SNL comedian Marcello Hernández kicks off homecoming week with a comedy show

Student Entertainment Events hosted Marcelo Hernández’s comedy set at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Sunday beginning a week of homecoming events. 

Hernández is known for being a recurring cast member on Saturday Night Live and for his role as Esteban in “Happy Gilmore 2”.

He was welcomed by the audience from all ages as the university community came to watch Hernández. The show was opened by Matt Richards and SNL co-star Tommy Brennan.

Although this is Hernandez’s first time headlining at the university, this is not his first time performing in College Park. He opened for Colin Jost, another SNL comedian, at SEE’s homecoming comedy show in 2022.

Hernández talked about his upbringing as a Cuban American growing up in Miami and his experience with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.Throughout his set, the audience was filled with laughter. He later took questions from members of the audience and followed with a message regarding topics such as immigration to finish the show.

For freshman journalism student Julian Feurer, this was her first comedy show. She stated that the show had mature themes and referenced the comedians’ jokes about more controversial topics such as immigration and politics.

“I think that by touching on real controversial topics, it makes their content more relatable,” Feurer said.

In reference to his jokes on immigration, Feurer appreciated how Hernández was able to engage the entire audience despite the crowd holding different views and coming from different backgrounds.

“I still think that he was able to connect everyone,” she said.

For Mariana Martínez, an exchange student from Venezuela, just saying where she is from brings her attention that she may not always want. The show’s focus on Latinx culture with humor made her feel comfortable.

“Here I really felt proud of my culture and really seen as a person,” Martínez said. 

She also said that she understood his sense of humor because of their similar cultural backgrounds. 

Hernández closed with the announcement that he has a comedy special releasing on Netflix. The special, which is filmed in his hometown of Miami, does not have a name or release date yet, according to Late Nighter.