Popular Saturday Night Live (SNL) character Domingo has sparked social media popularity with his charm and iconic personality.
The famous character, played by Marcello Hernandez, first became famous because of his appearance in the sketch “Bridesmaid Speech” and then became a recurring character inside and outside the SNL stage.
“Bridesmaid Speech”
“Bridesmaid Speech,” starring guest host Ariana Grande, first aired on Oct. 12, 2024. The sketch featured four bridesmaids, Grande being one of them, singing a parody of Sabrina Carpenter’s pop hit “Espresso” to the bride, Kelsey (Chloe Fineman), and the groom, Matt (Andrew Dismukes). During the song, lyrics like “She’s vibing with Domingo” and “Hands me her ring, now we can’t find her” provoke Matt to start being concerned with Kelsey and the possibility of her cheating on him with a character named Domingo. Domingo then comes out, joining in on the song with the bridesmaids and Kelsey, with the last scene having Kelsey and Domingo dancing together and Matt being displeased.
“The bridesmaid speech was hilarious. Having been in multiple weddings I can attest to the fact that I have been a part of something for the couple, so it was very relatable. I also loved that Ariana sang horribly; it added to the whole comedy of it,” said Lisa Fahey, a teacher and SNL fan.
After the sketch was released, Domingo became popular online, with people lip-syncing to his verse of the song, and despite him being the wrong person in a bad situation in the sketch, he became a beloved character. Since the sketch was released during the Halloween season, people also dressed up as Domingo for Halloween, and ever since then, Domingo has been the source of memes and has a big fanbase.
Only five weeks later, Domingo then appeared again in a second sketch. “Babymoon” is the sketch with the reoccurrence of Domingo, starring Charli XCX, with the same characters, Kelsey and Matt, along with the other three bridesmaids.
The sketch was not at the wedding scene from the last sketch and is instead set to a baby shower setting. The bridesmaids then sang again, but instead of “Espresso,” they sang a parody of the pop hit “HOT TO GO” by Chappell Roan. They then brought out the character, Domingo, once again, with him and the bridesmaids singing about him meeting up with Kelsey in Miami, causing Matt to be once again skeptical of their relationship.
The sketch is similar to the first one but has a different plot, with it being revealed that Kelsey is having a baby with Matt and Domingo.
“Short n’ Sweet Tour” appearance
Shortly after the second sketch, Domingo appeared in Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short n’ Sweet Tour.” During each performance in the Song of the Year nominated singer’s tour, there is a segment during her show that features her “arresting” someone from the crowd. In one of her many Los Angeles shows, Hernandez dressed up as Domingo and was arrested. He sang his iconic lines from the sketch, which blew up the character again across social media, making everyone fall in love with Domingo for a third time.
“Domingo’s guest appearance took the part of her show that she does every time, and it made it more appealing and exciting. Every time a concert has a guest appearance, it’s always really fun,” said Claire Steunenberg, a Carlmont junior.
Domingo’s popularity
Domingo is still as popular as ever, with people online still raving about the character and waiting for what’s to come next. The popularity of the sketch also gave Hernandez huge recognition and excited viewers whenever he came on screen.
“I think Domingo is so popular primarily because of Marcello and his position as a comedian. I think he’s so funny, and the style and character he gave Domingo really added to the performance,” said Karina Abuel, a Carlmont sophomore.
