{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/arts/television/marcello-hernandez-snl.html","title":"Marcello Hernández Handles SNL Haters","domain":"nytimes.com","imageUrl":"https://images.pexels.com/photos/543/black-and-white-man-person-cigarette.jpg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940","pexelsSearchTerm":"Marcello Hernndez comedian","category":"Science","language":"en","slug":"a09e277e","id":"a09e277e-31ff-4407-8c93-50f7f50faed7","description":"Marcello Hernández profiles his rise on SNL amid online critics for characters like Domingo and sketch styles.","summary":"## TL;DR\n- Marcello Hernández profiles his rise on SNL amid online critics for characters like Domingo and sketch styles.\n- His Netflix special \"American Boy\" premieres January 7, joking Latinos commit \"fun, exciting crimes\" not depraved ones.\n- Early career fears during pandemic built resilience that now motivates him against haters.\n\n## The story at a glance\nMarcello Hernández, a frequent \"Saturday Night Live\" cast member since 2022, faces backlash for his breakout character Domingo in opening sketches, dorky white guy impressions, and Spanish dialogue. The New York Times profile by Dave Itzkoff, published December 27, 2025, covers how he handles detractors on social media and in his mind while promoting his debut Netflix stand-up special \"American Boy.\" It comes now ahead of the special's January 7 release and amid his growing prominence on the show.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/arts/television/marcello-hernandez-snl.html)\n\n## Key points\n- Hernández appears on SNL nearly every week, drawing complaints when Domingo kicks off episodes or when he uses exaggerated accents and Spanish.\n- In \"American Boy,\" filmed in Miami, he pushes back on Latino stereotypes by saying they \"do fun, exciting crimes,\" avoiding deep dives into immigration politics.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/arts/television/marcello-hernandez-snl.html)\n- His mother once defended him on Instagram with a fake account in her dog's name, calling haters \"negative Nancy,\" though not at his direction.\n- Pandemic hit hard: after John Carroll University graduation, he sold medication by phone while living with his mom, thinking comedy dreams were done.\n- A tough entry process to SNL \"forged\" him, leaving him \"inoculated against critics\" and driven to contribute.\n- He imagines detractors for motivation and engages some directly online.\n\n## Details and context\nHernández quit soccer at John Carroll in Ohio to pursue comedy, starting at 18 in Cleveland dive bars, open mics, and clubs like Hilarities 4th Street, where he interned.[[2]](https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/01/10/john-carroll-university-alum-snl-star-marcello-hernndez-gets-netflix-special) He graduated in 2019 with degrees in entrepreneurship and communication, then moved toward New York stages amid COVID shutdowns.\n\nDomingo, the suave womanizer romancing Chloe Fineman's Kelsey, went viral and anchored an October 2025 SNL opener hosted by Sabrina Carpenter, marking a milestone from recurring bit to lead sketch.[[3]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/arts/television/snl-sabrina-carpenter-trump-george-santos.html)\n\nThe special reflects his first-generation American life—Cuban-Dominican roots in Miami—with family stories, like his mom's skepticism of his ADD diagnosis.\n\n## Key quotes\n- \"Latinos do fun, exciting crimes.\"[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/arts/television/marcello-hernandez-snl.html) —Marcello Hernández, in his Netflix special.\n- He'd been \"forged by a process that inoculated [him] against critics.\" —Hernández, to the reporter on entering SNL.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/arts/television/marcello-hernandez-snl.html)\n\n## Why it matters\nSNL breakouts like Hernández test if the show can still launch enduring stars in a fragmented media landscape. Fans and viewers get a window into thriving amid scrutiny, with his special expanding Latino voices in mainstream comedy. Watch his post-Netflix trajectory and any SNL contract shifts, though he recently said he's committed and enjoying it.","hashtags":["#snl","#comedy","#netflix","#standup","#latino","#comedians"],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/27/arts/television/marcello-hernandez-snl.html","title":"Original article"},{"url":"https://www.cleveland19.com/2026/01/10/john-carroll-university-alum-snl-star-marcello-hernndez-gets-netflix-special","title":""},{"url":"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/arts/television/snl-sabrina-carpenter-trump-george-santos.html","title":""}],"viewCount":2,"publishedAt":"2026-04-07T14:56:50.421Z"}