Melissa Villaseñor
Born 1987 · Age 38
American comedian, actress, impressionist, voice actor, musician and illustrator; first widely known for stand-up and celebrity impressions; SNL cast member 2016–2022.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Whittier, California
Melissa Anne Villaseñor born to Mexican parents Guadalupe Peralta and Miguel Villaseñor in Whittier, Los Angeles County.
Began performing stand-up at Laugh Factory Comedy Camp
At about age 15, Villaseñor started doing stand-up comedy at the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp in Hollywood, marking the start of her performing career.
Attended Ramona Convent Secondary School (high school)
Attended the Catholic Ramona Convent Secondary School in Alhambra, California (secondary-school attendance; approximate graduation year ~2005).
Briefly attended Fullerton College
Attended Fullerton College for a short period (listed as 'briefly attended' in biography).
Auditioned for Saturday Night Live (unsuccessful)
Villaseñor first auditioned for SNL in 2009, performed impressions but was not hired at that time.
Started appearing in voice and animation credits
Began a pattern of animation voice work that would continue across multiple networks (Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, etc.).
Selected for Just for Laughs 'New Faces' lineup
Chosen for the prestigious New Faces lineup at the 2010 Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival.
Film role: The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It
Early film appearance credited as 'Sara'.
Released album 'Leap'
Released the digital album 'Leap' (tracks include 'Puzzle Piece', 'Leap into My Heart').
Semifinalist on America's Got Talent (Season 6)
Appeared as a contestant and reached the semifinals on America's Got Talent, bringing national exposure.
Voice role: Family Guy (Nora Ephron)
Provided voice work on Family Guy, credited as Nora Ephron in episode 'Tom Tucker: The Man and His Dream'.
Began recurring voice work on Adventure Time
Provided multiple voices (Slime Princess, Moniker, etc.) on Adventure Time across 11 episodes (2012–2016).
Released music project 'Leap' (digital)
Digital release of 'Leap' with tracks such as 'Puzzle Piece' and 'Leap into My Heart' (repeat of album release, catalog milestone).
Contributed impressions to Rob Cantor's viral video
Helped create the viral '29 Celebrity Impressions, 1 Original Song' video, singing impressions (Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Björk).
Film role: Laid in America
Appeared in the comedy film 'Laid in America' as Ms. Hopkins.
Became recognized widely as an impressionist
Gained broad public recognition for impressions (including Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Owen Wilson, Sarah Silverman, Lady Gaga) through SNL, YouTube, and TV appearances.
Recognized as SNL's second Latina cast member
When hired in 2016 she was noted as the second Latina cast member in SNL history and later became the first Latina promoted to repertory.
Appeared on First Impressions (contestant)
Performed impressions on TV program 'First Impressions'.
Controversy: deleted ~2,000 old tweets after SNL hiring
Shortly after being hired to SNL, she deleted nearly 2,000 tweets (mostly from 2010–11); the action drew media criticism and discussion of past tweets.
Joined Saturday Night Live as featured player (debut)
Introduced as a featured SNL cast member on Oct 1, 2016; debut sketch included an impression of Sarah Silverman. Became the show's second Latina cast member.
Appeared in OK K.O.! and other recurring voice roles
Regular voice work on animated TV such as OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes (2017–2019) and other series, expanding her voice acting resume.
Named among Rolling Stone's '50 Funniest People Right Now'
Included in Rolling Stone magazine's list recognizing current comedic talent.
Voice role: Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (Tawny)
Voice role in direct-to-video film 'Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown'.
Listed among Forbes 30 Under 30 (reported)
Cited in speaker/press materials as having been named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list (exact year and category cited in secondary bios).
Voice role: Ralph Breaks the Internet (Taffyta Muttonfudge)
Provided voice work in 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' (2018).
Publicly addressed deleted-tweets controversy
In September 2018 on NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday she explained she 'was trying to be edgy' with old tweets and discussed deleting them after being hired to SNL.
TV guest roles: Crashing and Barry
Appeared on HBO's 'Crashing' (episode 'NACA') and on 'Barry' (as a waitress) in 2018.
Signed with WME (talent agency)
Signed representation with William Morris Endeavor (WME), a major talent agency (reported June 14, 2018).
Promoted to SNL repertory player
Promoted from featured player to repertory status for SNL's season 44 in 2018 — noted as the first Latina to be promoted to repertory.
Voice role: Toy Story 4 (Karen Beverly)
Provided a voice in Pixar's 'Toy Story 4' (2019).
Guest: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
Appeared as herself on Jerry Seinfeld's 'Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee' (2019 episode).
SNL episode count milestone reached
By the time she left SNL (2022) she had appeared in 122 episodes; notable milestone during her tenure (count reported in filmography).
Noted as an illustrator and multimedia artist
Public bios and interviews note that she also works as an illustrator and visual artist in addition to performing.
Reported Golden Globe-related credit mention (low confidence)
Some bios claim she 'received a Golden Globe nomination' connected to voice work on 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' (this is referenced in secondary bios; attribution to her personally is uncertain).
Published/Reported self-help journal 'Whoops, I'm Awesome' (low confidence)
Secondary sources (speaker bios) assert she published a self-help journal titled 'Whoops, I'm Awesome' (date unspecified in bios).
Released debut album 'Dreamer'
Pop-punk / power-pop influenced debut album 'Dreamer' released digitally on Oct 9, 2019 (her 32nd birthday).
Film role: Hubie Halloween (Cat Owner)
Appeared in Adam Sandler's Netflix film 'Hubie Halloween' (2020).
Voiced Robin in 'Batman: The Audio Adventures' (radio drama podcast)
Credited as the voice of Robin in the radio-drama podcast; increased presence in audio/voice projects.
Served as judge on reality TV 'Is It Cake?' (appearance credit)
Appeared as a guest judge/celebrity on Netflix's 'Is It Cake?' (episode 'That 90's Cake').
Hosted the Independent Spirit Awards (36th)
Hosted the 2021 (36th) Film Independent Spirit Awards; a high-profile hosting role during the pandemic-year awards show.
Released single 'California'
Digital single 'California' released June 19, 2021.
Appeared on 'Finding Your Roots' - DNA cousin discovery
Featured on 'Finding Your Roots' (Feb 1, 2022) where DNA research found a cousin in common with Mario Lopez and linked to Alejandro González Iñárritu.
Departed Saturday Night Live after six seasons
Left SNL at the end of the show's 47th season (reporting of departure on Sept 1, 2022) after appearing for six seasons and 122 episodes.
Announced voice role in Disney's 'Primos' (Nellie Ramírez-Humphrey)
Variety reported on June 13, 2023 that Villaseñor would voice Nellie Ramírez-Humphrey in the animated series 'Primos'.
Multiple ongoing animated series voice commitments
Filmography lists recurring/regular voice roles through 2024 and beyond (e.g., 'Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight', 'Rock Paper Scissors', 'Max & the Midknights').
Cast in multiple animated projects (voice roles reported)
Listed voice roles for 2024 projects including 'Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake', 'Max & the Midknights', and recurring animated roles (announced/credited in filmography for 2024).
Voice role: Dog Man (Realtor) — credited
Credited voice role in 'Dog Man' (reported 2025 filmography entries).
Released album 'Canciones Hermosas' (digital)
Digital release of 'Canciones Hermosas' (collection of Spanish-language standards) reported for Feb 14, 2025.
Voice role: Hoppers (Ellen)
Listed filmography credit for 'Hoppers' (voice role) with a 2026 release listed in the filmography.
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