Since making his debut on Saturday Night Live back in 2022, Marcello Hernández has carved out a solid lane for himself. The actor and comedian has headlined some excellent sketches and has become widely recognizable for playing the recurring character Domingo. With Hernández’s star growing, he now has a comedy special that’s available for Netflix subscription holders. Before he set foot on stage to film that production, though, Hernández received some keen advice from SNL legend Chris Rock.
Marcello Hernández: American Boy was just released this month amid the 2026 TV schedule, and it marks the young comedian’s first filmed special. The SNL breakout recently discussed the production while appearing on The Today Show. During that conversation (which is on YouTube), Hernández was asked about the advice he received from Chris Rock. As the Florida native explained, he spoke with Rock not too long before he was set to shoot the special, and he provided keen words of caution that sparked a big change:
I told him I was shooting a special, and he was like, ‘When?’ And I was like, ‘In a few weeks.’ And he was like, ‘Didn’t you just finish SNL?’ I was like, ‘Yeah.’ He was like, ‘That’s a really bad idea. You can like, wing this. This is a very important moment for you.’ After he told me that, I called my agents and my mom and everybody, and I was like, ‘I’m sorry, guys, we have to push it, because Chris Rock told me to.’ And we did.
So it seems Rock’s biggest piece of advice for Hernández was to take some more time to sharpen his set before filming the special, and that makes sense. Considering that Hernández was only just coming off Saturday Night Live at the time, shifting gears so quickly could’ve been counterproductive for him. Those are some words of wisdom that only a seasoned comedian – and someone who’s worked at Studio 8H – would know to dish out.
Chris Rock was a cast member on NBC’s long-running sketch comedy show from 1990 to 1993 and, even today, he remains heavily linked to the series’ history. Rock has also returned to SNL from time to time to host and has done so four times at this point. Additionally, Rock returned for the SNL50 special and, apparently series creator Lorne Michaels shelled out a lot of cash to get him and other stars to appear.
As for Marcello Hernández, his level of recognition appears to be growing, and that’s not just because of those Domingo sketches with Sabrina Carpenter. Hernández is starting to pick up additional roles, and one of the biggest feathers in his cap right now is his role as Fergus in Shrek 5. He’s also starring in the Netflix film 72 Hours with Kevin Hart as well as The Angry Birds Movie 3. 2025 also saw Hernández appear in the long-awaited Happy Gilmore 2.
With a burgeoning number of movie credits and a comedy special now under his belt, Hernández seems to be moving up in his career. I look forward to seeing how his trajectory progresses and, also, kudos to Chris Rock for helping out a fellow comedian.
Check out Marcello Hernández: American Boy on Netflix now, and see him on Saturday Night Live, which airs weekly at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Also, grab a Peacock subscription to stream episodes of SNL, which include some fine work from Hernández.
