Julio Torres

Julio Torres (born February 11, 1987) is a Salvadoran 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 Award. He previously wrote for The Chris Gethard Show on truTV. He directed, wrote, and starred in the surrealist comedy film Problemista.

Early life and education Torres was born on February 11, 1987, in San Salvador, El Salvador. His father, Julio, is a civil engineer and his mother, Tita, is an architect and fashion designer. His grandmother was told by a fortune teller that one of her descendants would be successful in New York City which his mother believed to be Torres.

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.

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 plays Andrés, a wealthy heir who searches for answers about his mysterious past.

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 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. Also that year, the Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics presented Torres with its Wilde Wit award, an homage to Oscar Wilde that celebrates "a performer, writer, or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse."

On March 27, 2026, a comedy special based on Torres' stage show Color Theories was 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.

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."

He is vegan.

Television

Web Year Title Role Notes 2025 The Real Me Radio DJ Guest Appearance