“My Sun in Aquarius” Comedy Benefit Show

On Friday, May 15, 2020, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, New American Economy, in partnership with the New York State Youth Leadership Council and comedian Julio Torres (Saturday Night Live, HBO’s Los Espookys and My Favorite Shapes), hosted “My Sun in Aquarius,” a digital comedy show to benefit undocumented workers in NYC.

Now, for a limited time only, we have made the entire show available on our Youtube page. Check it out below:

Featuring special guests Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live, HBO’s Los Espookys, Portlandia), Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll, Orange Is The New Black), Nick Kroll (Kroll Show, Big Mouth, The League), Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live, Shrill, Danger & Eggs), and Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live, Las Culturistas), the show consisted of Julio and his guests guiding viewers though stories, fables, hand acting tutorials, and color theory.

To donate to help undocumented immigrants in New York, head to https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/covidfund.

Every dollar donated will go directly to the New York State Youth Leadership Council, an organization raising funds to support undocumented youth and their families during this pandemic. Undocumented people, many of whom work in jobs that are most vulnerable to exposure to COVID-19 or who have lost their job, do not have the same safety nets provided to other members of our communities.

Let’s learn more about the incredible guests who helped guide us on this journey and volunteered their time to raise money for undocumented immigrants in New York (in order of appearance in the show):

Julio Torres

Julio Torres is a Brooklyn-based comedian who moved to NYC from El Salvador.

Julio is an Emmy-nominated and WGA-winning writer for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, which he wrote on for four seasons. His work on SNL received much acclaim from THE NEW YORK TIMES, VULTURE, and VANITY FAIR, among others. Some of his most notable sketches include “Wells for Boys” with Emma Stone, “Papyrus” with Ryan Gosling, and “Diego Calls His Mom” with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Julio has guest starred on HBO’s HIGH MAINTENANCE, performed stand up on LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS, and has also both performed stand up and frequently appears as a correspondent on THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON.

His first stand-up special premiered as a half hour on COMEDY CENTRAL STAND UP PRESENTS. In 2017 Julio headlined his first solo hour at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, “My Favorite Shapes: By Julio Torres” to rave reviews, which was taped and became his first hour-long comedy special that premiered on HBO in August 2019.

Julio currently stars in the HBO Spanish-language comedy series LOS ESPOOKYS, which he co-created with Fred Armisen and Ana Fabrega. They are currently in production on season 2.

Nick Kroll

Nick Kroll has established himself as one of today’s most sought-after creators, writers, producers, and actors in film and television. Nick co-created, writes, produces and performs over 30 voices on the Emmy-Nominated Netflix animated series BIG MOUTH, which is based on his childhood. Nick and the BIG MOUTH team recently announced their newest project for Netflix titled HUMAN RESOURCES where Nick will serve as co-creator and executive producer. 

Kroll and John Mulaney recently released a new podcast OH, HELLO: THE P’DCAST, a spinoff of their critically acclaimed show OH, HELLO ON BROADWAY. The first episode was released on April 3^rd and all proceeds will be donated to various charitable organizations supporting Covid relief, including United Way. 

Kroll recently starred in OLYMPIC DREAMS alongside real-life Olympian, Alexi Pappas. OLYMPIC DREAMS was filmed on location at the 2018 Winter Games and was released in theaters by IFC on February 14^th. Previously, Nick voiced “Uncle Fester” in MGM’s animated comedy, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, starring opposite Charlize Theron, Oscar Isaac, Chloe Grace Moretz and Bette Midler. The animated movie became a box office hit with grossing numbers of $131,075,960 worldwide.Kroll also recently completed his tour for Nick Kroll: Middle-Aged Boy, his stand-up comedy show, which hit multiple US cities with sold out shows in the UK and Australia.

In 2017, Kroll wrapped his Broadway debut in OH, HELLO ON BROADWAY which ran for 138 performances and received rave reviews. He starred as “Gil Faizon” opposite John Mulaney as “George St. Geegland,” two elderly men from the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The show was filmed for a Netflix Original Comedy Special which is currently available for streaming.

Film credits include Jeff Nichol’s critically acclaimed LOVING, OPERATION FINALE, UNCLE DREW, Ross Katz’ ADULT BEGINNERS, for which Nick also served as a producer, Sophie Goodhart’s MY BLIND BROTHER, Terrence Malick’s KNIGHT OF CUPS, Seth Rogen’s SAUSAGE PARTY, Illumination’s SING and SECRET LIFE OF PETS,  John Hamburg’s I LOVE YOU MAN, Shawn Levy’s DATE NIGHT, Nicholas Stollers’ GET HIM TO THE GREEK, and Jay Roach’s DINNER WITH SCHMUCKS. 

Kroll was the creative executive producer on his sketch show, the KROLL SHOW, which ran for three seasons on Comedy Central.  Kroll also starred as “Ruxin” in the hit FX show THE LEAGUE for a total of seven seasons.

Natasha Lyonne

Four-time Emmy nominee Natasha Lyonne is a gifted actor whose creative versatility and talent continue to grow after more than three decades in the industry. Lyonne pushes boundaries as a producer, actor, writer, and director. 

Lyonne, alongside Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland, co-created the eight-episode Netflix series Russian Doll which premiered in February 2019 and received three Emmy awards, a total of 13 Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe nomination and a Gotham Award nomination. Lyonne wrote and directed for the series which stars her as Nadia, a young woman on a journey as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable party one night in New York City. The show was picked up for a second season by Netflix. 

In 2019, Lyonne returned as Nicky Nichols in the seventh and final season of Netflix original drama series Orange Is the New Black in which she also directed an episode. 

Recently, Lyonne directed and appeared in an episode of Awkwafina is Nora From Queens, premiered on Comedy Central in January 2020. Lyonne also directed an episode of the second season of Shrill starring Aidy Bryant and an episode of the upcoming Hulu series High Fidelity starring Zoë Kravitz. 

In November 2018 it was announced that Lyonne launched a production company with Maya Rudolph, Animal Pictures, which has a first-look TV deal with Amazon. The newly formed production banner will develop and produce a slate of original series, in addition to feature and documentary projects. 

Next up in film, Lyonne can be seen in the comedy Irresistible, written and directed by Jon Stewart and co-starring Steve Carell and Rose Byrne. Additionally, Lyonne will star in the Lee Daniels film The United States Vs. Billie Holiday, about the legendary jazz singer. 

In 2017, Lyonne made her directorial debut with Kenzo film Cabiria, Charity, Chastity, featuring the Fall/Winter 2017 collection. She also wrote the screenplay for the 11-minute film which stars Maya Rudolph, Fred Armisen, and Leslie Odom Jr. among others. In 2017, she produced and starred in IFC Midnight’s Antibirth, directed by Danny Perez, co-starring Chloe Sevigny. This independent farce horror hybrid which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2016, was released wide in the US in 2016, and released in the UK in 2017. 

In 2014, Natasha earned a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Orange Is the New Black. Recent television credits include guest stints on the critically-acclaimed Portlandia, Girls, Inside Amy Schumer, The Simpsons and IFC’s Documentary Now. 

Lyonne is well known for her acclaimed performances in Slums of Beverly Hills, the beloved comedy directed by Tamara Jenkins, and co-starring Alan Arkin & Marisa Tomei; the coming-of age comedy, But I’m a Cheerleader, with Clea Duvall and RuPaul; and Woody Allen’s romantic musical comedy, Everyone Say I Love You. Additional film credits include: Pee-wee’s Playhouse, The Grey Zone, Zig Zag, Girlfriend’s Day, Addicted to Fresno, Sleeping with Other People, Hello, My Name is Doris, He’s Way More Famous Than You, Girl Most Likely, All About Evil, Blade: Trinity, Die, Mommie, Die!, Party Monster, James Mangold’s Kate & Leopold, Scary Movie 2, American Pie, America Pie 2, Detroit Rock City, The Intervention, Yoga Hosers, Show Dogs, Handsome, and A Futile & Stupid Gesture. 

On stage, Lyonne starred alongside Ethan Hawke in The New Group’s darkly comic Off-Broadway production of Blood from a Stone, written by Thomas Nohilly and directed by Scott Elliott. Natasha earned critical-acclaim for her adept portrayal of the couch-ridden, heartbroken Grace in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Tigers Be Still, written by Kim Rosenstock and directed by Sam Gold. In 2019, Lyonne co-presented Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees with executive producer Mike Birbiglia. The comedy showed at The Cherry Lane Theatre and received rave reviews. Natasha’s other stage credits include roles in Love, Loss, and What I Wore, an intimate collection of monologues and stories by Delia and Nora Ephron, and the familial drama, Two Thousand Years, directed by Scott Elliot and written by the legendary Mike Leigh. 

Fred Armisen

Fred  Armisen is one of the most diversely talented performers working today with credits that range from acting to producing to writing in both comedy and music.   

He is the co-writer and co-star of IFC’s Emmy® nominated series PORTLANDIA , which he created alongside Carrie Brownstein. He received an Emmy® nomination for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series” in 2014, four nominations for “Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series” and three nominations for “Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.” In 2013 Armisen, along with the other writers, won a Writers Guild Award for “Outstanding Comedy/Variety Series,” and they were nominated again in 2014 and 2018. PORTLANDIA received the prestigious Peabody Award for excellence in 2011. The critically-acclaimed sketch-comedy series recently wrapped its eighth and final season on IFC.   

Currently, Armisen can be seen on LOS ESPOOKYS, a Spanish-Language series for HBO which he wrote, executive produced, and appears in as “Tico.” The series is about a group of friends, living in a dreamy version of present-day Mexico City, who are obsessed with horror films and monster makeup. The show premiered on June 14, 2019 with reviews deeming it a “a surreal delight” (Variety, Caroline Framke). LOS ESPOOKYS is currently in production for a second season on HBO.  

Armisen can also be heard voicing Elliot Birch in NETFLIX‘s wildly popular animated cartoon, BIG MOUTH, which has been renewed through a sixth season.  

Additionally, Armisen worked with IFC to create the critically acclaimed comedy, DOCUMENTARY NOW! The show is a curated series of half-hour documentaries and biopics, each about a completely fictitious subject. Armisen has received two Emmy® nominations for “Outstanding Variety Sketch Series” and a WGA nomination for “Comedy/Variety – Sketch Series.” Armisen and Bill Hader play the primary roles as well as write and executive produce. In 2015, Hader and Armisen released a 12” vinyl EP called Catalina Breeze by their fictitious ’70s soft-rock band they portray on the show, The Blue Jean Committee, via record label Drag City. The third season of the series premiered on IFC on February 20, 2019 with an all-star cast including Cate Blanchett, Owen Wilson, Michael Keaton, and more. The show has been picked up for a fourth season. 

Recently, Armisen released his original stand-up comedy special FRED ARMISEN: STAND UP FOR DRUMMERS on NETFLIX. In the special, Armisen shares his thoughts on musical genres, drummer quirks, regional accents and more for an audience of fellow drummers. The special was released in February 2018 and received a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Comedy Album” in 2019. Armisen was also recently cast in the Netflix movie, SORTA LIKE A ROCK STAR opposite Carol Burnett and Rhenzy Feliz.  

Armisen also served as executive producer and star of Amazon’s series, FOREVER, along with fellow SNL alum Maya Rudolph. The comedy starred the duo who play a long-term married couple residing in Southern California. The series was released on September 15, 2018.  

In February 2014, Armisen was named band leader of the 8G Band on LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS. The band, curated by Armisen, includes members of indie rock bands Les Savy Fav and Girls against Boys. Armisen plays with the band when he is not in production on one of his other projects.    

In 2015 Armisen teamed up with Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, NBCUniversal Telemundo, and fellow SNL alum Horatio Sanz to create a digital comedy channel aimed at the English-speaking Hispanic audience called MAS MEJOR.   

Armisen’s career began as a musician in the Chicago-based post-punk band Trenchmouth as well as the Blue Man Group. His transition to comedy came with the 1998 underground short film FRED ARMISEN’S GUIDE TO MUSIC AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST which followed him through the Austin, Texas “South by Southwest” music festival posing as a journalist. In 2006, he interviewed Cat Power for the influential music website Pitchfork.com, and later released a comedic instructional DVD, Complicated Drumming Technique, in 2007.   

An eleven-season veteran of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, Armisen has engaged audiences with memorable impressions and characters including Stuart in The Californians alongside Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, and Kristen Wiig and the unforgettable songwriting team of Garth and Kat (with Kristen Wiig), to name a few.  He closed out his last season in the guise of British punk rocker Ian Rubbish with a star-studded performance of the original song “It’s a Lovely Day.” In May of 2016 he hosted SNL’s season 41 finale. Armisen won the WGA for “Best Comedy / Variety Sketch Series” in 2017 and received a WGA nomination for his work on the SNL: 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL in 2016.   

He has appeared in countless feature films including BATTLE OF THE SEXES, THE LITTLE HOURS, BAND AID, MICHAEL BOLTON’S BIG, SEXY VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL, ORDINARY WORLD, ZOOLANDER 2, 7 DAYS IN HELL, EASY A, THE ROCKER, CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY, BABY MAMA, THE EX, ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY and THE DICTATOR as well as lending his voice to the features THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE and THE SMURFS.   

On the small screen, he has made guest appearances on NEW GIRL, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT, ANIMALS, MODERN FAMILY, DIFFICULT PEOPLE, BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, 30 ROCK, BROAD CITY, PARKS AND RECREATION, I LOVE YOU AMERICA, LAST MAN ON EARTH and the cable comedy shows THE SARAH SILVERMAN SHOW, and TIM AND ERIC AWESOME SHOW, GREAT JOB! He was also seen in the smash kids show YO GABBA GABBA on Nickelodeon and did voice-over guest spots on COMRADE DETECTIVE, ARCHER, FINAL SPACE and CHOZEN.  

Armisen splits his time between New York and Los Angeles.

Aidy Bryant

Aidy Bryant has been a SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE cast member since 2012. She was nominated for an Emmy in 2018 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on the show. She was also nominated in 2014 for “Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics” for co-writing the sketch, “Do It On My Twin Bed.”

In addition to SNL, Aidy created and stars in the Hulu series, SHRILL, recently picked up for its third season.

She previously appeared in the critically acclaimed Amazon feature THE BIG SICK, produced by Judd Apatow, and I FEEL PRETTY, starring Amy Schumer. Aidy has also recurred on the HBO series, GIRLS created by Lena Dunham and the Comedy Central series, BROAD CITY.

Bowen Yang

Bowen Yang is a comedian, writer, and actor based in Brooklyn, NY. He is currently a featured player on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, where he wrote for one season before moving on-screen. He can also be seen recurring on Comedy Central’s AWKWAFINA IS NORA FROM QUEENS.

Bowen is the co-host of the popular podcast “LAS CULTURISTAS” which he co-hosts with Matt Rogers and which has been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, Splitsider and Time Out New York. TV credits include BROAD CITY, HIGH MAINTENANCE, and JON GLASER LOVES GEAR. Bowen can also be seen in the feature ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson.

This past year Bowen was featured in TIME as one of “23 People Who Are Changing What’s Funny Right Now”, as well as one of their TIME 100 NEXT: Artists, and was most recently featured in this year’s Out100 list.