Marcello Hernandez Joins Cast of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” for Season 48

Marcello Hernandez will be working Saturday nights

The Cuban & Dominican American stand up comedian, writer and actor has joined the cast of Saturday Night Live as a featured player for Season 48.

Marcello HernandezHernandez joins a roster of new cast additions that includes Molly Kearney, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker.

Hernandez has opened for the likes of Tim Dillon and Gilbert Gottfried and appeared on Telemundo’s Acceso Total. The Miami comedian was recently named a “New Face of Comedy” at the prestigious Montreal “Just for Laughs” festival.  And locals may know Hernandez from his work with Only in Dade. He was the creative director of their lifestyle page.

“This will be transition year,” Lorne Michaels said backstage at the Primetime Emmys, where SNL won the award for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.

“Change years are always difficult but always exciting. There are new people. There are four new people, at least for now.”

The announcement comes after it was revealed in May that Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Kyle Mooney were leaving the show at the end of Season 47 along with Pete Davidson. It later emerged that Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, the first-ever Latina cast member, and Aristotle Athari would not be returning either.

SNL returns on October 1 with three consecutive shows.

Michaels added that the pandemic kept the large cast together longer than perhaps expected.

“The pandemic sort of interfered with the national order of things. I think there was a bonding; people got very close,” he added. “When we did those at-home shows, you got to see everyone’s apartment where and how they lived. There was an intimacy and connection between audience and group. I couldn’t imagine we could work without that whole team so we kept going.”

Saturday Night Live is produced in association with Broadway Video.

 

Melissa Villaseñor to Appear on Third Season of Netflix’s “The Standups”

Melissa Villaseñor is standing up

The 33-year-old Mexican American actress, stand-up comedian, impressionist, visual artist and singer will appear on the third season of Netflix’s The Standups.

Melissa Villaseñor

Netfix ordered six half-hour episodes for the third season of the comedy series, which will premiere later this year.

In addition to Villaseñor, the first Latina cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, the six standalone specials will also feature comedians Brian Simpson, Dusty Slay, Janelle James, Mark Normand and Naomi Ekperigin.

Per the synopsis: The Standups features all new comedians at the top of their game delivering half-hour sets. Among them, they have starred in the biggest shows on television, performed in festivals all over the world and headlined at the premier comedy clubs across the world.

The third season of The Standups will tape live in NYC this summer and premiere on Netflix later this year.

Melissa Villaseñor to Host This Year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards Ceremony

Melissa Villaseñor has the spirit

The 33-year-old Mexican actress, stand-up comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member is set to host this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony.

Melissa Villaseñor

The show will not be live from the Santa Monica Beach this year due to COVID-19.

Villaseñor, the first Latina cast member of NBC’s long-running SNL, cut her teeth on the stand-up circuit in Los Angeles, and was further propelled to stardom by being a semifinalist on the 2011 edition of America’s Got Talent before landing on the SNL cast.

She is famous for her impersonations of celebrities like Owen Wilson, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and more.

This year’s show will be airing on Thursday, April 22, on IFC and AMC+ at 10:00 pm ET, breaking tradition as the Spirits typically take place on the Saturday afternoon before Sunday’s Oscars.

Said Blake Callaway, Executive Director, IFC and SundanceTV, “Melissa and the unique circumstances of now will make this year’s ceremony like no other. It will certainly be a departure from the past, but with Melissa, the chances of Dolly, Ariana Grande, Bjork, Gwen Stefani, Julie Andrews and Lady Gaga showing up have skyrocketed.”

“As someone who considers herself a pretty dependent person, I’m truly honored to host the Film Independent Spirit Awards,” said Villaseñor.

Outside of SNL, Villaseñor has provided voiceovers in films like Toy Story 4 and Ralph Breaks the InternetShe also was a guest on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee; and in projects like Hubie Halloween, Barry and Crashing, among others.

She’s currently working on her first book, a creative self-help journal forthcoming from Chronicle Books.

She joins a roster of past Spirit Awards hosts that includes Aubrey Plaza, Nick Kroll, Kristen Bell, Joel McHale, Patton Oswalt, Queen Latifah, John Waters, Samuel L. Jackson and Kumail Nanjiani.

Melissa Villaseñor to Appear in Saturday Night Live’s Second At-Home Episode

Melissa Villaseñor will be bringing the laughs once again from the comfort of her home…

Saturday Night Live will air its second at-home episode on April 25, featuring the 32-year-old Mexican American comedian/actress.

Melissa Villaseñor

The episode was announced Thursday on the show’s Twitter feed, accompanied by a video of the cast joining in a video conference call.

Saturday’s edition of the show will be the second one produced remotely, with cast members all filming sketches from their homes. 

The first, which aired April 11, pulled in SNL‘s second-best same day ratings of the season, trailing only the Eddie Murphy-hosted installment in December.

Tom Hanksserved as the nominal host for the episode, introducing the show from his kitchen and returning to wrap up the episode. He didn’t take part in any sketches. 

Chris Martinwas the musical guest, performing in front of a hand-drawn backdrop mimicking the SNL stage.

No host or musical guest information for Saturday’s edition was available at publication time.

Melissa Villaseñor to Guest Star on Jerry Seinfeld’s “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”

Melissa Villaseñor is ready to ride shotgun…

The 31-year-old actress, stand-up comedian, impressionist and Saturday Night Live cast member is set to guest star on the new season of Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

Melissa Villaseñor

The series, created and executive produced by Seinfeld, features vintage cars, funny conversations and a lot of caffeine as Jerry picks up each guest in a special car.

In addition to Villaseñor, SNL’s first Latina cast member, other guest stars for the new season include Martin ShortRicky GervaisMatthew BroderickEddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Sebastian ManiscalcoMario JoynerBridget Everettand Barry Marder.

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Season 11 premieres July 19 on Netflix

Miranda to Make “Saturday Night Live” Hosting Debut in October

Lin-Manuel Miranda is bracing for a sketch-filled October…

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican actor and Hamilton star/creator will make his debut as host of NBC’s long-running sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live on October 8.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Miranda recently wrapped his award-winning Broadway run as composer, lyricist and performer in the musical sensation and multiple-Tony winner Hamilton.

Miranda, who recently graced the cover  of GQ, will be joined by musical guest Twenty One Pilots, also making their SNL hosting debut. The duo (Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun) recently made history becoming the first alternative group ever with two simultaneous singles in the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 — “Ride,” from their multi-platinum studio album Blurryface, and “Heathens,” from Suicide Squad: The Album.

SNL has added three new featured players for the upcoming season: improv performer Alex Moffat and America’s Got Talent finalist Melissa Villaseñor, as well as Mikey Day, who has been a writer on the show since 2013.

Villaseñor: The First-Ever Latina Cast Member on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”

Melissa Villaseñor is making television history…

The 28-year-old stand-up comedian and former America’s Got Talent has joined the cast of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, making her the first Latina cast member in the sketch comedy show’s 41 years on the air.

Melissa Villaseñor

Villaseñor, best known as a Top 16 finalist in season six of America’s Got Talent, has been working as a standup comedian across the country for more than 10 years. 

After auditioning for the show in 2009 without success, Villaseñor was determined to work on her craft, knowing that – given another opportunity – she would return.

SNL is one of the main reasons why I started comedy at 15 and I pray to be there someday when I am ready and have even more to offer,” she said seven years ago. “I am very thankful for that experience and will always keep working at new impressions as well as my standup comedy.”

SNL boss Lorne Michaels, for his part, gave her and other Hispanic comedians a chance to prove their worth when SNL’s Broadway Video – along with NBC Universal Telemundo – launched Más Mejor, a studio and comedy network aimed at discovering and cultivating Latino talent earlier this year.

Villaseñor was a major player and used the opportunity to strengthen her skills, including her impersonations of celebrities like Jennifer Lopez.

She also previously lent her voice to Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time and also has worked on Family Guy and Comedy Central’s Trip Tank.

Villaseñor will make her debut in the SNL season premiere on October 1.