It only took 42 years, but Saturday Night Live finally hired a Latina! Melissa Villaseñor made her SNL debut this weekend and she did not disappoint. The 28-year-old comedian was a finalist from season 6 of America’s Got Talent where she wowed the judges with her impressions. Julio Torres, another Latino comedian was also hired as a full-time writer amid complaints regarding the show’s lack of diversity.
“SNL is one of the main reasons why I started comedy at 15 and I pray to be there someday when I am ready,” she wrote on her Facebook page back in 2009 when she first auditioned. It just shows that even if you don’t get a “yes” right away, don’t give up and keep working towards your goal. Villaseñor does killer impressions of Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Natalie Portman and many others. She’s also done work for Family Guy, Cartoon Network, and headlined at hundreds of clubs across the country.