MARCELLO

Marcello Hernández has brought fresh dynamism and viral Latino characters to SNL. But his new stand-up special might reveal where his ambition truly lies.

- By Brady Langmann

"THIS HOUR IS MY WHOLE LIFE, YOU KNOW?" Marcello Hernández is not talking about our hour-long Zoom interview, which the twenty-eight-year-old comedian does almost entirely off camera. (“After I do an interview, I try to immediately forget that I did it,” he deadpans.) No, he’s referring to his new stand-up routine, which—at the time of our chat in early July—he’s touring around the country. The goal? See what works, see what doesn’t, and shape the material into a Netflix special that will tape later this fall. He’s more than a little obsessed. “It’s my baby,” he says. “It’s my wedding.”

If it’s Hernández’s big day, expect an incredibly fun ceremony. Almost as soon as the Cuban-Dominican American performer joined Saturday Night Live in 2022, it became obvious that he is the most dynamic cast member the show has seen since Kate McKinnon or Bill Hader. His superpowers include: A detonate-your-TV-screen manic energy, the ability to create instantly meme-able characters for