Posted on 03/20/2024 9:48:44 PM PDT by nickcarraway
On March 17, 1984, Billy Crystal gave Saturday Night Live viewers their first taste of his debonair character, Fernando.
At the time, Crystal wasn’t yet a cast member, but was instead the episode’s host. The comedian had seen his fame steadily rise thanks to his popular standby career, as well as television roles and (briefly) his own variety show on NBC, The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour. Crystal had previously made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live, performing a monologue during a season one episode. Still, this would be his first time hosting, and he brought a character with him that had been gestating for years.
“Being a big fan of The Tonight Show, I used to love when an actor named Fernando Lamas would come on,” Crystal recalled to the Television Academy decades later. “He was a Latin lover. He was very smooth, very handsome. ... And when he would come on with Johnny [Carson], he was nothing but suave. And he always made me laugh.”
Crystal would do his impression of Lamas for friends, never really intending to do much with it. It was his brother who eventually suggested he turn Fernando into a character.
Fernando's Debut Was Less Than Marvelous
Fernando’s SNL debut was more of a soft launch than a grand opening. Crystal showcased the character during an appearance in the "Saturday Night News" segment (now known as "Weekend Update"). During his appearance, Fernando discussed which celebrities were endorsing which candidates in the upcoming presidential election. Only a few of the jokes landed, but the character did utter one line in particular that would go on to become a catchphrase: “You look mahvelous.”
Crystal would join SNL as a cast member later in ‘84. Naturally, Fernando came with him. The concept was evolved into “Fernando’s Hideaway,” where Crystal, in character, would interview guests in the corner booth at his favorite restaurant. Unlike other SNL sketches, these were entirely improvised.
"That’s what I loved most about him," Crystal later explained in the book Live From New York. "The danger of it was doing it in the dress rehearsal and getting screams and then trying to recreate it three hours later. But the danger was intoxicating too. Once the set was rolled out, the hideaway, the audience started to get excited, because it was the first sketch they would see where there were no cue cards. And they knew it. They knew it was dangerous. It was a talk show within the show. A whole different energy hit the studio when it happened. I loved seeing the host squirm a little bit, because it was, 'What’s he going to say to me now?' Because I had to switch off from the dress show to the air show, otherwise it would be flat.”
Some 'SNL' Castmates Thought Crystal Was 'Selling Out'
Fernando became the most memorable character of Crystal’s tenure on the show. A notable fan was Dick Ebersol, then the executive producer of Saturday Night Live. However, his enthusiasm wasn’t shared by some of the SNL staff.
“Dick, who is a whore, would try to get [Crystal] to do the same characters over and over,” recalled SNL writer Bob Tischler. “And Billy, who loves attention, would feel no compunction about doing Fernando every week, even though a lot of us were tired of it. Harry Shearer looked at Billy as selling out and made no bones about it. Where other people might see the audience laughing at what Billy was doing — they may not have liked it themselves, but they weren’t abrasive or abusive about it — Harry was just vocal and insulting. He could be insulting to anybody at any time, but he especially picked Billy to mistreat. He was just horrible to him.”
Negativity aside, the popularity of Fernando and his “mahvelous” catchphrase helped SNL weather a transitional period in the show’s history. Ringo Starr, Mr. T, Hulk Hogan and Howard Cossell were among the celebrities interviewed by the character.
Though memorable, Fernando's time in the spotlight was ultimately brief. Crystal departed after just one season as an SNL cast member, taking Fernando along with him.
He was one of my least favorite celebrity.
marvelous!
Sounds like I missed nothing not watching TV.....
Funny! I just showed my wife Billy Crystal’s Fernando this past week, in response to something the said about a relative wanting to look good, rather than to feel good.
Bizarre timing.
“ He was one of my least favorite celebrity.”
He was hilarious.
Nice guy too
And his tribute to Ali at Ali’s memorial is way underrated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XB3sD9QJCI&pp=ygUNQiBjcnlzdGFsIGFsaQ%3D%3D
Crystal = Lightweight
That one was hysterical.
IIRC, the scheduled host dropped out on the last day of rehearsals (I don't recall who it was) and the first WrestleMania was playing at the Madison Square Garden on Sunday, so Michaels was able to get Mr. T and Hulk Hogan to agree to come on at the last minute and host the show on Saturday night.
They did the Fernando's Hideaway skit and the two of them were in their wrestling gear while Crystal was saying things like "They look mahvelous!" and "Do those have names?" as Hogan was alternately flexing his pectoral muscles (which was his schtick).
All three of them couldn't contain their laughter after that.
-PJ
R.e. SNL - Weekend Update. Nthing will ever touch Jane Cutain and Dan Ankroyd’s “Jane, You miserable slut” skit. Everything after that was anticlamatic.
“Where’s your Moses now?”
https://youtu.be/2Mo4mkyVoIw?si=tMlqiox6CToYBQVj
Interesting way to put it.
Fernando’s interview of Hulk Hogan and Mr T was hilarious.
That was back when they were getting ready to wrestle a pair of ‘evil’ guys. I forget their names.
Besides being known for Fernando, Crystal was also known for hosting the Oscars some 7-8 times in a row.
Other than that - nothing.
And it still lives in many variations, woke times or not
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