The Film Independent Spirit Awards, honoring the best in indie film, tends to play like the Oscars' scrappier, wittier, and more bombastic little cousin. In past years the ceremony has seen comics like Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, and Aubrey Plaza host the event, crafting remarkable, riskier opening monologues along the way. Now, another contemporary comedy powerhouse is stepping up to the plate with her own special sauce of silliness, incredible impressions, and literal musicality.
Melissa Villaseñor, who's currently in her fifth year as a cast member of Saturday Night Live, is hosting the Independent Spirit Awards, and I was lucky enough to chat with her over Zoom about the event. We talked about some of the impressions she got to pull off, some of the aforementioned monologues she'll be skewering, and the freedom that comes with pre-taping an awards show instead of doing it all live. We also got into some nitty-gritty SNL stuff, including what Kate McKinnon thinks of Villaseñor's impression of her and how they put together those amazing musical sketches. Plus, we talked about her upcoming creativity-based self-help book and her return to stand up with this summer's California Girl tour.
Throughout it all, Villaseñor quickly transitioned through all kinds of impressions with skill and joy, including folks like Jennifer Lopez, Ana Navarro, and, well, me. She picked up a mannerism about me that I will feel self-conscious about for the rest of my life, and I highly recommend you watch.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards air on IFC and AMC+ on April 22 at 10PM ET.