Marcello Hernández headlines the University of Maryland Homecoming Comedy Show

Written by: Sierra Green 🇺🇸

Marcello Hernández's headshot on the Improv website (Photo credit: Improv).

Marcello Hernández returns to the University of Maryland this year as the Student Entertainment Events (SEE) Homecoming Comedy headliner. 

Hernández has been on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) since 2022 and was the first Gen Z cast member ever to be a part of the show. 

He is most known for his sketches alongside Pedro Pascal and Bad Bunny and for his “Weekend Update” segments with his SNL co-star Colin Jost. Many of his skits pay homage to the Latino community through jokes or even reenactments of shows like "Sábado Gigante" and "El Chavo."

The last time Hernández came to the University of Maryland was as an opener for Colin Jost in 2022. This year, he returns as the headliner to perform in a sold-out arena in front of one of his largest audiences ever. 

SEE Comedy Director Gabby Rowley said, “Actually taking a step back to look at it, it was such a big turnout…seeing that they all enjoyed it and that all of our work paid off has been so rewarding.”

The Xfinity Center was set and ready to host Hernández on Sunday, Oct. 26, in addition to two openers.

First was Matt Richards, a comedian out of New York who quickly set the tone for a night full of laughter. Richards poked fun at politics, current affairs, and even previous college shows he had done. 

Then came Tommy Brennan, one of the newest SNL cast members, who reignited the crowd through personal stories before the main act. 

Hernández took the stage, and the crowd instantly roared. From there, he kept everyone on their feet throughout the show. He started out with a segment about his childhood in regard to being a “skinny” kid and the problems that caused. 

Kelsey, a student who attended the event, loved Hernández’s jokes. 

“For our generation, I just felt like he’s been the most influential person so far,” she said. “I think my favorite part was his opening with the whole skinny kid thing.” 

From there, he poked fun at the differences between Latinos and white people, as well as between women and men in the United States. He ended the show by bringing attention to the current issues in society in a humorous way. 

Behind the scenes, a lot of work is required from the SEE student programming board for shows to run smoothly. Rowley explained that “extensive brainstorming, researching, and surveying” goes into picking the comedian and coordinating the logistics of the event months beforehand. 

The show was a huge success for everyone involved, according to the SEE team. “They want us to bring Marcello back,” said Rowley. So maybe Hernández will come back and complete a three-peat at the University of Maryland.