The People Have Spoken: ‘SNL’s New Babygirl Is Marcello Hernández

You might have clicked on this article just to get mad about the title. Stupid stupid stupid, the little gremlin in your brain is shouting while doing a little dance. And I might be tempted to agree with you, if I hadn’t witnessed with my own two eyes the babygirlification of SNL men over the last few years.

When you go on YouTube after watching maybe one or two SNL videos, you might start getting recommended compilations, but these aren’t just classic compilations with titles like “Funniest Sketches” or something simple like that. No, these are compilations along the lines of “bill hader exuding top energy” or “kyle mooney making me lose all grip on reality.” If you don’t believe me, you really oughta look them up yourself. Yes, they’re all lowercase font. Yes, 95% are wildly thirsty.

So imagine my surprise when, after barely an entire season with the show, one of SNL‘s newest players, Marcello Hernández, was recommended to me with these compilations. It’s pretty bonkers to me that people are already making comps of him when he’s only been in so many sketchess, so I guess it’s telling that pretty much all of these sketches are in the comps.

I figured it was only a matter of time until someone in this new cast took off like this, considering that three of the four new featured players are young, cute cis men. But to be completely honest, with how hard the writers have been trying to make Michael Longfellow their new Pete Davidson (see: the multiple Weekend Update sketches where he just goes up and monologues, à la the “Resident Young Person” days), I thought people would go for him instead.

And maybe they have, but at least a few thousand people are more vocal about Marcello instead. They’ve been taken by the Hernández charm. And honestly, I can’t blame them. Behold, this charming man:

What does that even mean? 192 lasers? I must have missed something, but either way, I love the enthusiasm here.

Truly, the new featured players are proving to be incredible additions to the cast, and Marcello has especially been a shining star. He’s naturally energetic and enthusiastic in every role he’s in, and he doesn’t seem to have much trouble in sending a joke home, regardless of whether or not he’s got a prominent role in a sketch. Fans are especially excited that he’s very upfront about his Latino background, and that he tries to incorporate aspects of his heritage into many of his sketches. A particular darling of recent memory was this sketch, with his “mama” Pedro Pascal:

I think it also helps that Marcello had a background on TikTok before joining the show, so he knows how to appeal to a particular crowd of youths. And I mean, yeah, look, he’s also cute, in that “sweet funny man” way that made people like Hader and Mooney, as well. We apparently have our new Pete in Longfellow, so I guess we’ve gotta balance it out with a lil Babygirl action, too. Now, would I like to see this same sort of enthusiasm with Andrew Dismukes? 100%, I’ve been a Dismukes fan since the “Jack Flatts” sketch. But hey, we’ll get there.

Marcello, we’re loving what you’re giving, and we’re excited to see what you do next! Just don’t be surprised if, in a few months from now, your face will be prominently featured in a compilation with the Wii theme in the background.

(featured image: SNL)