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Julio Torres (born February 11, 1987) is a Salvadorans writer, comedian, and actor. He is known as a writer for Saturday Night Live and as the co-creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO series Los Espookys and Fantasmas. Both of Torres' HBO series won a Peabody Awards. He previously wrote for The Chris Gethard Show on truTV. He directed, wrote, and starred in the surrealist comedy film Problemista.
He grew up during the last years of the Salvadoran Civil War and remembers hiding under the dining table with his mother; however, he describes his childhood as idyllic. Torres grew up in an apartment above his mother's clothing store where she would sew both his and his sister's clothes. He had few friends in his youth and spent his time creating elaborate stories for Barbies and miniature toy cars. When Torres was 11, his grandfather died and Torres moved with his family to a farmhouse outside the city, where his mother had grown up, after his mother's clothing store went out of business.
Torres attended a private high school in San Salvador after he and his sister received scholarships. After high school, he enrolled in a two-year advertising program and later worked at an ad agency. He made a presentation to his relatives to convince them to pay for Torres to attend college in New York and moved to Manhattan in 2009 after applying to Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School a second time with a scholarship. Torres majored in English literature while he also studied playwriting, graduating in 2011.
Following Los Espookys, Torres wrote, directed, and starred in the HBO series Fantasmas. Both Los Espookys and Fantasmas were honored with Peabody Awards.
His comedy special My Favorite Shapes premiered August 10, 2019, on HBO. It was directed by his frequent collaborator Dave McCary and produced by Fred Armisen and Lorne Michaels. Torres played the gay barista Jules in the 2021 comedy film Together Together. His first feature film, Problemista, was released in the United States released by A24 on March 1, 2024. Torres wrote and directed the film, a surrealist Comedy film in which he portrays Alejandro, a Salvadoran creative struggling to succeed in New York City before his work visa expires, alongside Tilda Swinton.
In 2024, Ryan Gosling asked Torres to return to SNL with a sequel to "Papyrus". Although cut for time during Gosling's live episode, "Papyrus 2" was later released online in full.
On March 27, 2026 a cinematic version of Torres' stage show entitled Color Theories released on HBO.
His mother and his sister, a designer, have collaborated with him on comedy projects. He says he has always wanted to pursue a career in writing for comedy.
Torres is in a relationship with actor James Scully.
He is vegan.
Career
Torres worked as a writer on The Chris Gethard Show before he was hired to write for Saturday Night Live. He worked at SNL from 2016 to 2019, writing sketches including "Papyrus" and "Wells for Boys". He was nominated for four Emmys as a member of the SNL writing team. He has appeared on The Tonight Show and other late-night programs. His comedy is frequently described by critics as "otherworldly" and "surrealist," with elements of the fantastical and a melancholy undercurrent.
After pitching a Spanish-language comedy to HBO, the comedian Fred Armisen brought Torres and Ana Fabrega on to co-write the series. Armisen and Torres had met when the former hosted SNL. Torres was also a co-showrunner and actor on the project, which became Los Espookys. The first season aired in 2019, and it was renewed for a second season later that year. Torres plays Andrés, a wealthy heir who searches for answers about his mysterious past.
Personal life
Torres is gay. He said in June 2020, "I never want to claim to speak for anybody else's experience. I am not here representing immigrants. I am not here representing Salvadorians, or Hispanics, or gay people. I can only share what's in me and that may or may not ring true with people, but I have never wanted to use any of those things as a calling card."
Filmography
Film
2019 My Favorite Shapes by Julio Torres Self Also writer and executive producer 2021 Together Together Jules 2023 Problemista Alejandro Also writer and director Nimona Diego the Squire (voice) Millennial Hunter Chaz AF (voice) 2024 Boys Go to Jupiter T-bone/Gas Station Guy/Brontosaurus (voice) 2026 Color Theories HBO Original
Television
2015–2016 The Chris Gethard Show Self 2 episodes The Special Without Brett Davis Various roles 6 episodes 2016 Horace and Pete Young hipster Episode #1.1 The Jim Gaffigan Show QED MC Episode: "The List" High Maintenance Art school kid 2 Episode: "Tick" 2017–2019 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Correspondent 8 episodes Late Night with Seth Meyers Self 3 episodes 2017 Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents Self Episode: "Julio Torres" 2018 The Shivering Truth Dale (voice) Episode: "Ogled Inklings" 2019 The Other Two Jordan Episode: "Chase Turns Fourteen" 2019–2022 Los Espookys Andrés Valdez Main role; also writer and executive producer 2021 Bob's Burgers Rodrigo (voice) Episode: "Y Tu Tina También" Shrill Ricochet 3 episodes Ziwe Self Episode: "Immigration" Tuca & Bertie (voice) Episode: "Sleepovers" 2021–2023 The Great North Crispin Cienfuegos (voice) 15 episodes 2022 Search Party Quique Episode: "Kings" 2024 Fantasmas Julio Torres Also executive producer, writer, director
Web
2025 The Real Me Radio DJ Guest Appearance
External links
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