Melissa Villaseñor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melissa Villaseñor
Villaseñor in December 2024
Birth name	Melissa Anne Villaseñor
Born	(1987-10-09) October 9, 1987 (age 37) Whittier, California, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up television film music
Alma mater	Fullerton College
Years active	2003–present
Genres	Observational comedy sketch comedy musical comedy impressions surreal humor satire
Subject(s)	Latin American culture everyday life social awkwardness race relations mental health self-deprecation pop culture

Melissa Anne Villaseñor (born October 9, 1987) is an American comedian, actress, musician, and artist. She is famous for her stand-up comedy and for being a talented impressionist, which means she can imitate the voices and manners of famous people.

Villaseñor became well-known when she joined the cast of the NBC comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) in 2016. She was a cast member on the show for six years, leaving in 2022. Besides comedy, she also creates music and illustrations.

Early Life and School

Melissa Villaseñor was born in Whittier, California, on October 9, 1987. Her parents, Guadalupe and Miguel Villaseñor, are from Mexico. Her family has Spanish, Basque, and indigenous Mexican roots from the states of Jalisco and Aguascalientes in Mexico.

She went to a Catholic high school called Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra, California. When she was just 15, she started doing stand-up comedy at a comedy camp in Hollywood. After high school, she also attended Fullerton College for a short time.

Career

Villaseñor in 2013

Villaseñor's career took off when she became a semi-finalist on the sixth season of America's Got Talent. She also performed at the famous Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal in 2010.

She has also been a voice actress for popular animated shows like Adventure Time and Family Guy.

Saturday Night Live

In 2009, Villaseñor first tried out for Saturday Night Live. She showed off her impressions but wasn't chosen for the show at that time. She didn't give up and was hired as a featured player in 2016.

Her first appearance on SNL was on October 1, 2016. In one of her first sketches, she did an impression of comedian Sarah Silverman. Villaseñor was the second Latina cast member in the show's history and the first to be promoted to a main cast member.

In 2018, some old posts she made on Twitter between 2010 and 2011 caused controversy. Villaseñor explained that she was trying to be "edgy" back then and decided to delete the posts. She said, "I'm flawed like everyone else... and yeah, I just wanted to make sure I was perfect."

She was promoted to a main cast member in 2018. After six years on the show, Villaseñor left SNL in 2022.

Other Work

Besides acting, Villaseñor is also a musician and an artist. In 2019, she released her first album, Dreamer. She also creates illustrations.

She helped singer Rob Cantor with his popular video "29 Celebrity Impressions, 1 Original Song," where she sang impressions of Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Björk.

In 2021, she hosted the Independent Spirit Awards. She also voiced the character of Robin in the podcast series Batman: The Audio Adventures. In 2023, it was announced she would voice a character in the animated series Primos.

Impressions

Villaseñor is best known for her amazing impressions. Some of the famous people she can imitate include:

• Björk
• Owen Wilson
• Gwen Stefani
• Jennifer Lopez
• Kristen Wiig
• Lady Gaga
• Billie Eilish
• Dua Lipa
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

See also

In Spanish: Melissa Villaseñor para niños