Latino short-king Marcello Hernández has added his own flavor to Saturday Night Live (SNL), and the audience just cannot get enough of him! The half-Cuban, half-Dominican stand-up comedian is the first Gen-Z cast member to be a part of the coveted late-night sketch show, which premiered back in October 1975. His hilarious sketches and memorable characters have made Hernández a fan-favorite. The comedian’s incorporation of finer details from his life experiences and culture also brings a nuanced edge to his SNL persona.
Saturday Night Live is a live sketch comedy show created by Lorne Michaels, who currently serves as the program’s showrunner. An SNL episode is typically hosted by a guest celebrity who delivers an opening monologue and proceeds to perform sketches with the cast. From Kim Kardashian to Danny DeVito and even K-pop sensation BTS, all the big names in entertainment have left their footprints on the SNL stage. The sketches have varying topics that are satirical takes on trending themes in popular culture, parodical interpretations of American politics, and everything in between. Marcello Hernández is one of the newer cast members of the show, which boasts over 40 seasons. Let’s get to know him a little more up close and personal!
Marcello Hernández Grew Up In Miami
Marcello Hernández is an American stand-up comedian and actor who grew up in Miami, Florida. He has a degree in Entrepreneurship and Communication from John Carroll University. He’s Cuban on his mother’s side and Dominican on his father’s. His comedic bits often involve fun and quirky allusions to his Latinx upbringing in America. Hernández’s stand-up comedy also entails lengthy discussions about his family, with bits about his parents’ divorce, growing up in a female-dominated household, and what it means to be the child of immigrants in America.
Hernández’s life in Miami has played an important role in his stand-up beginnings. His initial comedic endeavors involved a weekly show released on social media called Only in Dade. The show saw Hernandez recording footage with subsequent commentary of events in Miami — bringing to light what made his hometown different from other cities in America.
From Stand-Up To SNL: Marcello Hernández’s Comedic Journey
Marcello Hernández found his footing as an entertainer by doing comedy and performing short-form pieces on social media. Only in Dade gained him significant TikTok prominence. Like most aspiring comedians, he moved to New York City in 2019 to test the waters of stand-up comedy. Things started looking up for him when he was picked for the Just For Laughs New Face of Comedy festival in 2022. His sassy stand-up bit for the festival cemented him as a force to be reckoned with in the humor scene — the themes for which included hilarious takes on how he looks like a “White Tik-Tok-er” with exciting bouts of dance thrown in here and there.
His comedy deals with heavy topics like immigrant life, divorce, and even communism with a subtle flair that takes away from the seriousness of the same, conjuring a plethora of shits and giggles. Marcello Hernández officially joined the cast of SNL in 2022 as a featured player at the start of SNL Season 48, and things have never looked better for the young Hispanic comedian.
Marcello’s Notable SNL Skits And Characters
The “Petite Prince” has already left his mark on SNL with hilarious skits that leave viewers in stitches. One of the most popular ones would have to be the ‘Weekend Update: Marcello Hernández on Being a Short King,’ where he discusses with co-anchor Colin Jost the plight of “short-kings,” delivering hilariously relatable lines like “… we learned how to dance, not because we wanted to but because we had to! ”
Another one of his popular SNL skits would hands down have to be “Protective Mom” and “Protective Mom 2,” which feature Bad Bunny and Pedro Pascal. The hilarious and in-your-face depiction of Hispanic stereotypes with Spanish lines thrown in conjures laughter even from those who don’t understand the language. Hernandez plays the son of an overprotective mom whose cold reactions to her son’s Caucasian girlfriends (Chloe Fineman, Chloe Troast) lead to dramatic outbursts in Spanglish.
Marcello Hernández’s sketches are a class apart with his self-deprecating sense of humor, fiery personality, and adorable expressions, with every single one of them garnering immense re-watch potential. He’s starred in various viral SNL skits alongside famous faces like Timothée Chalamet, Michael B. Jordan, Karol G, and many more. It’s safe to say that fans of the show are always on the lookout for new content from the co-creator of the “Baby-Faced Dude” rap. Also don’t forget to check out 6 things to know about Saturday Night Live’s Don Novello!
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