‘That’s a Big Piece We’re Still Missing’: Román Zaragoza Teases Sasappis’ Future in ‘Ghosts’

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Ghosts is nearing the end of its fourth season, and along the way, the hit CBS comedy series is pulling out all the stops. The past two episodes, “His Girl Shiki” and “Smooching and Smushing,” play like a two-parter across the main storyline, which follows Sasappis (Román Zaragoza) on his quest to finally find love 500 years into his afterlife. When Pete (Richie Moriarty) brings back a fellow roamer for Sasappis to meet, he must find a way to move past the crush he’s had on a girl he’ll likely never see again to be brave enough to go after his perfect match.

I recently sat down with Zaragoza to discuss his turn in the Ghosts spotlight, and during our wide-ranging conversation, we spoke about Sasappis’ relationship with Joan (Taylor Ortega) and where he’d like to see it go in the future. We also discussed the importance of showing that Native people are present in every setting through Sasappis’ ghost power, what kind of stories Sasappis loves as a storyteller, and whether he’d like to direct an episode of Ghosts. Zaragoza also elaborated on which flashbacks he’d like to see and what he hopes happens when we learn how Sasappis died, as well as what he loves about his character’s relationships with Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky), Thor (Devan Chandler Long) and Flower (Shiela Carrasco).

Román Zaragoza Was Thrilled To Play the Romantic Lead on ‘Ghosts’

“I got to play all these different kinds of rom-com tropes and scenes that you would have seen in a rom-com.”

COLLIDER: I love these two episodes so much; they play so well back to back. What was it like getting to have your own mini rom-com across what feels like a two-parter?

ROMÁN ZARAGOZA: That’s a really good way to put it. It was so fun. As an actor, something I always wanted to be was that romantic lead, and I just haven’t had a lot of experiences and opportunities to get to do that on TV or film, and to have this little bit of arc, also with the car ghost, I had a little bit, but this one is a little bit more of the A-plot, a little bit more fleshed out, and to have that was just so fun. I got to play all these different kinds of rom-com tropes and scenes that you would have seen in a rom-com. So, I was so grateful. It was so fun.

And to work with Taylor Ortega, she’s just such a powerhouse and so funny. It was great. Sometimes with Ghosts, we’re doing a lot of these big ensemble scenes, and the acting that you do is a little bit different than when you have a two-person scene. It’s very different, and to have a good amount of those over these two episodes was such a dream.

It plays so well. I was immediately on board for Sass and Joan. No offense to Shiki, but you and Taylor have such good chemistry. I really love those levels that you get to play, like the miscommunication and then the kiss at the end. I’d love to hear about how you guys went about building their connection because it plays so naturally.

ZARAGOZA: That’s a good question. I think a lot of it was on the page. I gotta give it up to Joe Port and Joe Wiseman and our incredible writers’ room. They gave us such gifts with it. It just felt very real. I felt like this young love, especially with Sass, who has this young heart and inexperience with love, where he’s falling into a lot of these very usual feelings of just being afraid of what’s in front of him, and, “I gotta run off and do this other thing,” and realizing, “No, it’s the person right in front of you the whole time.”

Then, in addition to that, Taylor Ortega is just an awesome person, and we just hit it off. We became best buds right away. That’s something you always dream of, when you get a storyline like this or get an opportunity like this, you just hope the person that you get to act with and play with, you hope the chemistry is there on and off the screen. You just want to be friends with them, and you want there to be good vibes, and right off the bat, great vibes. And she’s so talented. So, I’m very, very grateful.

It’s so good. I’m glad we got to have her for two episodes to let that really breathe. I think it’s really relatable at any age to feel like you’re sort of running behind on life’s big moments, and I really love that Sass gets to go at his own pace. So, what’s it like to go on this new journey with him and move him out of the observer role and into the action?

ZARAGOZA: That’s a really good way to put it. I think he has definitely been an observer for so long. That was actually something I thought about early on with the show and how we were trying to create the character. The showrunners are trying to really figure out who he is, and I’m like, “He is such an observer. He’s someone who’s always been on the sidelines commenting on everything.” That’s why he uses sarcasm, and he’s so jaded, because he wants to be in the action. He just wants to be part of the team. He wants to be a starter, right? But he’s on the bench. I think that’s a really good way to put it.

But I think that’s meant everything to him. He’s like, “Finally, I can be the main character. Finally, I can be the protagonist. This whole time, I was not even the supporting character. I was someone in the back, just commenting two lines in the back.” For him to be in the center of it, I think, was overwhelming for him, too. That’s why he didn’t know what to do. He had to make these quick decisions, and he’s like, “Alright, I’m going to go see Shiki then.” But he learned fast, like, “Oh my gosh, this person that’s in front of me is who I want to be with.”

The Latest Episodes of ‘Ghosts’ Strenthen Sasappis’ Relationships

“It’s really important to have those bonds, and I’m really, really grateful that Sass has been able to work his way up to being ready for Joan.”

He has so many good moments where he has a really impressive amount of rizz, like when he jumps in front of her when the ghost gun comes out. What do you think has changed in Sass since his relationship with Jessica to make him more ready to go after Joan?

ZARAGOZA: That’s a really good way to put it, too. Jessica was so important for him to be ready for Joan. I have to thank that relationship that he had with her because I think she brought out so much of him, and made him feel seen for the first time in who knows how long, and to feel that just gives you that confidence, like, “Maybe I am a little bit more suave than I thought. Maybe I can do this.” So, yeah, definitely, I’ve got to thank Jessica. Shout out to Nichole Sakura for being an awesome scene partner, as well. It’s really important to have those bonds, and I’m really, really grateful that Sass has been able to work his way up to being ready for Joan.

Another relationship that I really love in this episode is Sass and Thor. We’ve gotten a little bit more of them this season with the flashbacks to their first meeting, and them being the oldest, too. What can you say about their relationship and that big rescue scene?

ZARAGOZA: Well, firstly, anytime I get to work with Devan [Chandler Long] is a dream. It was so fun. From just the acting standpoint, getting to be in that ghost trap with him, it’s a pretty small set, so it was so fun. We had a great time. Then the whole stunt thing. Shout out to our amazing stunt performers. They killed that. And then to just be in the car and being silly with him, I can’t wait to show a little BTS of that, because every time we’re just, like, crying of laughter. Then, just as characters, it’s so meaningful because these guys have known each other for so long, like 500-plus years. He was my first friend after I died. Pretty much, he was my guide for a bit, and for him to have learned some Lenape and to bring that back was so meaningful. I loved that moment. I thought that was such a beautiful moment. Yeah, anytime I get to work with Devan is a dream.

That’s great. Anytime you guys get yeeted out of the car is just peak physical comedy to me.

ZARAGOZA: It’s a lot of fun, and they do such a cool job with it. Again, shout out our amazing stunt performers. They are so good.

I’ve also really loved you getting to do more with Sheila [Carrasco] this season. Flower sort of feels like an older sister to Sass. Can you talk about getting to play those beats with her and your characters just really not being on the same page about sex at all?

ZARAGOZA: I love all those moments. It’s been fun. Sheila is literally like my older sister. It’s so fun. Being able to dive more into their relationship has been really exciting because we haven’t seen too much of their relationship throughout the series, and I love it. All the little moments of her commenting on him not knowing, “Oh, by the way, sex is this…” And he’s like, “Oh my god, I know what sex is. Stop!” It’s so funny. And also all meaningful moments of talking about it, too. She really wants to help him. She’s not doing it maliciously. She’s just like, “Let me help my little brother.” It’s really sweet.

I really liked the moment in the Christmas episode where she comes in and says her intentions so that he can lead her back because she knows it’s important.

ZARAGOZA: Yeah, totally.

Román Zaragoza Dreams Big for Sasappis on ‘Ghosts’

“I want to show there’s more to him, too.”

With Joan being able to leave LA for longer periods of time, it sort of implies that ghost powers can maybe expand in the future. How fun has it been to play with Sass’s power this season and get to do those things that you would never get to otherwise? You can do so much. And if he could expand his powers, what would you want to see happen?

ZARAGOZA: Wow. Well, firstly, it’s so much fun as an actor, especially because in our show we’re always wearing the same costumes and usually working on the same sets. Our sets are incredible, but it’s fun to mix it up. It’s so fun to be in the cockpit of a plane. It’s fun to be on a Star Trek set. It’s all these little things that everyone in our cast is so jealous that I get to do these things, and usually with Utkarsh [Ambudkar], which is so fun. The subway set was so fun, and I got to play guitar and sing a bit, which is so fun to be able to showcase that part of me as a performer. That’s been really meaningful.

In addition, also, with Native representation, a lot of Native representation, we’re trying to get rid of that antiquated view that Native people are only in the past. As Sasappis is presenting as someone in the past, I’ve been very vocal about trying to figure out ways of bringing more contemporary ideas for Native representation on our show. Honestly, Joe Port and Joe Wiseman just gave me and Sasappis this amazing gift of getting him out of that outfit. Even though I love his outfit, it’s like I want to show there’s more to him, too. He can be a referee and have his hair down. He can be in a plane. He could have a mustache and be playing guitar in a subway. It’s showing that Native actors, Native performers, Native people, we hold onto our traditions and we have our traditions and things that we brought from so long, and we’re very proud of those, and also we’re contemporary people. Finding that balance has been really fun to do in the show.

That plays so beautifully. I love that so much. It makes so much sense with Sass’s character, too, because he’s been around for so long. He is a part of all these time periods and a part of all these different things that he can sort of jump into those dream worlds very easily, which is really cool.

ZARAGOZA: Totally. I would love to see him throughout different time periods and see if his voice is a little different. Maybe during the ‘20s, he started talking like this a little bit! For some reason, because he’s very impressionable and he’s such an observer, I think it could be interesting to see how he was throughout different time periods.

I absolutely think he would jump in and go really contemporary with each decade of passing time. I know Pete thinks he has the coolest power, but as a viewer, I have to give it to Sasappis. It’s so good.

ZARAGOZA: Oh, thank you.

Sasappis Is a Secret Rom-Com Lover, Says Zaragoza

“I think he’s such a hopeless romantic that he would never admit to the other ghosts, but I think he like loves rom-coms.”

Another one of my favorite episodes this season was the one where Sass and Hetty really clocked in at the rumor mill and got their Gossip Girl on. I really love the way that they enable each other when they get together, and you and Rebecca [Wisocky] bring such a childlike energy to those scenes. Can you talk a bit about their relationship?

ZARAGOZA: Oh, man, I love their relationship. It’s another relationship that’s been really fun to dive into more this season. We’ve had a little bit over the years, but to have a lot more to show how they both love drama, they love TV shows, they love reality TV, she loves her Bodices and Barons. There’s this drama and this kind of, like, “Let’s stir things up,” kind of energy. It’s so much fun.

Then, of course, Rebecca Wisocky, oh my goodness. Every time I work with her, I’m learning, and then she’s also my best bud, but also, I’m learning so much. She’s so smart, and we’re both from theater. She loves asking these dramaturgical questions, and I love it. I’m like, “Yes, that’s a good question. What about this? What about this or about that? What about this? What if we came in doing this? What about this?” It’s so fun. There’s always a lot to unpack. And I think she does such a great job of finding the musicality in a scene and finding what more we can add. So, yeah, it’s always a great time working with her.

I love that. I’m so excited to see more from them. I always wonder, too, we have that flashback of her seeing Thor when she was little, but I wonder if she could see Sass and Isaac, too. That’d be something to explore later!

ZARAGOZA: Totally, yeah! I also would love to see more of how Sass was with all these characters who were alive at the time. I think it’s interesting. Like Thor, Sass, and Isaac watching over Hetty growing up. It’s really sweet.

Since Sasappis is a storyteller, I’m curious if you think he has a favorite book or favorite movie. What kinds of stories does Sass love?

ZARAGOZA: That’s a very good question. I think he’s such a hopeless romantic that he would never admit to the other ghosts, but I think he like loves rom-coms. I think he really does love a rom-com. He wants that very gushy happy ending. He wants to be that Prince Charming, you know? But I’m trying to think of a movie that he would love. The first thing that comes to my mind is A Knight’s Tale, or something like Heath Ledger.

Princess Bride vibes?

ZARAGOZA: Yeah, The Princess Bride and things like that. He wants to be that heroic leading man. But again, he’s on the sidelines. But yeah, that’s what I would say.

Zaragoza Wants To See Everyone’s “Ghost Introduction” in Flashbacks

“There’s something bizarre about it. It’d be fun to see every character in that moment.”

I love when this show does flashbacks because you guys have so much room to play there. With Sass having been around for so long, what kind of flashback would you want to see for him?

ZARAGOZA: Oh, boy. Gosh. I definitely want to see more of Thor and Sass before anyone else is there. I want to see how they communicate before they learn each other’s languages. I think that could be so fun, them just trying to figure each other out, and then Sass is like, “Ugh, this guy’s an idiot.” But then there’s been such sweet, tender moments between the two of them. I think it would be really fun to see every time a person dies and they become a ghost. I want to see every person when that happened for them because it’s such a fun moment. We saw that with Trevor. There’s something bizarre about it. It’d be fun to see every character in that moment.

Like their introduction. That would be great.

ZARAGOZA: Exactly.

I love every combination of this cast. I feel like you can pair any of you guys up and something magical happens on screen. Is there a relationship within the household that you’d like to explore more for Sasappis?

ZARAGOZA: Oh boy. Oh man, like, all of them, for sure. It’s a good question. One that I was thinking about for so long was Flower and Sass, and I feel like we’re finally getting that more and more, which is really exciting. But I think that would be a relationship to even develop more, especially now that Sass is in this world of maybe getting involved sexually, and Flower is like, “Let me teach you a few things!” That can be really fun and cute. But yeah, everybody. Every combination is so fun. Alberta could be really fun to dive into more, for sure, too.

All the peanut gallery moments with those two this season have been really fun.

ZARAGOZA: Yeah, it’s always fun being a peanut gallery with Danielle [Pinnock]. I feel like we, as characters really bounce off each other really well with the peanut gallery, so that’s really fun.

So, the show has been renewed for at least two more seasons. Congratulations! That makes me so happy. What’s on your wish list for Sass for the next two seasons? What’s your big, big wish?

ZARAGOZA: A big wish for me as an actor and as a lover of the show is to find out how Sass died. I think that’s a big piece that we’re still missing, and I would love for it to be something so ridiculous that he’s been hiding it for so long. Like, he’s been telling a story, and it turns out that story is completely false, and it’s actually something else incredibly embarrassing. That’s something that I would love to have. And then for him just to dive more into this relationship with Joan. I think there is more to unpack because the more that we dive into this relationship, I think the more we’re going to learn about him, and the more it’s going to bring out potentially these deeper, more unresolved things that he’s been holding on to.

Zaragoza Wants To Direct a Future Episode of ‘Ghosts’

“I went to school for film production, for directing, producing, and screenwriting.”

I love that. I really hope they bring her back next season. She’s so great. With Rose [McIver] jumping behind the camera this year, is that something that you would be interested in, like directing a future episode? You’re already so good at capturing those behind-the-scenes moments.

ZARAGOZA: Oh, man, I appreciate that! Yeah, that’s something I would love to get into. I went to school for film production, for directing, producing, and screenwriting. The last film I produced was in 2021, so it’s crazy it’s already 2025. That is insane. But yeah, I want to get back into directing. That’s something on my list of things to do this year. So, hopefully, one day, I’ll be able to direct an episode of Ghosts, and hopefully, the cast will be okay and treat me well, but we’ll see. It’s a lot of fun. It’s such a machine at this point, so coming in as a director, it’s really just making sure to know how to punch things up and let everyone do their thing.

It was really fun to watch Rose do it. She’s so good at directing, and we all knew that was going to be the case because she’s such an incredible actor, very smart person, and has done it in the past. So, it was really inspiring.

I love that, and I love cast-directed episodes. It’s so fun to see how it plays through the eyes of someone who is on the show.

Lastly, I’ve heard from your other castmates that we’re heading for a very jam-packed finale, so what can you tease about the end of Season 4?

ZARAGOZA: Oh boy, I’m always so bad about these things. What can I tease about the end of Season 4?

It’s hard to toe that line.

ZARAGOZA: It’s such a line because you can’t cross it, but you want to get close to it. I’ll just say that Sass continues his journey with love. A lot goes down in the finale — a lot of people, a lot of ghosts, a lot. So, just get ready. It’s gonna be fun!

New episodes of Ghosts air every Thursday on CBS. You can watch previous episodes on Paramount+.

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