mm film camera. I can also spend my day chilling in my apartment singing and playing my guitar. I have a lot of interests and tend to overbook myself with activities and work. I grew up in New York City, so I tend to bounce from one thing to the next.”

Who are your biggest acting inspirations? 

R: “My father is definitely one of my biggest acting inspirations. I am very lucky to have grown up with my father as my role model because I was able to witness firsthand how wild this industry can be. He has taught me numerous lessons over the years and I can’t express enough how grateful I am for his incredible guidance.”

What are some of your biggest goals for your career? 

R: “I want to make more of my own projects and act in pieces that I write. I, of course, would love to play Spider-man or any superhero. But also, a Native American/Mexican/Asian Spider-man… like come on! It practically writes itself. I really want to make work that I am proud of and more importantly, make work that my ancestors are proud of.”

Where can we follow your amazing journey? 

R: “You can follow me on:

Instagram @romanzaragoza | Twitter @romanzara_goza | Tik Tok @theromanzaragoza

Photo Credits: Kim Newmoney

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene. When not helping her team and working on the monthly issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral Tasty recipe.