October 13, 2019

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Portrayal of Julián Castro On Saturday Night Live Was Perfection

Hashtag “Latinobama.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda Jordan Strauss/AP

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

Saturday Night Live has been criticized recently for its lack of Latino representation, particularly after it left out former housing secretary Julián Castro from its season opener that spoofed the Democratic debates. But this week, the show brought on Lin Manuel Miranda to play Castro in the show’s cold open last night that was based on CNN’s LGBT town hall. 

The show modeled the town hall after a drag ball a la Pose, the award-winning drama on FX. They set the tone by using the show’s breakout star, Billy Porter, to introduce the candidates. “And now, from the Haus of Urban Deliciousness,” he cried by way of introduction to Castro. 

Manuel’s portrayal of Castro was significant not just by virtue of representing Castro onstage, but also because it played perfectly on the candidate’s burgeoning reputation as especially “woke” on issues related to sex and gender. At one point, he joked, “As a Democrat, I want to apologize for not being gay.” He also dubbed himself the “Latinobama.”

You can see the full sketch here:

From the looks of it, the skit was a hit with the real Castro, too.

This is how change happens.

One story at a time.

This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

This is how change happens.

One story at a time.

This investigative reporting takes time too. Months of research. Weeks of writing, editing, and fact checking—and putting together the photography, art, video, and audio that tell the stories in a new way, illuminating new perspectives and voices.

We can afford to take our time because we don’t report to oligarchs or corporations. We report to you, and for you.

And the stakes are high. Democracy is on the defense. We’ve been exposing corruption and scandal for five decades, and this is a pivotal moment in our country’s history. Will democracy prevail? We won’t wait for time to tell—independent journalism is essential for democracy, and we’ll keep doing our part to amplify the free press.

So, we’re asking: Will you join the fight? Mother Jones has been here for 50 years, and we need your support to fuel the future of investigative journalism. Mark our 50th anniversary with a gift of any amount.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

INDEPENDENT. BECAUSE OF YOU.

Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible

Donate