Smash Notes
Marcello Hernández
People
Speaker 1
This episode is brought to you by Hilton, the official hotel partner of the Big Ten. Every college football weekend, fired-up fans hit the road with their lucky shirts, pre-game rituals with friends and family, and oddly specific traditions. Good thing Hilton's unmatched hospitality is ready. They know not to wash your lucky jersey. They'll find you a room with your favorite player's number and prepare your must-have pre-game waffles.
When you need a team that will do whatever it takes on game day, it matters where you stay. Hilton, for the stay.
Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Very excited about our guest today. It is Marcelo Hernandez. You know Marcelo from SNL. He is a great standup. He's a real charm machine. And we love Marcelo. We have so much fun in this interview. We're going to, we're going to talk about so many things today. We're going to talk about soccer.
We're going to talk about summer school. We're going to talk about, the fact that his mom decides who cuts his hair. We're going to talk about, he's bad at texting. And he's going to try to constantly and consistently compliment me through this thing. And I'm going to really, really fight back. So, we're going to have a good time today. But before we talk to Marcelo, we always find somebody who knows our guest, who wants to speak well behind our guests back and, and give me a question to ask them.
And we are back with our friend, Sarah Sherman. Sarah, a fellow cast member with Marcelo at SNL and a real peach. And we're going to get her on Zoom. See, see what she thinks I should ask him. Look! Wow, some interesting Photoshop.
This episode of Good Hang is presented by PayPal. Brighten up the start to the festive season by getting ahead of the holiday rush. Shop your favorite online stores with PayPal this holiday, like Sephora for gift sets, Target for toys and electronics, and TikTok Shop for fashion apparel and gadgets. Check out with the flexibility to pay now or pay later and split your payments with pay in four with no interest, no late fees.
Shop now with PayPal. Pay in four subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com slash pay in four. PayPal Inc. N M L S
Speaker 2
9 1 0 4 5 7.
Speaker 1
Wow. For people that are listening and not watching, Sarah just popped up on her Zoom with a Marcello screensaver. She's in between two gorgeous pictures of him.
Speaker 3
Stop, lady. Let me buy you a drink.
Speaker 1
Look at that punim, as, as one would say.
Speaker 3
Isn't he so cute? He
Speaker 1
really does have a real puppy quality.
Speaker 3
Do we have the same hair, by the way? He would, by the way, kill himself if I said that.
Speaker 1
Sarah, you know that I like to compliment you and you like to deflect. I
Speaker 3
want it. I want it today. That's what I want.
Speaker 1
You have great hair. Thank
Speaker 3
you. Thank you. I do go into getting a haircut and I say, do your worst. So I'm glad it comes out good.
Speaker 1
Sherman, it is really good to see you. I
Speaker 3
miss you guys.
Speaker 1
We, we We, our time together on the pod was so fun. We still talk about it, but Marcelo is probably the, the, cast member I feel like I kind of know the least about. And,
tell me when you, when you guys first met. How, how, you were already at the show?
Speaker 3
I met him on the show. This fucking brat shows up. He is going to be so fucking mad that you guys got me for this. He's going to be like, could have gotten Kevin Hart, Sebastian Maniscalco, Adam Sandler, and you got fucking Sarah. Our relationship started because I'd be up all night on writing night, like writing like a maniac. And he would be like, chill, dude, relax.
You're good, man. Because I feel like I'm a very, I'm like a homework girl.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 3
And You know, having someone reflect that back, having like a fun guy.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 3
Like major puppy dog energy being like, you can relax, you can take it easy, sis.
Speaker 1
It's funny that you say that. That is like when I was thinking about what I want to talk to him about, like he definitely always looks like he's having fun. It's very like little, little brother energy. Like you guys, let's not forget that this is fun.
Speaker 3
I would die without him there because he is, he's always having fun. Like writing night at 3 a.m. He's, him and Cam Patterson will be like doing like backflips. They'll put like all the chairs in on 17 together in like a big tower on top of like the writing table and like do like backflips over them. But he's really, he's very menschy. Like he's very, you know, like he's, he's really tight with his mom.
You know, he's always like such a good guy because of how like well he takes care of his like family and like, you know,
the little brother energy is like, cause he cares. Like, he'll call me, like, on a Wednesday at 8 PM, like, during a hiatus, and we're like, you know, I'm not, I'm like lying on my couch, like, rotting. And he'll be like, "Alright, bro, what, what clubs are you doing tonight? Like, you getting up there? What are you doing? Come on." And I'm like, "I'm lying down watching X-Files." And he's like, hit the cellar, put your avails in, do some shows.
Like he's like weirdly like encouraging and he like, he'll like telepathically feel if I'm like feeling kind of like shitty and like activate.
Speaker 1
Does standups do that for each other or where they kind of like encourage each other to keep getting up and trying new stuff?
Speaker 3
Marcelo does. I feel like most standups are such fucking bloodsuckers that they're like hope nobody else is getting up.
Speaker 1
Totally. So
Speaker 3
they can hog all the stage time.
Speaker 1
I want to talk to him about the fact like he was a really good soccer player, like really cares about sports, like has a good connection with a lot of like his hosting the ESPYs, all this stuff, like is a is like a jock.
Speaker 3
He's a jock. In a way where I think I can't believe I'm going to be complimenting him so much.
I'll get to you. He, he's a, it's really great at SNL because he is like kind of like a team player in like a real way. Like he's really good at like involving people in bits and like, and sketches and like, he, you know, he gets everyone's voice really well and he's really good at including other people in his bits. And in a way that's like extremely generous in a very team player way, even though he is a standup.
And because he is a jock, he's really athletic and his like physicality like is unbelievable. He did, he did a Sebastian Maniscalco sketch where like, Sebastian is like a lawyer. He does like a backflip in it. He does like a back handspring, like a Russian teenage gymnast.
He, he did a backflip in like a Jack Black sketch too. He's like, he's physically unbelievable and like lied on his feet and like doing backflips, you know. So many
Speaker 1
backflips.
Speaker 3
I can't explain it. Like that's what he, he is like a newborn puppy who just like popped out of the womb, did a backflip. But then like, you know, he'll come to my office at like 10 PM. He's like, I'm ordering Thai food. You want anything? And I joked like, yeah, give me a Beats pill. And he got me one.
Speaker 1
What's a Beats pill?
Speaker 3
A little speaker. He's just like, he's, he's just generous like that. It was like four minutes ago he was giving me a wedgie and now I have like a $300 speaker in my office. When I was kidding, by the way.
Speaker 1
Okay, what, what question do you think I should ask Marcelo today?
Speaker 3
I'd like three questions. Okay, great. One, what's your fucking deal, dude? Two, oh, are you gonna stay not answering my texts?
Look at your phone, Marcelo.
Speaker 1
I have experience with that. Marcelo is really bad at texting.
Speaker 3
Cause he's, well, I have his location on, so I'll be like, why isn't he fucking texting me back? And then I'll look at his location and he's doing like a children's fundraiser in Costa Rica. And I'm
Speaker 1
like,
Speaker 3
respect,
Speaker 1
respect,
Speaker 3
respect. and I always know where he is at all times, so he can never betray me.
my, my question is, he is, he's a very, inherently social person and gets like, he gets very energized by other people. He's all, like, he literally kind of like can't be alone for more than five seconds, which is why he's so fun.
but legit. He's an amazing joke writer, and he's extremely productive and prolific. Like, he just put out an hour of standup. He already has another. He's constantly touring. And I just, like, don't understand when and where he has the time to do that. So I'm like, it's kind of a bad question, but I'm like, I literally want to know when and how is he writing jokes?
Speaker 1
Because
Speaker 3
also he, I have a feeling, because I've asked him this before, and I think he was just like, shut up, you know, whatever. But it is like a serious question cuz I have a feeling he writes a lot on stage cuz he's so like physical and like gets really energized by an audience, but his jokes are actually good and well written.
Speaker 1
You're making a good point, right? Which is that sometimes when someone's, not always, but like when someone's doing physical stuff, it's like a vibe and if you read it on a page, it wouldn't really feel like a, like a crafted joke, but you're saying he can do both.
Speaker 3
He has legit well written jokes. You know, and he always kind of makes this joke like at SNL, you know, he's like, you know me, like, you know, I'm like a bad sketch writer or whatever. Cuz, you know, you just get into like a way at SNL where you're like, you've decided you've called yourself something. Totally. Like, you know.
Speaker 1
Totally. When you
Speaker 3
did therapy on me like crazy, when I was like, I'm not a good actor or performer, you know, whatever. But he'll be like, oh, you know, like I can't write it. But it's like, then when he actually puts his fingers on a keyboard and writes, it's like he is a really good writer and all of his standup is like really tight, good. He has set up punchline jokes.
So in my head, I'm like, so he's writing it down, but I'm like, when, where?
Speaker 1
I love this question. Cause it, it, it, I think that there's a, underneath it, there's just this idea of like figuring out what we're like allowed to say about ourselves. Like what are we actually, what would we dare to say we're good at basically?
Speaker 3
Right. That's good. Yeah. Come to think of it, I did ask a good question, didn't I?
Speaker 1
Now, the, the, the Gen Xer in me wants to know, how did you get his face in the Zoom screen and how do you do that?
Speaker 3
Listen, I'm, I'm a professional and I'm also a magician as well. So magician never reveals the secrets that she does really well.
Speaker 1
Jeremy, I, I love talking to you. I wish we could do it every week. It's so fun. Thanks for doing this. I think he's going to be so happy.
Speaker 3
Are you guys seeing him now?
Speaker 1
Yeah, he's coming in in like, he'll be here in like a half an hour.
Speaker 3
Tell him I said up yours.
Speaker 1
Thank you so much for doing it. Okay, love you too. Talk to you soon. Bye.
Folks, it's officially fall, which means we've entered the season of change. Changing leaves, refreshed wardrobes, and new routines. But the one thing that doesn't need to change, your phone. The smartest upgrade this season isn't a new phone, it's a better wireless plan. Switch to Visible, the ultimate wireless hack. You get unlimited 5G data and unlimited hotspot, powered by Verizon for just $25 a month.
That means keeping the phone you already love, ditching your overpriced phone bill, and saving enough to give yourself a pumpkin spice all season long. All the perks of big wireless for half the cost. Switch today at visible.com. The Visible plan starts at $25 a month, or get our premium Visible Plus plan and save $10 on your first month with promo code HANG.
Terms apply. See visible.com for plan features and network management details.
Wow, Marcelo is here and he has a gorgeous, gorgeous
Speaker 4
flowers. This is for you. They remind me of you.
Speaker 1
Sunflowers?
Speaker 4
Yeah, you, you brighten so many people's lives.
Speaker 1
Wow.
Speaker 4
And, I think I, it's the least I can do.
Speaker 1
Well, let's get started. Why is Marcelo bringing me flowers? Why do you feel the need to bring me such thank you for these gorgeous flowers? Of course,
Speaker 4
of course. I'm sensing a weird energy. Like you're not so happy about the flowers or
Speaker 1
put
Speaker 4
them on the floor. I
Speaker 1
feel like this is some kind of mea culpa. What's happening?
Speaker 4
No, no, mea, mea, mea happy, mea, mea grateful to be here with you.
and, and so many people, they give people, they give people their flowers. Do you know what I mean? Like, giving you the literally.
Speaker 1
They're beautiful.
Speaker 4
You
Speaker 1
came in very shy.
Speaker 4
I know. Dude, it's so good to see you. And yes, I do have a mea culpa, if people are wondering.
Speaker 1
Do you? I
Speaker 4
do with you, yes.
Speaker 1
What is it? Cause you
Speaker 4
texted me and I didn't answer. I took too long.
Speaker 1
What did I text you about?
Speaker 4
I don't even want to think about it. It's a big mistake. It's one of my largest regrets. No,
Speaker 1
I'm getting to know you and what I'm realizing is that you're not a great texter. No.
Speaker 4
That's
Speaker 1
okay.
Speaker 4
No, but I'm working.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 4
I'm doing the work and I'm big on a cat.
Speaker 1
Wait, did you just try to fly? Not a
Speaker 4
fly, no. I did not kill an animal.
Speaker 1
It
Speaker 4
was a, it was a flurry, something.
Speaker 1
Like a fuzzy. Yeah,
Speaker 4
fuzzy, yes. But, no, it's, it's, I, it's so bad, and,
Speaker 1
Does it bother you to be a bad texter, or do you actually care?
Speaker 4
I care a lot.
Speaker 1
You do. Especially
Speaker 4
when, like, especially when it's somebody like you that I'm like, I can't believe I, you texted me. Like, I, I think about it often of like, you worked your whole life to get to a place where an, an Amy Poehler could or would text you, and then you have the balls.
Speaker 1
Ghosted, ghosted.
Speaker 4
The, the, the go-nats to go, sorry, I didn't see, who are you, a friend from college? Sorry, I didn't see this in time. Her
Speaker 1
response months later was like, oh, I was so tired. It was something like, it was something like, I haven't had any sleep. I
Speaker 4
haven't.
Speaker 1
I know. It's tough. But I,
Speaker 4
I apologize, and I got here on time.
Speaker 1
I really appreciate it. I rode a bike. I
Speaker 4
rode here on a bike. It saved me nine minutes on the
Speaker 1
commute. With
Speaker 4
the flowers, one hand, I risked my life. That's a lie. But
Speaker 1
I sent them
Speaker 4
in a car. I didn't want to get them in trouble.
Speaker 1
Yes, shout out to my
Speaker 4
assistant, buddy.
Speaker 1
Oh, God. She's in the car.
Speaker 4
She's in the car. She's in the car with the flowers. When you're
Speaker 1
riding a bike in New York City, do you have people be like, hey, do they recognize you? I like
Speaker 4
that. That's my favorite type of interaction. Hey, hey.
Marcelo, yes.
Speaker 1
You can ride away. Marcelo, there's so many good things happening for you. First of all, congratulations on being like almost a vet at us. I
Speaker 4
know.
Speaker 1
Like you now, you know, like you're in that sweet spot.
Speaker 4
Oh god.
Speaker 1
Right, where you know how it works. Like you, you're not terrified anymore. Right. There's people that are newer than you. Yes. Like it's a nice, nice place to be in. Yeah.
Speaker 4
It's also, yeah, I'm not so confused anymore. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1
I know
Speaker 4
the schedules and stuff. Yeah,
Speaker 1
cause it is a weird place to work and it has its own set of rules and like now you kind of know it and like people know you and they're like. This is
Speaker 4
so surreal to be talking to you like this. Is it? It is crazy. You have to understand it.
Speaker 1
All right, all right. I know
Speaker 4
that for you, you're like, I'm just Amy, but you're not.
Speaker 1
Well, you.
Speaker 4
You are a, you are a force of nature. Dude, I was watching all of your, every award show that Amy, dude, you are, you, you, you're so funny. You had a guy massaging you, you had, then you kissed him. That
Speaker 1
guy was Bono. Yeah, Bono.
Speaker 4
Bono's massaging her and kissing. I'm very Hispanic. And then, you, you, you had the thing with George Clooney where you're like flirting with him. Oh man, so freaking good. The hoodie, the great, one, one of the great gifs.
Speaker 1
Oh my god. Of history, gif,
Speaker 4
gif, doesn't matter.
Speaker 1
Okay, well this leads me into my first question. Okay,
Speaker 4
great.
Speaker 1
Because what I got from your special is so funny, so great. You watched it, you
Speaker 4
crammed it yesterday. I crammed it,
Speaker 1
loved it. Thank
Speaker 4
you.
Speaker 1
You are like a product of like a matriarchy. You have grown up around women, sisters, your mothers, a huge part of your life, and your comedy.
Speaker 4
Oh yeah, I don't know what it is. I think it's, the, the hang with the boys is so funny. I laugh so much with my boys, but like a hang with women is just so,
it's funny, but it's also like mentally challenging
Speaker 1
and,
Speaker 4
emotional. You're learning about yourself.
Speaker 1
I
Speaker 4
have a lot of lesbian friends too that I, that I really connect with.
Speaker 1
Yes, they like, like. Because
Speaker 4
I'm a lesbian in many ways.
Speaker 1
say more, what do you mean? You know what I mean?
Speaker 4
Because I grew up around women, so I'm kind of a woman in some ways. I get jealous, I get petty. I do. I get jealous and petty. My girlfriend has to deal with that. I do. I get weird. I go, I didn't like that. I say that sometimes. I go, I didn't like that. I go, when you did that, I didn't like that.
Speaker 1
And it made me
Speaker 4
feel bad. And I hope that
Speaker 1
in the
Speaker 4
future, when you are in a situation where you could do something like that, that you'll act differently for my sake. I talk like that sometimes.
Speaker 1
Anyway,
Speaker 4
my mom has really trained me. Have
Speaker 1
you ever been to therapy?
Speaker 4
a little bit. I've experimented.
Speaker 1
Okay.
Speaker 4
Sports psychology I liked.
Speaker 1
Oh, yeah, I want to talk about that because you are big, you're a jock.
Speaker 4
I'm a jock, yeah.
Speaker 1
And, you know, I can tell from the way that you like, like you love a team.
Speaker 4
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1
And like that is the thing I have to say like when in figuring out like what to talk to you about today. Like I, when I was around you and got to be at SNL when you were there, you can tell right away the people that like to have fun, and I know that sounds so stupid and simple, but it's easily forgotten.
Speaker 4
Right.
Speaker 1
At any job. Right. It's like, okay, I got the job now, like, and then all you think about is like losing the job or the job sucks or the job's hard or whatever, you forget the fun part. And there's something about you that really radiates a lot of fun.
Speaker 4
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 1
And you love being part of a team.
Speaker 4
Oh, yeah. Like you like
Speaker 1
the team to win.
Speaker 4
Yes, and I don't like to work. Like in a, in a, in like, in a very, like a positive way. I work. Very hard in my life,
Speaker 1
but
Speaker 4
I don't like to work. Working is bad and weird. So
Speaker 1
everything but work
Speaker 4
is always usually my goal when I'm working. I got a scooter. My girlfriend had a foot injury. She had a scooter. I got her a new scooter. And then the old scooter, I took it to work. Now there's a scooter at work. Now if you got to go to the bathroom, you jump on the scooter.
Speaker 1
You're
Speaker 4
there in a couple minutes. Now people are scooting up and down the halls. That's fun.
Speaker 1
You know what I mean? Sometimes
Speaker 4
I do seal. Do you know seal? With that long table that we do table read in?
Speaker 1
I do seal. I run
Speaker 4
through that hallway and then I seal and see if I can get fully across.
Speaker 1
Okay, you know who did a version of seal many, many years before you is Jimmy Fallon. Of
Speaker 4
course. That's my kind of guy.
Speaker 1
That's my kind of guy.
Speaker 4
The other thing that I love about not working or like trying not to work is this is like, maybe this is a sick thing for me, but
looking in the eyes of someone who's trying to work
Who you are not letting to work, the frustration, it brings me joy in a way that's dark. and then they'll do it to me sometimes and then I can laugh and understand it.
Speaker 1
Okay, you talk about, okay.
Speaker 4
It's just you have to know sometimes.
Speaker 1
Yeah, everything here is fake.
Speaker 4
Because you might, imagine how dirty I would get with syrup. You know how syrup is so gross and it stays on you forever.
Speaker 1
Yeah, but that doesn't, it's all nice. And then you just get the joy of
Speaker 4
trying, but without happening. Sorry.
Speaker 1
you, okay, you, focus up.
Speaker 4
Sorry.
Speaker 1
Okay, so
Speaker 4
you. Let's have some fun on the Amy Poehler show today.
You're trying to work, aren't you? You're trying to work, girl. I have some questions I've prepared. No, gracias.
Speaker 1
That's
Speaker 4
over here. It was dirty, girl. Look at that thing.
Dirty ass phone, Amy Poehler, on the 115th floor of the Spider-Man building. Crazy. It's an old phone. It doesn't even work.
Speaker 1
It
Speaker 4
doesn't even
Speaker 1
turn off. It's off. Of
Speaker 4
course.
Speaker 1
Of course. Of course
Speaker 4
it is. Of course. Meanwhile, my butt's vibrating.
Speaker 1
Listen, you do this bit in your standup, which is so funny to me, when you're talking about your mom making you dance. What I love about it is not only because you love to dance. I love to dance.
Speaker 4
Yes.
Speaker 1
And I like, I wonder if you have a relationship to your, like. You love to move around. Oh
Speaker 4
yeah.
Speaker 1
You like, you're an energy guy. From, and from a, from a young age you were that way. Did your mom know that you were that kind of kid from an early age and she would get you into sports and moving and dancing because she knew you had to, you had to get it out?
Speaker 4
Yes, 100%, 100%. My parents' goals always throughout my life was to get me tired.
Does that make sense?
Speaker 1
Yes. So
Speaker 4
all the activities I ever did were always with the ultimate goal of will he go to sleep. And, it was tough because there's a lot, there's a lot of batteries in here. You understand? So I started playing baseball and then baseball, the, I was in outfield. And first of all, pants, right? In the sun. Like, for what?
Speaker 1
And long socks. For
Speaker 4
what? We're in Miami, wearing pants in the sun. This sport doesn't make sense. Yeah, people
Speaker 1
don't know you grew up in Miami.
Speaker 4
Yes, of course. So. I was playing baseball, and the ball would never come to where I was, cuz they had me in the outfield. And then, so apparently, according to my family, I don't remember doing this, but I was doing cartwheels in the, in the, in the outfield and playing with insects and stuff, and so they took me out. My mom said, gee, I gotta take you out of baseball, cuz you're kinda making us look bad as a family.
Speaker 1
You were half
Speaker 4
Hispanic, you're half Cuban, half Dominican. They were like, this kid will be good, and then you're a nuisance. So then I did soccer, and soccer is a perfect sport for a child with ADD that's unmedicated and with a lot of energy because the ball never stops moving. Oh,
Speaker 1
so much running. It's
Speaker 4
so much running. You get home, you are tired.
Speaker 1
And so
Speaker 4
soccer became my love.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 4
Because I was like, it's constant thing. I would get so exhausted on the field.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 4
And then my parents liked it, and then I played that, you know, until college.
Speaker 1
Yeah, you were a really good player. I was
Speaker 4
good, yeah.
Speaker 1
You went to college to play it.
Speaker 4
Yeah, I did. I did. And
Speaker 1
like when, when, what was the, what, first of all, what was your position?
Speaker 4
I was in the, I was a winger. Which is the guy that have to run all the way up and then all the way back. A lot of
Speaker 1
running, a lot of running. And you, and when you were, you, you, you mentioned your dad's Dominican, your mom's Cuban. I love when you talk about the differences culturally between those two things. Yeah,
Speaker 4
yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1
What, what is like the, what are the biggest, I know they're stereotypical, but they're oftentimes very true, like the difference between those two cultures, because you were in the middle of both.
Speaker 4
The food is pretty much the same. Cuban is more salsa,
Speaker 1
and then,
Speaker 4
Dominican Republic they do merengue and bachata.
Speaker 1
So
Speaker 4
bachata is one, two, three, stop. One, two, three, stop. And then salsa is like a crazy, my foot goes there, your foot leaves, my, your, my foot returns, your foot leaves. It's more like math. and then the way they talk is different. So like, for example, in Cuban Spanish, there's like a,
Hoy, chico, lo que está pasando es que nosotros somos de Cuba, y en Cuba nosotros hablamos como guau, guau, guau, guau, ahí está.
Speaker 1
And
Speaker 4
in Dominican Republic, it's a little higher and faster, so it's like, y nosotros los dominicanos somos un tipo de persona que como que nosotros no nos metemos en problemas si no hay problemas. Yo no quiero un problema, yo me quiero salir del problema. And then Cuban is like, no, papi, yo no puedo estar metido, yo no puedo estar metido en algo, algo que me va a reflexionar negativamente, entonces yo me voy a quitar, me voy a quitar de esa cosa.
And in Dominican Republic, no, yo no puedo estar ahí, yo no me voy a meter ahí, yo no me meto ahí, yo no, yo no estoy loco, yo puedo estar que tengo un par de cositas que yo hago mal, pero yo no estoy loco. And that is kind of the difference.
Speaker 1
But what's so amazing about that is you're making music to me, because I can't speak Spanish. Yes, of
Speaker 4
course.
Speaker 1
And the music, the Dominican music sounds like New York. Of
Speaker 4
course.
Speaker 1
Because so many Dominicans are fast. And the Cuban music sounds like Desi,
Speaker 4
that's
Speaker 1
what we, that's who we knew.
Speaker 4
When we
Speaker 1
were growing up, Desi Arnaz was the only Cuban that we were, like we knew. Did your family watch I Love Lucy or care, or did your parents have any, like did they care about Desi? Do you, did you?
Speaker 4
My mom's personality can be very Lucy sometimes. My mom is like, my mom would always say, my mom came from Cuba and it was difficult because they took her stuff, you know, Cuba, the communist government. And so, when she came to America, she, she really leaned in to being American. Like for years, she would tell us we're all going to change our last name to Smith.
Speaker 1
cause she was like, I'm
Speaker 4
American now, I don't want to be Cuban, you
Speaker 1
know.
Speaker 4
And they didn't want to be, like, she didn't want, she was so like, sad and embarrassed of what happened in Cuba that she wanted to be fully American. So she would say stuff, you know, like, blondes have more fun, and I am just a dumb blonde. Like, she would say that all the time because she just thought it was, you know, being American was that.
And, she, she loves I Love Lucy, she loves, like, you know, having fun. My mom is like, my mom has a little bit of Yorkie energy sometimes. and then also she can be very tough and hard and, yeah.
Speaker 1
Okay, but I want to talk about your soccer part because, okay, you're getting, how do you get to college from, with soccer?
Speaker 4
Girl, so the other thing too is the pressure of your friends. Like, you always want to look good to your friends and to your family, and so I was like, I need to play college soccer because I've worked so hard at soccer. All my friends know me as a soccer guy, so if I don't play college soccer, that's bad.
Speaker 1
Right.
Speaker 4
I emailed every school, I was sending emails. Did you have
Speaker 1
recruiters come and see you? I
Speaker 4
edited my own videos, I did played in all these tournaments. And then the school in Ohio, John Carroll, and the school in California, Occidental,
Speaker 1
they
Speaker 4
both wanted me to play there and they were like, you know, we can figure out some sort of academic scholarship. And then my mom said, you can't go to California because you'll be too far and I don't know what you will do when you are that far. And if I can't go see you easily, that'll be a problem. So she didn't let me go to California, but she let me go to Ohio.
And then right before I went to college, my senior year, my drama teacher asked me to memorize a monologue. And you
Speaker 1
had never performed before? No,
Speaker 4
I learned a John Leguizamo monologue and a monologue from Class Action. And it was-
Speaker 1
John Leguizamo used to have some really great- Mumbo mouth. Mumbo mouth. She calls
Speaker 4
me chocolate eyes. I call her my albino beaver. It was crazy. It was about a Cuban cabana boy meeting a white woman at a hotel and falling in love.
And your
Speaker 1
teacher recommended that you do it. Really interesting, so they saw something in you. He goes,
Speaker 4
he goes, if you do this, I'll get you out of school for like three days. I'll take you to Tampa, and you'll compete in this thing.
Speaker 1
Wow.
Speaker 4
And I went, and I won. I was the best monologue, contrasting monologues. Because it was funny, because it was like the first one was about, the first one was so sad, and very real about a gang member that hid his gun under his bed, and his little brother found it, and shot himself. And so that's the first monologue, and then I go, you shouldn't have done that.
You shouldn't, you shouldn't have got into my room. And then I get up.
Hello. It is me, Ramon, the Cuban cabana boy. And then, then you get into this thing about having sex with an old American woman.
Speaker 1
yeah. They love to laugh, and you gotta do that
Speaker 4
one second. You can't,
Speaker 1
you
Speaker 4
can't do that one first. and so when I did that, I felt like, oh, I like performing, I like being in front of people. That was like the first time I really felt like this was cool. That was cool what I did. You must
Speaker 1
have, when you were younger, been told a lot, like, you're funny, you like, you're like a good performer, or Marcelo, like, they must have known that you had this extroverted personality, but you never- In
Speaker 4
school, they call that excessive talking, mischief. Exactly,
Speaker 1
that's right. We have a lot of people in here who talk about like the one, there's just like one or two teachers that said, hey, like,
Speaker 4
Ryan
Speaker 1
Coogler was here, and he had a professor, like, encourage him to write a screenplay. 100%. People that just say, like, you should, you should try this thing, I see something in you.
Speaker 4
And I get so much joy from taking teachers to SNL. I've taken quite a few teachers to SNL. So this guy, the first guy that taught me how to write a script is this script guy named Bob Knoll at my college, and he told me, what's your favorite comedy movie right now? And I go, I love the 40-year-old version. He goes, I want you to write the same, write that movie, but change something about it.
And so I wrote the 40-year-old version, but the main character is a woman.
Speaker 1
and, you're welcome.
Speaker 4
Well, I have it. You could, you would be perfect for it. Oh my God, we should make it. and so I brought him to SNL and he got to hang out. And then I had, I had a, a, a theology teacher who Mr. Franzi is based on, that she's like, you know, my body's full of alloy beta because I was burned from my toes until my head. And, Angie, and so I love her, and so I brought her to SNL.
and then the coolest one was, so my freshman or sophomore year, I took a fundamentals of, Shakespearean performance class. And there was this guy, Bo Smith and his partner, Tom Roche. And they were this lovely gay couple, and they were so fun and cool. And they had this class, and they'd like, you can perform whatever you want, and then one day everyone's going to try some Shakespeare.
And so people were doing, you know, monologues from famous movies, you know, Wolf of Wall Street or whatever. And then, One day he noticed like everybody was acting kind of like soft, you know, like they weren't really giving it up for him. And he goes, and he's like, you know, in his late 60s at the time, maybe, and so he goes, well, if you're not going to show me what I want to see, then maybe I'll show you myself.
And he's in his late 60s and takes off his tie, puts it down, takes off a necklace, puts it down, and gets up. And he goes, I will be performing King Lear.
And he just goes, he gets on his knees, he starts screaming and just goes crazy. And everybody's like, oh my God. And then it changed us completely. Like, everyone started to really give it to him and perform and,
Speaker 1
I, I, I
Speaker 4
did, oh, I did a bunch of crazy stuff in his class. I did whatever, whatever he wanted. And then, I started performing my stand-up for him. I would write little stand-up and do it in his class.
Speaker 1
And then
Speaker 4
I took his class again. And then, they were let go from the school, the two guys. And it was heartbreaking because I was like, you guys are the greatest. I just want to see you be good and whatever.
And so now all these years later, the college has called me back and they're like, what do you want to do? Like, you want, you should do something for the school, you know, and I go, okay, great, let's start a scholarship. So I started a scholarship at my school, at the college I went to, and, it's for kids that want to do what I did, and it's, and it's called the Bo and Tom, scholarship
Speaker 1
by Marcela Hernandez.
Speaker 4
And so now all these scholarship recipients, so far we've had two, they meet with me and Bo, because Tom has passed, and they meet with me and Bo, and they get to meet Bo, and like, he tells them all the stories, and he's a fascinating guy, and I found him in Cleveland, Ohio.
Speaker 1
And so
Speaker 4
I have, you know, so much love for those teachers, and also Bo, the teacher that told me to memorize that monologue, he came to SNL with his wife and his son, I gave him a full tour. So I love, I, I, I'm, the, the full circle moment
Speaker 1
of like, that
Speaker 4
is priceless.
Speaker 1
Yeah. Did you
Speaker 4
have a teacher?
Speaker 1
I had a few. I had a few, like a lot of English teachers that told me I was a good writer, or like we had a really good drama teacher who like, we just put on really good productions in our school and stuff. I feel like my teachers came a little later when I started improvising and doing sketch in Chicago, like teachers who like basically just like treated me like somebody who could do this as a job, which I never thought I could do.
Speaker 4
And you, you
Speaker 1
never, you
Speaker 4
founded, hold on,
Speaker 1
you
Speaker 4
founded
Speaker 1
an
Speaker 4
institution. Did
Speaker 1
you ever do sketch? You're the
Speaker 4
founder. Of an, of a comedic institution. Does, does that register to you?
Speaker 1
Do you know how
Speaker 4
many opportunities you created by doing that?
Speaker 1
Do you know how much you gave
Speaker 4
back?
Speaker 1
We're in college with you now. We're back to college.
Speaker 4
Like, cause there's so many people that have been good comedic actresses and that have done great shows and have grown, but how many of those people have founded an institution for people to grow and come out of? How many alumni have you to thank?
I mean, it's just something to behold.
Speaker 1
Let's go back to Ohio. Did you ever do sketch? Speaking of sketch and improv, did you ever do that? God, you're
Speaker 4
impressive. I mean, a fascinating woman.
Speaker 1
Sorry,
Speaker 4
just I'm, I'm, I'm impressed. Apologize. And let me say, your computer's banged up, the phone is all dirty. Like,
Speaker 1
you should be in a
Speaker 4
castle,
Speaker 1
in a
Speaker 4
castle on a throne with a brand new computer.
Speaker 1
Apple, give
Speaker 4
her the new stuff, man. Give her all the new stuff. She's got dents on the computer. I feel like getting into Sebastian.
Speaker 1
The
Speaker 4
computer looks like it was thrown off a truck. Pick it up, Amy Bone.
Speaker 1
The
Speaker 4
phone looks like it has been in the mouth of a toddler. It's sticky. It's sticky.
Speaker 1
Oh my god, I'm
Speaker 4
sorry.
Speaker 1
Sebastian, we interviewed him. It was so fun. We did it in front of a live audience. I love that. I need to stop
Speaker 4
doing him because
Speaker 1
he's so fun to do. I bet you're so good at
Speaker 4
it.
Speaker 1
Also, you've got really got his physicality down.
Speaker 4
I love it. And
Speaker 1
is it true that you did like a back handspring when you did him or like a back flip or something? It's some
Speaker 4
crazy stuff. Yeah, thank god.
Speaker 1
Okay, but just Okay, you quit, you quit soccer. You're like, I got to do stand up. Was that
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 1
But the team must have been bummed. They
Speaker 4
were bad. They were bummed and more disappointed in me for giving up on them. Why did you
Speaker 1
quit?
Speaker 4
Because I couldn't do both. I was doing a lot of stand up. I won an amateur company. I got good, like, I didn't get really good fast,
Speaker 1
but
Speaker 4
I got like Okay, very fast.
Speaker 1
yeah, and
Speaker 4
I was doing a lot of sets,
Speaker 1
and then
Speaker 4
I won an amateur competition, 500 bucks to host at the Funny Stop Comedy Club in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. And I go, oh, I'm the real deal. And then, so I, I had to quit cuz I was like, I wanna pursue this. I think I could be good at it.
Speaker 1
What did your mom think?
Speaker 4
She, she was excited about it. She was like, I think this is what you're supposed to do. And she also never understood soccer. She's like, it's too fast and people kick you and I don't want you to be kicked. And my dad was like, you shouldn't quit. I think you could be a good soccer player.
Speaker 1
My
Speaker 4
stepdad was also very supportive. and then, when I quit, this is when like, like, this is like a balls dropping moment, is, when I quit, I was crying and I told the coaches I quit, and they were like, great, we get it. You know, obviously we'll miss you on the team, but, we're not gonna tell the team. You are going to go downstairs right now,
Speaker 1
clean your
Speaker 4
face up, do whatever you have to do, and then go tell the boys that you're quitting the team. And so I was like, I'm so sorry, guys. I just got to, I want to do something, I want to do comedy. And, I just think you guys are going to do great, and I'm just sorry, and I love you guys. And then I just had to shake the hands of like 27 guys.
Speaker 1
I had to give game it,
Speaker 4
and like most of them were like, like so weird. And then, you know, a couple of them were like, I love you, buddy. Good luck, whatever. But that also, also lit a fire under my butt.
Speaker 1
Yeah, and, and then you, just for laughs is what gets you the SNL audition?
Speaker 4
Yeah, 60 minutes. Just for laughs
Speaker 1
is a comedy festival. You go up there, you do really well, you get seen, you get the audition. What is your audition story? Everybody has an SNL audition story. What's yours?
Speaker 4
So, dude. I've never been so nervous, like I was, I was hosting at the stand comedy club every, almost every, every night at the time. I was a host. So I was in, I, I, I realized that you could get way more spots on shows if you just host.
Speaker 1
You
Speaker 4
could do your standup, and it's tough because you're doing a cold open, but you can do standup way more times than you can just do a spot if you say I'll host. So I was like, I'll host everything. And then I get this thing for JFL, I go to JFL, it's my six minute set. If you watch it back, I'm shaking. Like if you just watch it, like focus on my hands and stuff, I am fully like shaking up there
Speaker 1
for the
Speaker 4
whole six minutes cuz I was really, really scared. I had to look myself in the mirror before and be like, you just gotta do this, you gotta do this. and then after that, I got the SNL audition, I go to the audition thing, I do a bunch of jokes about how my mom escaped communism and that I can't complain and that whatever, and then I call my mom after and I go, Mom, I don't know, I guess I didn't laugh that hard cuz it's at like UCB and I think some people there, they don't think cosmic communism is that bad.
Like, and so I feel scared that they think I'm like some right wing nut and she's like, it's okay Marcelo, they understand your message, it's okay. I'm like, whatever. Then I got the call back and then, I, I got the call back and, I put headphones in and I listened to Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey, but, by Brass Tracks. So it's like a lot of s- It's so good.
And, I'm blasting it in my ears while I wait, cause they make you wait, and on repeat, over and over again, the same song.
Speaker 1
While you're in the dressing room, at 30 Rock.
Speaker 4
Yes, and so I'm in there like this, back to the door, and then, the only thing I hear is, at one point I hear,
and I turn around, and a woman has been there for like a few minutes, trying to call my attention. Sam, minor, who's a talent, on the talent team. And, I was like, oh, okay, sorry. And then someone told me I had to get makeup on, and I was like, I don't think so. And they're like, oh, you should get some makeup on.
And then I got some makeup on, and then I went out. First
Speaker 1
time ever getting makeup on, probably. Yeah, for sure. And then
Speaker 4
no one laughed. somebody coughed, and then my mom, I called my mom, and I'm like, I don't know, dude.
Speaker 1
Notoriously quiet.
Speaker 4
Cold room. Yeah,
Speaker 1
cold room.
Speaker 4
And then, that's it. And then a few weeks later, I got the call that I got the job, and I was like. This is awesome.
Speaker 1
yeah, I
Speaker 4
was like at my apartment, my friend's apartment that I was living in, and I called my mom, and then we cried for a bit, and then I was like, I'm gonna make a million dollars.
And then it turns out that you don't make that.
Speaker 1
This episode is brought to you by PayPal. You know what's oddly satisfying? Finding everything in one place, and that's exactly what the new PayPal app does. You can shop, pay, earn rewards, and manage your account all in one place. Plus, find deals on your favorite brands every time you open the app. PayPal also offers purchase protection on eligible items, so you're covered if something doesn't go your way.
Download the new PayPal app to get started. See paypal.com slash protection terms. This Episode is brought to you by Subaru. There's something about being on the road that has a way of leading to those unexpectedly memorable little moments. And in the all-new 2026 Subaru Hybrid, it's like the destination isn't even important, it's the drive, baby.
And let me tell you, I'm in that car and I feel like a million bucks, quiet ride, comfortable, love my Subaru, can't get enough. With up to 581 miles in the Subaru Forester Hybrid, and even more 597 in the Crosstrek Hybrid, you can go further between stops and stay in the moment longer. Visit Subaru.com slash hybrid to learn more. The Subaru Forester Hybrid and Crosstrek Hybrid, love goes the extra mile.
This episode is brought to you by Auto Trader. If car shopping feels like a whole thing, buying your car online on Auto Trader makes it way easier, really. Shop tons of cars online, compare prices, check financing and trade-in options from wherever you are. Start online, test drive at the dealer, and finish wherever works for you. Your info stays with you, so there's no starting over.
Plus, you're working with local dealers with real people there to help. Buy your car online on Auto Trader, really. This episode is brought to you by CarMax. Okay, hear me out. When CarMax says that you can buy your way, they really mean it. Shop for cars from your sofa, the subway, the hair salon, wherever, and the price you see is the price you pay.
No negotiating, no last minute surprises. Plus, every car is CarMax certified and backed by a 10-day money back guarantee, so you can shop and buy with confidence. It's all about what works for you. Want to drive? CarMax. Shop now at CarMax.com.
You're like the first Gen Z cast member, technically. Is
Speaker 4
that true?
Speaker 1
Do you identify as Gen Z?
Speaker 4
No, because I'm too close, I'm not far enough removed from the immigrant struggle
Speaker 1
to
Speaker 4
like truly enjoy my Gen Z life. Because you had this great thing that I saw when I watched the show, which I do quite often, and where you say like millennials only care about money.
Speaker 1
Yeah, boomers only care about money.
Speaker 4
Millennials are like, where's the money? Don't
Speaker 1
skip over Gen X, everybody does. Gen X. Boomers only care about money. Gen X is like, should we only care about money? Millennials are like,
Speaker 4
where's the money? And Gen Z is like, what is money? Right. And so I am like,
Speaker 1
You're the where's the money.
Speaker 4
I, oh no, I only care about the, I'm a boomer.
Speaker 1
I'm a
Speaker 4
boomer.
Speaker 1
I see. Cause
Speaker 4
I think Gen Z plus immigrant
Speaker 1
struggle
Speaker 4
equals boomer.
Speaker 1
Yes, yes. I'm a young
Speaker 4
boomer in many ways. Young
Speaker 1
boomer.
Speaker 4
I didn't get to have mental health.
Speaker 1
Right.
Speaker 4
You know what I mean? Yeah. So that's boomer vibes.
Speaker 1
You're right. And
Speaker 4
my mom is probably a boomer. What's a boomer?
Speaker 1
No, your mom is Gen X. Your mom is my age.
Speaker 4
My mom is a boomer because of the immigrant thing.
Speaker 1
Well, when you say the immigrant thing, it's like because you're first gen, you just feel this need to like, you just cannot complain about the same stuff. Can't complain,
Speaker 4
nothing is real, everything is just. But what
Speaker 1
about you is Gen Z? Because I think there are a few Gen Z things. I'm really
Speaker 4
good on the phone. I mean, I can do whatever you need on the phone. Except
Speaker 1
for texting. I can
Speaker 4
reset everything. Texting is bad. That's a Gen Z thing probably too. Yeah, big
Speaker 1
time.
Speaker 4
Not answering.
Speaker 1
There's like a non-judgmental vibe sometimes to Gen Z that you can feel where they're like, whatever, do your thing.
Speaker 4
Yeah, I have some of that.
Speaker 1
I feel like that. And
Speaker 4
my sister is like definition of Gen Z.
Speaker 1
she's younger than you? Yeah,
Speaker 4
but she's an architect. And she's now doing interior design and she's so quiet and so reserved and then but also she has her moments with her friends where she like is like fun and talkative, but she's like in our house, she's like the quieter one. And that's my, that's a theory my mom has that if the first child you have is insane, that the next one will be quiet.
She says that. That
Speaker 1
probably is true. The
Speaker 4
other day we went to my friend Lele's house and her baby is so nice and sweet and quiet and she goes, the next one is gonna be a disaster. And I think it could be real. Do you have, how many do you have now? I have
Speaker 1
two, two boys. I met your
Speaker 4
boys.
Speaker 1
You did. They were very excited to meet you. They're
Speaker 4
cute boys, dude. You got some good boys.
Speaker 1
Well, you know, they're at the age now where they're watching SNL and they want to see people that look like, like them. They want to see people their age.
Speaker 4
Right.
Speaker 1
And they want to like, you know, there's nothing like, even if you're on SNL, your kids just don't want to watch like classic old, they're just like, I want to watch people that look like me. That's what SNL is about, is this feeling that like young people are in charge over there.
Speaker 4
Your relationship with like Maya and Dratch and that, it's so cool and so awesome. Dratch makes me laugh in a way that I can't even explain. And the way that she laughs.
Speaker 1
Her laugh.
Speaker 4
Is priceless. It is,
Speaker 1
it's like magic. And
Speaker 4
the headphones thing.
Speaker 1
Who's the best laugh? Oh, I know the headphones. It's
Speaker 4
like, I can't. It was so good. Fucking
Speaker 1
so good. She's like,
Speaker 4
I can't, I can't.
Speaker 1
Oh, draft so much money for that. She's
Speaker 4
so funny.
Speaker 1
Domingo was a huge hit. Like, congrats on having a recurring, like you need something sometimes. It had
Speaker 4
nothing to do with that. God gave me that. God and Kira O'Sullivan and Jimmy,
Speaker 1
they gave me
Speaker 4
that.
Speaker 1
Kira O'Sullivan and Jimmy Fowley, great writers, like at SNL, like so important to that show. Right, so many monologues, right, so many pieces. And, and why do you think, is it, why do you think that sketch just took off? I mean, is it just the bad singing?
Speaker 4
What
Speaker 1
is it that makes that so delicious, that sketch? I think
Speaker 4
Ariana Grande
Speaker 1
is
Speaker 4
so good.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 4
We watch, like watching her at a table is mind, it's mind blowing. Yeah. She sings so crazy. And then
her doing it bad. Is so hard.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 4
To like sing bad. Yeah. On purpose.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 4
And she does it so good. It's so funny. So that, that gets you through the first part of the sketch.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 4
And like the girls were so funny, Heidi and, Ego and all them coming in after her, so funny. And then, and Sarah and everybody. And then, and then at the end, they're talking about this guy the whole time. And you're like, all right, well now there, there has to be a reveal. And then I come out with like in a little hair, goatee and like a version of my hair.
And then I sing what I still feel is a very catchy tune.
Speaker 1
Yeah, catchy tune.
Speaker 4
Of just, da da da da, da da da da, da da da da. And then I think that's what happened.
Speaker 1
It's, it's, exactly. It's not just a catchy tune, it's a very popular pop song. It's
Speaker 4
huge. One of the biggest pop songs of the, of the, of our time.
Speaker 1
So by the time that we
Speaker 4
are in, and so I think that it was just a perfect storm, and then I think it's very SNL for the audience to reward the guy that did the least
Speaker 1
in the
Speaker 4
sketch. Did nothing, pretty much, came in for three seconds, and that's the thing. But
Speaker 1
I'm just gonna, I'm gonna, praise you for a little bit, because,
Speaker 4
and get ready,
Speaker 1
get ready, Marcelo, because that, that is a perfect exam, that is a perfect example of you enter that sketch having fun, like you're enjoying it, like we're enjoying it, and you're like ease and coming into it, and you do this with most of the stuff that you do. Like you don't let us forget when you're performing, like can you believe we're all watching this? This is like comedy, like how did we all get here? How did you get in the audience? How did I get, like it's very, very infectious.
Like I always say, like I always want people to seem relaxed. I don't really care if they have the best jokes or if they're the funniest. I just want them to seem like they're having a good time and they're relaxed and I can.
Speaker 4
Nothing makes me
Speaker 1
more stressed than when I can feel like the mirror neurons of like someone else's stress. Yeah,
Speaker 4
I feel that.
Speaker 1
And you always do that on the show. You like you act like you've always been there, like everything is super fun.
Speaker 4
Yeah, that's the power of fear.
Speaker 1
Interesting.
Speaker 4
That's the power of fear. What do you
Speaker 1
mean? How do you, do you fake it? You're so
Speaker 4
scared, probably, you're just so scared of it going wrong that you're like, if it goes wrong, I'm going to go wrong swinging to the rafters.
Speaker 1
Right.
Speaker 4
So like I just go absolutely insane. My biggest note at dress is Calm down.
Speaker 1
Cause
Speaker 4
there is some stuff you guys haven't seen where I really lose it out there. Not like in a bad way, but like, oh yeah, there was a thing about,
there was a thing that we did that, it came out on the show about, with Coleman Domingo where he's a teacher.
Speaker 1
And he's like, nothing
Speaker 4
matters. come up with a number. And I'm like, eleven, eleven T four. And then, and then, he's like, and who would be, who would be, you know, a number bigger than, whatever the question was. And then I get up and I go, eleven T two. And I get, did it so big that all the writers were like,
Speaker 1
just,
Speaker 4
just please, just stop. And, that's a note that's chased me my whole life. Since kindergarten.
Speaker 1
Just
Speaker 4
stop.
Speaker 1
My favorite kind of note though because the opposite is way worse. Yeah,
Speaker 4
right. Well, I can't do the opposite. I can't.
Speaker 1
you have done so many funny things on the show. Your stuff with Bad Bunny has been so funny and Pedro. So joyful. So much good stuff and.
Speaker 4
Who is your Bad Bunny? Who is the guy, the person that came to the show?
Speaker 1
We'll get to me in a second.
Speaker 4
Okay. How long are we going to be here? Let's do like four hours, but then you find what's good.
Speaker 1
But, but what, but do you feel like you're funnier and that's.
Speaker 4
What's up?
Speaker 1
That's a timer up there and that says how long we've been going.
Speaker 4
Over an hour?
Speaker 1
Yes. No. So I have so many more questions. I want to hang
Speaker 4
out. I'm not leaving. How about that? What will you do? Turn the cameras off?
Speaker 1
Okay, but Bad Bunny, wait. Do you think you're funnier and do you think, do you, do you think you're funnier in Spanish?
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Okay, do you think in Spanish?
Speaker 4
I'm fast in Spanish. Fast
Speaker 1
in Spanish. And you write in Spanish?
Speaker 4
sometimes, yeah. So I've been doing stand-up in Spanish. I've been doing a little touring in Spanish.
Speaker 1
Oh, that's cool.
Speaker 4
And it is so fun.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 4
My family, my girlfriend, my, my dad, they think that I'm better
Speaker 1
in
Speaker 4
Spanish, which is, offensive.
Speaker 1
What do you think is the difference? What, just the facility of the language?
Speaker 4
I guess, I think, Spanish comedy is interesting because, it's developing. There's so many good young comedians that are doing it in Spanish. Angelo Colina is one that travels with me, or has done, you know, shows with me.
Laura Bolivar has done a bunch of shows with me here. Santi Espinosa, Pedro Gonzalez. And, Sofia, Sofia Rivero, who's, niña de Rivero, who's, a Mexican stand-up, who really was like a, like a, she's a titan of stand-up in Mexico, and she's a woman, and she's, like, broken a lot of barriers, cause she's, was the best and the biggest, and is.
and, I find that the reason that those stand-ups like her worked so well so early on is cause stand-up in Spanish for years, like Álvarez Guedes and, legendary, like, Latino comedians in Spanish in, in the Dominican Republic, we had, like, Boruga and,
hochi, and there's a bunch, and they, they did like long stories with a big punchline, or there, it was political, it was like SNL where you dress up like a political guy and you go, and then people go crazy. And so when you do an American style of standup,
Speaker 1
punchy, observational stuff,
Speaker 4
I think the audience is, it's a refreshing feeling. And so I feel that when I'm like doing a Spanish set
Speaker 1
with all Hispanic
Speaker 4
people, and we're all laughing, and especially today when Latinos are going through a lot, and we just get to be in a room and scream in Spanish, it feels very powerful.
Speaker 1
Yeah, Pedro, and, and, and I gotta say, Marcella, like in general, the, the cast right now on the show is like really putting the variety in variety show. Like everybody's very, very different, and there's a vibe that's like everybody's kind of bringing the stuff that they can bring, and Watching you guys do that, it was very, very exciting.
Cause the show, you know, needs to feel like it's a reflection of the time.
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 1
And that is like, and there's-
Speaker 4
Latinos are having a moment.
Speaker 1
We're
Speaker 4
having a moment. Let us have a moment.
Speaker 1
Do you ever have an SNL stress stream?
Speaker 4
Have you had
Speaker 1
any? Do you have a recurring stress stream? What is
Speaker 4
it? It's not getting to the thing. Like not getting to the floor,
Speaker 1
or it's too far.
Speaker 4
That's
Speaker 1
mine.
Speaker 4
You're too far, too late.
Speaker 1
Too far, too late.
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Running down the stairs.
Speaker 4
Have you almost ever, did you ever, have almost ever missed one?
Speaker 1
No, I've never missed a, have you?
Speaker 4
No, but I almost did once.
Speaker 1
Yeah, missing a cue.
Speaker 4
Yeah, like, no, no, like I was in the beginning of the sketch,
Speaker 1
and
Speaker 4
I was almost not out there. Yeah, and Jenna's like, you know.
Speaker 1
And
Speaker 4
I'm coming from a place where she can't see me, so it was even more nerve-wracking because I was there and she didn't know yet.
Speaker 1
She was
Speaker 4
looking for me. whether it was live or dress, I think it doesn't, it doesn't need to be. I
Speaker 1
definitely have been, I've gone out into a scene with the wrong wig, where I've been the wrong character.
And then I've come out and, and I've been dressed a certain way and then I was like, and then I looked up and I was wearing the wrong wig and we had to like switch it in like five seconds.
Speaker 4
Oh my god. So
Speaker 1
exciting. But those are the kind of things that like, but, but yeah, your dream is that you don't make it. Yeah.
Speaker 4
Oh, and I wanted to tell you that I've been hanging out with Jodi so much.
Speaker 1
Oh, Jodi McKuso, who runs the hair department at SNL, who, whose voice is an inspiration for Bronx Beat.
Speaker 4
Sweater weather.
Speaker 1
Sweater weather.
Speaker 4
And so, just getting to like, she cuts my hair, she's the only person my mom lets to cut my hair. Wait,
Speaker 1
hold on.
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Your mom is in charge of who cuts your hair? Yeah. Did she used to cut your hair?
Speaker 4
No. She's always taking me to the person that does it.
Speaker 1
And then
Speaker 4
Jodi has done it very well, so she's like, Jodi can do it from now on. But hearing her so much has like, like I've been at SNL long enough where if you guys didn't do her voice on the show, somebody would have because
Speaker 1
you're with
Speaker 4
her enough that you're like, oh, this is just, she's exactly that person. So you're telling me. It's so good. It's so, so good.
Speaker 1
Okay, so speaking of the people that you work with who love you, and one of them is Sarah Sherman, and that is who we talked to today. And she said you would be bummed.
Speaker 4
She was
Speaker 1
like, he wants Kevin Hart, he wants us to talk to, you know, other people, but you got me and we got her. And we love her here. And she loves you whether you believe it or not. And her first, she had a couple questions for you. First of all, she spoke so well about you.
Speaker 4
Really?
Speaker 1
Yes.
Speaker 4
That's the kind of person she is.
Speaker 1
Yeah. She just talks good
Speaker 4
behind your back.
Speaker 1
Yeah, and to your face.
Speaker 4
Into my face it's violence. Well,
Speaker 1
and to your face she said, yeah, cause her first question was like, what's your fucking deal, dude? Really? That's
Speaker 4
her first question?
Speaker 1
What's your fucking deal? First of
Speaker 4
all, what's, I'll tell you what my deal is. My deal is, I'll tell you what my deal is, cause I, I know this is not just coming from her, this is a big question. There's some new cast members that feel this, they go, what's your fucking deal? And I'll tell you what my deal is. My deal is that I was not given the opportunity to be soft in my house.
You're mean to me, my whole life, my family. I was short, my nickname in the house was Pulga, which means flea. That's my name in my house. I'm short, so they call me dwarf in my house. And nano means dwarf. That was my name in my house, okay? So, if you are a little girl that wears rainbow clothes, that's your name. That's who you are. I call people, I say it like I see it.
So, you know, Tommy Brennan is a good looking kid. I say that he's good looking and that mean he might be dumb. Because that's what he looks like. You say it. That's a
Speaker 1
love language. By love
Speaker 4
language. And a lot of people, they misinterpret it. Because I, I can, some people can think it's mean, but I don't think that. I think that's how my family talk to me. Gen
Speaker 1
Z loves short. I just want you to know. Gen Z loves short guys. Yes, but why,
Speaker 4
right? Why? That's the question. Out of guilt, out of guilt of what they've done to the shorts for years. Now they're trying to be nice. And you know what? Now we don't care. As on behalf of the shorts, we don't care. We don't care what you want to say to us, short king. Like I need that. I taught myself to be self, to have self-esteem. Because you wouldn't give it to me.
Speaker 1
Okay. Women in
Speaker 4
their bio talking about must be six feet to ride this roller coaster. Shush.
Speaker 1
You're right, you're right, they don't deserve you. They don't deserve
Speaker 4
you. They don't deserve you. Now I'm supposed to say thank you? Oh, thank you.
Speaker 1
Please. Okay. And, Sarah's second question, why are you not answering my texts?
Speaker 4
We already
Speaker 1
talked about that.
Speaker 4
Sarah's just a complainer, right? And so, and sometimes I can, sometimes I do have the bandwidth, but right now I'm too busy to be bandwidth. But I, I will say this about Sarah, I watch her on podcasts when I'm like bored, I'll watch Sarah on a podcast. Sarah has jokes per minute. Sarah's always trying to do a joke.
Speaker 1
You guys both are very, you, yeah, she has so many, you guys are both really quick.
Speaker 4
She's quick, I like her. She's
Speaker 1
so quick. And then she, sweetly, her third question was like, basically like, you have written so many great jokes. You have really well written jokes. You're a physical person, you have a ton of charisma, like you know how to work a room, like it's not
Speaker 4
a.
Speaker 1
But you have really, really good left to take this compliment in, and you have really, really good jokes, and you are a very, very good writer, and she wants to know, like, how do you see yourself as a writer? Like, do you see yourself as a writer, and can you accept that you're a good one?
Speaker 4
I don't know, but,
Speaker 1
You're not going to answer this question.
Speaker 4
I don't know, I'm just like, I don't feel like I'm a great writer. I, I'm, I'm probably going to take a sketch writing class this summer
Speaker 1
because
Speaker 4
of that fear of, like, because also I just watch, like, because Sarah, a lot of the people at the show, they know sketch, and I came so hard from stand-up that I don't know sketch that well, and watching people like Mikey and Streeter and Colin and Bowen and.
Speaker 1
And know how to, like, structure and heighten. And you,
Speaker 4
like, all of the stuff you've done and Maya and all, like, so many people that have come from, that came from sketch to the show. That are so, Ashley Padilla is such a great sketch writer, and I'm like athletically jealous of like that ability. And I think that she's right, like I can write jokes, but the format and the, the, the character reveal and all that stuff is stuff that if it wasn't for Jake Nordlund and Mike DiCenzo,
Speaker 1
who have
Speaker 4
been like really with me a lot, and Asha Ward is like, I would not be, I wouldn't, I wouldn't get anything on cause I'm just jokes.
Speaker 1
And
Speaker 4
so I'm learning, I'm trying to learn more and more of like what That thing is. But
Speaker 1
I think that's really cool. Like Sarah was on here. She's now going into her fifth year and she was like.
Speaker 4
So I'm going into my fourth year.
Speaker 1
Yeah, you're a year behind her. And it's like, that's when you start being like, should I practice my backhand? Like, what's the thing? Like, like I, I've got on, I've got some stuff on. People know who I am. I'm like playing to my strengths. Now I'm playing with good people. Now I know how this place works. And then you can start being like, all right, can I start trying some stuff that like, maybe I don't necessarily go to automatically, but like, it's cool.
It's a cool trajectory of being on that show.
Speaker 4
And
Speaker 1
being an artist, basically. That's what a good artist does is they keep trying new things, seeing what works, like learning from good people, getting better. That's what they do.
Speaker 4
Yeah. And you, what, like you did the show.
Speaker 1
Look, he just, he's now he's talking about me.
Speaker 4
Of course. Well, what, what am I to do? What am I to do? What is, what type of psychotic person sits with Amy Poehler and goes, let's talk about me? You have to be who? Denzel?
Speaker 1
Like,
Speaker 4
yes, Denzel should come by. He would kill this. Oh my God.
so, cause you did the show, right? And this is something, by the way, that I have to ask you, in person because I've been petrified to text you after our debacle. So, you did the show, you had this, you know, obviously incredible transition into TV and you've done so many funny parts and roles and you've written and you've done it all. What, like, advice do you have for someone that, like me or like Sarah or like, or like, you know, Ashley or even Bowen that just left the show and so many people that looked up to you and have seen you as like a beacon of like, that is a funny lady that has worked hard and is successful.
What do you say to us?
Speaker 1
Let me ask you one question. The, the after the show, do you want to do more, is the hope to do more like written stuff, more film, more TV and stuff like that? Yeah, then I would say my advice, if that was what you would want to do, is two things, is like don't take anyone else's advice. Don't listen to anybody. I know. Because you- It's always
Speaker 4
the person you really want advice from that says something like that. Well,
Speaker 1
you only know, you only know what's right for you. Just like, and,
I would say enjoy where you are as best you can when you're there. I just think that simple idea of enjoying where you are and not, I mean, I, I, I don't always take this advice either, but this idea of like, if I get here, then I'll get here. And if I get here, then I'll get here. And it's like, and we can do that our whole lives. We can always be like.
This is good, this is great, but like I want more sketches or now, okay, I've been on for seven years, now I wanna, like it just never ends, the dissatisfaction of our job. And that's motivating and that's good, but I would say I think the real win is being actually where you are in life and trying as best you can to enjoy it. It's like the hardest thing in the world to do, but the few times I've done it, my whole life has changed.
Speaker 4
And what do you do when you're like, what is an example of you enjoying your life? Like being
Speaker 1
like actually, well, for the way it looks like for me, I bet it looks similar for you is that I'm actually like looking around and laughing with the people I get to be with and not like The way,
Speaker 4
like,
Speaker 1
yes, just like being in, being in my body in real, in real space and time. I know it sounds esoteric, but as far as career advice, who fucking knows? Like in five years, we may have to do fucking comedy on the moon and TV will be on your phone and books will be a, a snack that you eat and like, we don't, like who knows what's going to be in the, how we're going to make con, I mean, I'm doing a podcast.
I know. So like what, you know, if you told me, I didn't even know what podcasts were.
Speaker 4
I know. And by the way, it's one of the best ones. Award winning. Crazy.
Speaker 1
So as far as career, who knows? Okay.
Speaker 4
Yeah, whatever. Thank you. Thank
Speaker 1
you. Love you very much. No,
Speaker 4
it was, it was. I'm going to live in the moment.
Speaker 1
I think I'll enjoy the moment.
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Enjoy it.
Speaker 4
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Cause like life is a dream and we're all going to die, you know?
Speaker 4
you play a game here. With Fred.
Speaker 1
Yes, what game do we play? Wanna play it?
Speaker 4
I want to play it with you. Okay,
Speaker 1
which, which game was it? It's
Speaker 4
a game where you tell someone to pretend they're an expert
Speaker 1
about
Speaker 4
something, and then they, yes, and I'm gonna, and I, I, I, I, I watched Fred, and I loved it so much, and he did a lot of stuff that I liked, that I might incorporate into mine, because it's so good, but maybe you go first.
Speaker 1
Okay, I'll go first. I tell you. Since you remind people that didn't listen to the Fred Armisen episode, Fred and I, we, it's a great game where we play, well, I don't know if we play it, but we just, I made him play it. They go,
Speaker 4
no, no, no. Big red no. Okay, yeah. Where you
Speaker 1
get a subject, and you have to talk for a minute, as if you were an expert.
Speaker 4
I have my phone, yours is dead, and it's, it's from 2004.
Speaker 1
Here we go. Okay. Okay, so you have, I have to try, and you have to re, try to be convincing. You have to be, you can't be like jokey. You have to be like, you're giving a talk on this thing. Okay. I tell
Speaker 4
you yours. Okay. okay. you are an expert on,
corn.
Speaker 1
Okay.
Speaker 4
Three, two, one,
Speaker 1
go. Before you start talking about the individual varieties of corn, you really have to understand what corn means to America. And what corn means to America is a sense of community. It means that we as a nation are coming together to create a crop that means we will be okay. Corn represents
Safety and security.
Speaker 4
Wow.
Speaker 1
And so the varieties of which I'll talk about all of them today.
Speaker 4
Of course.
Speaker 1
they in many ways represent our relationship to corn in general, how we've gotten to know it, how we've gotten to grow it.
Speaker 4
Right.
Speaker 1
And, and how we use that incredible crop, which has sustained our forefathers.
Speaker 4
Right.
Speaker 1
How we've used it to find out about ourselves.
Speaker 4
Right.
Speaker 1
So let's get started first with.
Speaker 4
You got so good.
Speaker 1
That's
Speaker 4
really good.
Speaker 1
I felt like I was bullshit. We're all a
Speaker 4
colonel.
Speaker 1
Okay, now you go. We're all, we're all
Speaker 4
colonels.
Speaker 1
Okay.
Speaker 4
Okay.
Speaker 1
You are an expert on, the invention of penicillin.
Speaker 4
Okay. Count me down.
Speaker 1
Here we go.
Speaker 4
so penicillin. In, many ways is a reaction, right? penicillin is a reaction to the effects of the penicillin before penicillin, alcohol, right? For many years, alcohol was penicillin, but what's the deal with alcohol, right? You drink it, you drink it, you drink it, you numb yourself in the pain, but there's an emotional experience.
Speaker 1
The
Speaker 4
beauty of penicillin is that it gives you all of the benefits of alcohol without the hangover and the emotional moments, you know? And, a lot of people don't know this, but, in, 1879, Jeffrey L.
Sillin, he goes, he goes, what Are we gonna do, right? He, he figures this out, and then he goes, how do we get it in people? Something like a pen.
And that's actually, penicillin was backwards also the creation of the syringe.
Speaker 1
Whoa, I did not know that. And that's
Speaker 4
a minute and 15.
Speaker 1
You had me until you said, and he goes.
Speaker 4
Jeffrey L. Silver.
Speaker 1
And he goes, what are we gonna do?
Speaker 4
I think I, I bet I was at a minute before that. But wow, corn, you were very good with corn. And
Speaker 1
thank you for penicillin.
Speaker 4
You knew science was not my thing. I went to summer school for chemistry as well. And I failed that.
Speaker 1
And he goes, what
Speaker 4
are we
Speaker 1
gonna do? What
Speaker 4
are we gonna do? And that's a big, one of the biggest questions in science. Is when Jeffrey,
Speaker 1
is when the biggest,
Speaker 4
what are we going to do? Whenever something is, an obstacle has arrived, every major scientist in history has said, what are we going to do? And so that's, you know, and I'll tell you what we're going to do here today. Wrap this up. A lot of people in the comments here live are saying, keep going, we want more. You see in the comments, hey chat.
I know guys, I want to stay. Let the record show. It's like a lot. Oh my god, a super chat, 500 bucks. 500 bucks if I stay. Thank you, Lizard King 45. Thank you, buddy.
Speaker 1
And then what are you watching right now, listening to?
Speaker 4
Who
Speaker 1
makes you laugh, Marcelo? How much
Speaker 4
time do we have?
Speaker 1
Not a lot,
Speaker 4
that's a fact. One thing I'm watching.
Speaker 1
Okay. Watching.
Speaker 4
I do, I do love listening to you. I listen to you in, shorts. I watch the shorts, all the shorts. to have a laugh,
To have a laugh, it's, it's tough. I, I, I try to stay, like, I almost try to, like, keep,
Speaker 1
never do that. Yes, it's hard to, that's why I asked, cuz I'm like, I wanna watch more comedy. I watch a lot of dark stuff and I need to, like, is there a video, is there a video that you play that you love?
Speaker 4
There's one, this is kind of.
Speaker 1
It's just on your phone?
Speaker 4
Yeah, it's only for me. I can
Speaker 1
look it up on my laptop, too.
Speaker 4
To play it? No, we
Speaker 1
don't have that capacity here. Oh,
Speaker 4
okay. I, I recently watched this video of a guy who can cry on command. And he's talking about how his, he's. Is
Speaker 1
this on TikTok?
Speaker 4
Yeah, I'll show you. It's really crazy. And, he's, he's just crying cuz his tire is flat.
And, and it's, like, really intense. And I laughed so hard.
Speaker 1
Marcella, we,
Speaker 4
we gotta go. I know. It sucks. It's like when you go to your aunt's house and you're like, you're my aunt,
Speaker 1
but I love
Speaker 4
you and I like to be at your house. And then you go, I know, but I have a life as well. And you go, okay, I get it. Send me back to where I came from. I
Speaker 1
love visiting my nephew. I love when he brings me flowers. I know. I did bring you flowers. They're
Speaker 4
big too. They're
Speaker 1
absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 4
Thank you. They
Speaker 1
really are gorgeous.
Speaker 4
Thank you so much. You're
Speaker 1
the first person to ever bring me flowers on this show. Is
Speaker 4
that true? And I want that to go down in history. Thank you to Amy Poehler. I'm so inspired by you. I'm serious. You have to do it to people all day long. It's almost like what you do at this podcast. And I think it's ridiculous to give people compliments cuz it sucks and it's weird and it hurts. It makes me feel weird when I get a compliment.
So I like to attack with it. And you don't like it either. Look at you. You don't like it either. Yes, I found it in institutions. Yes, you deserve it. You are powerful. You are smart. You have a good family. You have created a world for yourself. You did podcasting for a week and then got awards. You are insane. You're so funny. At SNL, you are an example of how it's supposed to be.
And so many comedians in the world have you to thank for the platform you gave them.
Speaker 1
And I'll tell you. Yeah, yeah,
Speaker 4
okay. And I just want to say a couple more things. And Amy Poehler, the, the, the longevity of what you've done. To start where you started and then get to hear from SNL, they go, okay, she did SNL. Now what? What? Now what? Parks and Rec. You're a savage on Parks and Rec. Dying. Laughter, dying of laughter, dying of laughter. You, you, you create stars.
You create stars. Think about the people on that show with you. It's, it's Nick Offerman, it's, it's Aubrey Plaza, and you're with them and you're playing back and forth, and the people are laughing. The people, don't turn it off. Don't touch it.
Speaker 1
We've cut the feed. You did? We've cut the feed long ago. Don't look at the clock. No, the clock's
Speaker 4
bright, blinking red. A woman just wrote WTF. And I say a woman because it's just, this is what's here.
Speaker 1
I have a button under my desk and I just press it. It's a security button. It's a security button. They're coming, aren't
Speaker 4
they? And you know what? I want her to drag me out of here. You should be on every Mount Rushmore. Now I'm actually getting mad. You're getting upset? Okay, okay. Okay, okay. Okay, thank you. I want to say a shout out, quick shout out to my mom, to all the Latinos out there. Keep it, keep grinding, baby. We are not going anywhere.
Speaker 1
And,
Speaker 4
that's, and, you know what I mean? To my sister, my, my dad, my stepdad, all the men in my life, my uncle, bebito, rest in peace, I love, I loved you, and I still love you, and my little sister is so talented, and my girlfriend is beautiful, and thank you guys, man, wow.
Speaker 1
Thank you. And you guys got to
Speaker 4
get this woman a phone.
Speaker 1
Thank you so much, Marcelo. That was so fun and a wild ride. And thank you for the flowers and so many hard laughs. And, you know, leave it to Marcelo to, introduce me to a woman in comedy that I've never heard of. So, for this polar plunge, I'm excited to, dig deep into the work of Sofia Nino de Rivera, who, is a, an actress and stand-up, born in Mexico City, and, who performs in English and in Spanish, and who is really, really funny.
So check her stuff out. And thank you, Marcelo, for introducing me, and all of us to a whole other world of great people to laugh at and laugh with. Thanks for checking out this episode of Good Hang, and we'll see you soon. Bye.
You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Papercite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaia McMullen, Alea Zeneris, Bridget Geerlings, Paige Garbarini, Belle Roman, and Drew Van Steenbergen.
For Papercite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.
This episode is brought to you by Apple Watch. Your heart tells the story of your health, and with the new Apple Watch Series 12, you can understand it better than ever. It's got this new readiness score, which based on your activity, vitals, and sleep, basically tells you whether it's a let's go or do less day. I'm always trying to navigate that.
And it's now backed by the most accurate heart rate sensing in a wearable, so you can trust what it's telling you. Visit apple.com slash Apple Watch Series 12 to learn more. iPhone 11 or later required. Readiness score is for wellness purposes only and not for medical use. Heart rate accuracy based on Apple conducted study August 2026. Visit apple.com slash HR accuracy.
Folks, as we head into fall, we welcome yet another season of change, changing leaves, refreshed wardrobes, and new routines. But one thing that doesn't need to change, your phone. The smartest upgrade this season isn't a new phone, it's a better wireless plan. Switch to Visible, the ultimate wireless hack. You get unlimited 5G data and unlimited hotspot powered by Verizon for just $25 a month.
That means keeping the phone you already love, ditching your overpriced phone bill, and saving enough to get yourself a pumpkin spice all season long. All the perks of big wireless for half the cost. Switch today at visible.com. The Visible plan starts at $25 a month, or get the premium Visible Plus Pro plan and save $10 on your first month with promo code HANG.
Terms apply. See visible.com for plan features and network management details.