Photo by Sandy Honig
HBO has just announced a new comedy special from the multi-talented Julio Torres. The Saturday Night Live writer and rising star in the world of comedy will make his stand-up debut on the network sometime this summer.
Torres’ new special, titled My Favorite Shapes, is described as a “multimedia comedy show” in which Torres will, as the title suggests, explore his favorite shapes. “The objects are presented via an industrial conveyer belt and serve as a jumping-off point for fantastical stories, anecdotes and jokes” which, according to a recent press release, “include a plexiglass square, a triangle, an oval that wishes he were a circle, a self-conscious cactus and a Ferrero Rocher chocolate that Julio is mad at because she left her little skirt at home.”
“Julio is an incredible talent who challenges comedy conventions with his unique style of humor,” said HBO’s Nina Rosenstein. “My Favorite Shapes is so truly imaginative and one-of-a-kind.”
Torres is an El Salvador native who, after moving to New York, found success in the city’s bustling comedy scene. As well as writing for the above-mentioned SNL, he also penned material for The Chris Gethard Show and Billy on the Street. He has performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers. He also debuted a Comedy Central half-hour special back in 2017 and can be seen on HBO’s Los Espookys (debuting June 14), co-written and co-starring Ana Fabrega and Fred Armisen.
Torres’ new hour-long My Favorite Shapes was recorded at Elsewhere in Brooklyn. The forthcoming special was directed by Dave McCary, who collaborated with Torres on the popular SNL sketches “Papyrus” and “Wells for Boys,” among other projects.
Julio Torres: My Favorite Shapes is produced by A24 and exec produced by Torres, McCary, Armisen, Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, Alice Mathias, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Ravi Nandan, Olivia Gerke and Josh Lieberman.