Sebastian Maniscalco applauds Marcello Hernandez’s spot-on ‘SNL’ impression—and jokes the next step might be showing up to play himself.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Peggy Sirota/Will Heath/NBC)
For most comedians, being impersonated on television can feel like a gamble. For Sebastian Maniscalco, it’s mostly been a compliment—and now maybe an invitation.
After the latest episode of Saturday Night Live, the stand-up star had nothing but praise for cast member Marcello Hernandez, who once again slipped into a spot-on impression of the comedian.
The sketch also featured pop star and guest host Harry Styles, and according to Maniscalco, the pair captured his signature style perfectly.
Reacting on social media after the broadcast, Maniscalco joked about his unusual history with the legendary NBC comedy show. “I’ve been on SNL twice now,” he wrote, before adding the punchline: neither appearance was as the host.
The comic leaned into the irony, noting that Hernandez and Styles may now have more rehearsal time portraying him than he does appearing as himself on the show.
Still, the tone was all admiration. Maniscalco said the sketch had him laughing and credited Hernandez with doing “a fantastic job” capturing his mannerisms and comedic rhythm—something fans of the veteran stand-up know is not easy to mimic.
Hernandez first debuted the Maniscalco impression in November during an episode hosted by actor Glen Powell.
The bit quickly caught attention for how closely Hernandez mirrored the comic’s expressive delivery and animated reactions, which have helped make Maniscalco one of the world’s top-grossing touring comedians.
The newest sketch only strengthened that comparison—and caught the attention of the real Maniscalco once again.
In fact, the comedian revealed that the show had originally asked him to appear briefly at the end of the segment. Scheduling conflicts kept the cameo from happening this time, but he seemed open to the idea of a future appearance.
His takeaway from the moment was simple—and delivered with a wink: if the impression keeps returning, maybe the easiest solution is to let the real Maniscalco walk onstage.
“Maybe the third time,” he joked, “I come in and do it myself.”
