From becoming a main cast member on Saturday Night Live (SNL) to working with the MLB to celebrate Latinos in baseball, Marcello Hernández is leaving his mark. And when Remezcla spoke to the comedian of Cuban and Dominican descent, one thing became very clear from the jump. Despite all the stardom and accolades coming his way, right now he’s here to work, pay it forward, and take it one day at a time.
“Obviously I have a bunch of goals and dreams that I want to accomplish in this business but I think the only way I’m going to get there is if I take it one day at a time,” Hernández said when we asked about where he sees himself next or what big goals he has. But for him, he doesn’t want to get too far ahead of himself. It’s about “getting better at writing and getting better at storytelling and learning from all the great writers at SNL. […] Just focus on the work and don’t talk about it, be about it.“
Before becoming a main cast member for SNL, Hernández did comedy for social media channels like Only in Dade and was selected for Just for Laughs New Face of Comedy. In 2019 he moved to New York City to pursue a career in stand-up. And in 2022 he joined SNL, one of the biggest shows on TV since its start in 1975. And from his very first season, it was clear to everyone, including Latine viewers, that he was going to become a secret weapon for SNL.
“When I did that [Weekend Update] in my first season about the difference between the Latino players and the American players, that kind of opened up a lot of doors.” From there he’s gone on to do multiple Weekend Update appearances and viral skits about Sabado Gigante, protective moms, Spanish class, and immigrant dads. “To me it’s a blessing that I get the opportunity to do [these skits] because these are iconic parts of our culture that I’m lucky enough to work with these writers and find a way to put it on TV.”
But Hernández isn’t just concerned with what’s going on on-screen or learning from greats. He’s also thinking about the future of SNL and the younger cast members that come after him and how it’s a responsibility in itself. “With it being my third season there’s a lot of responsibility because there’s a lot of young people under me now. Like people who are younger than me and have been there less time than me now. So I think just being a good resource for them and just trying to find ways to write the stuff that makes me laugh.”
Working on SNL has also opened doors for him to work in industries near and dear to him and his family like MLB. He participated in a campaign to celebrate Latino culture within baseball alongside Puerto Rican singer Myke Towers titled El Béisbol Es Otra Cosa! Hernández shared: “I’m half Cuban, half Dominican. Obviously I grew up with my uncles watching baseball and my mom’s uncle always telling me how the Marlins are doing. My dads Dominican and he’s a big baseball fan. He’s always watching baseball and always calling me and telling me about the new Dominican player that is doing well. So I’ve always been kind of attached to it.”
Recently, Hernández has shared his good fortune as his star rises with his Cuban-born mom Isabel. She’s been a notable figure in Hernández’s career, red carpet appearances, and has even inspired memorable SNL skits like the one of Pedro Pascal playing his overprotective mom meeting his new girlfriend. Now he’s helping his “mama” get her own bag as they both star in an ad for T-Mobile. In it, he’s telling her how he got his hands on the latest iPhone 16.
When asked about working with his mom, he lit up, ready to talk about her, especially with how hard he knows she’s worked in raising him. “I think you grow up just hearing about…when you have an immigrant mom all you grew up hearing is about how difficult it was for her to get to this point. And all the trials and tribulations,” Hernández said. “I think that thinking about all the hard ways that she’s had to work, the fact that I could put her in a commercial [with T-Mobile] where she can just have some fun and say some lines and be with me on a stage like that, it’s a blessing. That’s the dream.”
And we can’t wait to see what dream Marcello Hernández is holding close to his chest next. For himself. But also for his mom and all the Latine people who love watching him continue to shine. Because when he dreams, so do we.
Watch Marcello Hernández and his Isabel in a BTS video filming the T-Mobile ad below.
