Marcelo Hernandez: How His Parents Inspired the Comedian’s Success
17 january 2026 в 00:13
Marcelo Hernandez has become one of the most talked-about participants on Saturday Night Live in recent years, thanks to his charm and jokes about his childhood. His mother, Isabel, is a constant presence in his comedy career, inspiring him with numerous jokes and featuring prominently in the famous sketch «Protective Mom».
Let’s get to know Marcelo’s parents and learn more about his childhood before he became one of the brightest stars in comedy!
Marcelo’s parents divorced when he was a child—specifically, after they moved to the United States. The comedian even mentioned this during his viral performance at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal in 2022, joking that his mom is from Cuba and his dad is from the Dominican Republic, which «means they are divorced».
«It didn’t work out», - Marcelo said. «They came to America with the same idea, but a little differently. My mom came and said, 'Oh my God, look at all these opportunities.' And my dad came and said, 'Oh my God, look at all these opportunities. This is not a place for marriage. This is the land of opportunities.'»
As mentioned, Marcelo’s mother is Isabel. She fled Cuba when she was still a child and moved to Spain, then to the Dominican Republic, before settling in the U.S. She worked various jobs and attended college while pregnant with her son.
Throughout nearly all of his stand-up performances, Marcelo jokes about his mother’s parenting methods. In his Netflix special «American Boy», - the Miami native claimed that he wasn’t allowed to be sad or even have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Despite the jokes about her, Isabel has always publicly supported her son, attending events with him and even appearing in a T-Mobile commercial.
Marcelo’s father is from the Dominican Republic. Although he is not as present in his son’s life as Isabel, Marcelo’s dad supports his comedy career and even visited the SNL set.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Marcelo joked that his parents have «different levels of English». He also recalled how his father reacted when meeting the SNL writers.
«I recently brought my dad to SNL, and all the writers said, 'Nice to meet you,'» Marcelo recounted. «And my dad’s response was, 'Nice to meet you too.'»
Let’s get to know Marcelo’s parents and learn more about his childhood before he became one of the brightest stars in comedy!
Marcelo’s parents divorced when he was a child—specifically, after they moved to the United States. The comedian even mentioned this during his viral performance at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal in 2022, joking that his mom is from Cuba and his dad is from the Dominican Republic, which «means they are divorced».
«It didn’t work out», - Marcelo said. «They came to America with the same idea, but a little differently. My mom came and said, 'Oh my God, look at all these opportunities.' And my dad came and said, 'Oh my God, look at all these opportunities. This is not a place for marriage. This is the land of opportunities.'»
As mentioned, Marcelo’s mother is Isabel. She fled Cuba when she was still a child and moved to Spain, then to the Dominican Republic, before settling in the U.S. She worked various jobs and attended college while pregnant with her son.
Throughout nearly all of his stand-up performances, Marcelo jokes about his mother’s parenting methods. In his Netflix special «American Boy», - the Miami native claimed that he wasn’t allowed to be sad or even have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Despite the jokes about her, Isabel has always publicly supported her son, attending events with him and even appearing in a T-Mobile commercial.
Marcelo’s father is from the Dominican Republic. Although he is not as present in his son’s life as Isabel, Marcelo’s dad supports his comedy career and even visited the SNL set.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Marcelo joked that his parents have «different levels of English». He also recalled how his father reacted when meeting the SNL writers.
«I recently brought my dad to SNL, and all the writers said, 'Nice to meet you,'» Marcelo recounted. «And my dad’s response was, 'Nice to meet you too.'»
© Puhova Marina
