Marcello Hernández: Catch Him, If You Can

When Marcello Hernández speaks, his sound takes ebullient leaps and bounds. He tells jokes pinch nan aforesaid philharmonic cadence of nan Caribbean songs his parents raised him on; classics by Juan Luis Guerra, Celia Cruz and Tito El Bambino.

“My dada is for illustration a funny small Dominican feline and past my Cuban mom is this larger-than-life benignant of figure,” explains nan 28-year-old stand-up comic. “Watching them each beryllium funny successful their ain small measurement was important to me,” he adds.

In his 2025 Netflix stand-up drama special, “American Boy,” Hernández painted a riotous image of his younker successful Miami, wherever he grew up playing shot and yet starred successful comedic videos for nan city’s beloved societal media page, Only successful Dade. In 2022, he joined nan formed of “Saturday Night Live,” weaving his excitable Spanglish travel into recurring sketches for illustration “Domingo” (which co-starred Sabrina Carpenter) and his English-language spoof of nan Latin American assortment show “Sabado Gigante.” In sketches for illustration “Protective Mom” — partially inspired by his ain aggressively doting mother — he’s tag teamed pinch talents for illustration Pedro Pascal and Bad Bunny to amplify nan vibrancy and absurdity of Latino joke for anglophone audiences.

Come May 10 successful Los Angeles, Hernández will header the biggest Spanish-language drama show ever to grace nan Hollywood Bowl, arsenic portion of nan Netflix Is a Joke drama festival. The Bowl show will travel pinch support from Mexican comedian Sofia Niño de Rivera and a typical philharmonic capacity by nan Colombian reggaeton sensation Feid — whose songs Hernández can’t thief but singing astatine random passim our interview. (His favourite astatine nan moment? “Chorrito Pa Las Animas.”)

“It’s nan first clip there’s been an all-Spanish drama arena astatine nan Hollywood Bowl,” Hernández says. “When my agents told me, I couldn’t judge it!”

Hernández greets maine connected a Zoom telephone wearing Clubmaster sunglasses, his caput wrapped mummy-like by an off-white hoodie, knit scarf and beanie. He’s conscionable taken a greeting stroll successful New York pinch his girlfriend, Dominican designer Ana Amelia Batlle Cabral, and is still defrosting from nan wintry chill; he’ll beryllium afloat warmed up upon landing successful California.

“I want to show my kids astir nan Hollywood Bowl show,” he says. “Like, ‘You know, your begetter was nan first guy.’ You cognize really your uncles were ever ‘the first guy’ to do something?”

“Yeah,” he says, fanning his hands crossed nan surface for emphasis. “‘I was nan first feline … successful nan world!’”

This question and reply has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Your Cuban and Dominican family is simply a fixture of your Netflix special, “American Boy.” How do you deliberation your family influenced your consciousness of humor?

I deliberation you gotta beryllium funny if your parents are divorced. My parents getting divided made maine [grow into] an big quicker. All my friends of divided parents person a funny point astir them, because what is much childish than being like: “I can’t beryllium pinch you anymore?” I’d telephone my dada for illustration a grown-up: “Pick maine up astatine 7. We will person meal and past you will return maine to my location because I person schoolhouse successful nan morning.”

Caribbeans emotion nicknames. What were immoderate nicknames you had increasing up?

Dominican kids that I met astatine summertime campy were funny arsenic hell. They utilized to telephone maine “rubio” [and] “gringo” — they knew I was Dominican, but they conscionable liked to messiness around. My small relative didn’t cognize really to opportunity my sanction right, truthful he utilized to telephone maine Mamelo. [Author’s note: That translates to “suck it” successful Spanish.]

Do you ever consult your family earlier penning jokes?

I deliberation I did my time! I earned nan expertise to opportunity this stuff. We’re ever together. I would ne'er want to make my family look bad for a laugh. I don’t deliberation that’s a smart measurement to play it. My mom has ever gone to my shows and been like, “What is he going to opportunity now?” But we person a awesome relationship. Something I emotion astir migrant families is that we person a beautiful bully consciousness of humor. We don’t return ourselves excessively seriously, because immoderate parts of life are very serious.

Your mom is portion of a Cuban exile organization — you managed to toggle shape her stories into a moving joke astir your privilege successful narration to really she grew up. How did it style your perspective?

I ne'er had to time off my state aliases commencement complete again, particularly for illustration [she did] astatine my property now — she had kids and I’m stressed astir jokes. She’s fixed maine a batch of perspective. And I deliberation position is nan quality betwixt a personification that’s going to beryllium OK and a personification that’s going to struggle. I deliberation it’s each based connected your perspective. If you unrecorded your life from a spot of gratitude, you person a amended chance to past and springiness backmost too.

When I was a teenager, I utilized to unpaid astatine a status location pinch these Cuban ladies. I hung retired pinch 1 who was 98 years aged and would thrust her astir successful her wheelchair. She was ever happy to spot me. A twelvemonth aft we started hanging out, she passed away. I learned to bask nan time. At first it felt for illustration a occupation to spell location [when] I wanted to conscionable beryllium astir and watch TV. But yet I started to consciousness joy, being location for people. I’ve met a batch of celebrated group [who] are really successful [but] besides ace nice, generous and caring. It inspires you to beryllium better.

Who are immoderate of those group for you?

Pedro Pascal has been a life changer successful galore ways pinch that first sketch we did connected “SNL.” I deliberation Kenan [Thompson] was ever truthful unreasonably adjuvant pinch maine successful nan early days. Colin [Jost] was ever really bully to me, Ego Nwodim was for illustration a large sister to maine connected nan show. She’s specified a powerful performer. Kevin Hart besides had large relative power pinch me.

As a Latino and nan first Gen-Z formed personnel of “SNL,” you’ve helped propel nan show successful truthful galore ways. You’ve written truthful galore awesome Latino characters into your sketches — and introduced group to “Sabado Gigante!”

That was pinch Steven Castillo, we wrote that together. He’s Mexican American. He evidently grew up watching that show arsenic well. And it really felt for illustration a existent infinitesimal because that show was truthful important to us. It was conscionable cool to do it pinch American group for illustration pinch Paul Rudd [and] Nate Bargatze, who was truthful funny successful that. I dream to look backmost connected “SNL” and deliberation I did thing cool. You’re expected to constitute astir what you cognize — and I do cognize a small spot astir being a small Latino boy.

The measurement you and Bad Bunny person teamed up successful your sketches is enjoyable to watch. How did you create rapport pinch him, arsenic actors?

He’s conscionable a guy! I’ve met his parents and each his friends. He’s conscionable a feline that keeps his family very adjacent and his friends very close. I’m blessed that he was cool capable to benignant of fto maine successful astatine all. He’s specified a difficult worker and specified a imaginative talent, and erstwhile he comes to “SNL,” I consciousness a work to springiness him thing to play with. His “El Chavo Del Ocho” [sketch] was his baby.

You’re headlining an all-Spanish drama show astatine nan Hollywood Bowl pinch Feid — is location gonna beryllium a philharmonic constituent to your performance?

I emotion his music! I’ve really been to 1 of his concerts connected my ain successful nan past. There’s gonna beryllium immoderate drama astatine nan opening and past there’s gonna beryllium freaking reggaeton! I want group to travel and laughter and dance. What other tin you inquire for? That’s, successful galore ways, my perfect evening.

Say you were successful a crowd of Latinos astatine a karaoke barroom — what would you sing?

In Spanish, everything feels much formal. [Singing lines from “Se Preparó” by Ozuna] I went to precocious schoolhouse successful Miami and it was funny to beryllium 15, 16, singing these dense romance songs connected nan autobus pinch nan athletes, nan shot players. We were reasoning that we were truthful cool! There’s truthful galore [others] to take from — I motion disconnected my emails pinch “La Bamba.” One of my favourite songs of each clip is “Loco” by Beéle. Also “Amor Narcótico” by Chichí Peralta. Shout retired to “Me Rehúso” by Danny Ocean... And “Te Lo Agradezco, Pero No” pinch Alejandro Sanz and Shakira. I heard it playing from a nutrient cart yesterday and it stopped maine successful my tracks!