‘Saturday Night Live’ Rising Star Marcello Hernández Is Using His Charisma (and Support From His Mama) to Conquer Comedy: ‘I Love Everybody’
variety.comSaturday Night Live,” had just wrapped rehearsal with the week’s host, Dave Chappelle. Hernández was booked to open for Jo Koy at Madison Square Garden later that night, but as he touched the app on his phone to order an Uber, he realized he hadn’t asked an important question: How do you get inside the arena? “I was like, ‘Hey, Dave, do you know the entrance to Madison Square Garden?’” he recalls. “Dave goes, ‘You’re gonna take an Uber to Madison Square Garden?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, what’s wrong with that?’ He’s like, ‘There’s 22 entrances to Madison Square Garden.
You’re never gonna get in.’” Chappelle made a call, and soon Hernández was in a car on his way. Turns out there are eight official entrances to the Garden, but the comedian entered through a ninth doorway not available to the public. “Fricking loading dock, ba-by.” He snaps his fingers for emphasis.
It’s little wonder he’s thrilled by the memory of special access, even a year and a half later. Hernández’s rise as one of the breakout stars of “SNL” has come rapidly — and in a way that old-school comedians might not recognize.
For the past 50 years, “SNL” has been minting stars from its ensemble cast, from John Belushi to Adam Sandler, Gilda Radner to Tina Fey.
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