Maya Rudolph: A versatile star shining brighter than ever

A trending name for all the right reasons

In late July, Maya Rudolph found herself trending on social media. Surprisingly, it wasn’t due to her four Emmy nominations for her work on three different shows—a remarkable and unprecedented feat. Instead, the buzz was sparked by President Joe Biden’s announcement that he wouldn’t seek reelection, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. This news sent Saturday Night Live fans into a frenzy, eagerly anticipating Rudolph’s return to her iconic role as Harris.

“It was wild!” Rudolph exclaimed. “On top of the excitement, I received so many hilarious GIFs: LeBron James waiting to get in the game, Roman Roy watching his emails pour in… my phone hasn’t stopped blowing up.”

A triumphant return to SNL

As Season 50 of SNL premieres on September 28, Rudolph is expected to reprise her role as Harris, bringing back the too-cool-for-words swagger and confident wink that won her an Emmy in 2019. Her portrayal during the 2020 election cycle was nothing short of legendary.

But the good news didn’t stop there. Just days earlier, Rudolph received Emmy nominations for hosting SNL, voicing Connie the Hormone Monstress on Netflix’s Big Mouth, and portraying a jaded billionaire on her Apple TV+ show, Loot. Four nominations for three different projects in one year? It’s clear that Rudolph has a unique gift.

“I believe my reaction was, ‘Holy shit!'” she laughed. “And all for things that are so close to my heart: Loot, Big Mouth, and SNL. The best actress nomination is particularly exciting because it’s my first time; that felt really cool! And I’m particularly proud of the song we wrote for my SNL [Mother’s Day] monologue. That one just feels like a huge personal achievement. I feel so proud!”

Rediscovering her love for live performance

Returning to SNL during the 2020 election shows, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, was a personal epiphany for Rudolph. “It cemented an idea that I already knew, which is I really am a live performer, first and foremost. I love to play characters,” she said. “I love to do all kinds of projects—and I hope that never ends—but I think my heart lies in being a live performer, and it’s where I’m my strongest. That’s why I go back to SNL so much. It’s just what I love and where my heart soars.”

The evolution of ‘Loot’

Rudolph’s latest series, Loot, about a multi-billionaire divorcee yearning to reconnect with the real world by giving away her money, was recently picked up by Apple TV+ for a third season. Last season was transformative for both the show and her character, Molly Wells. We got to see what truly touches Molly’s heart, an important evolution for the five-time Emmy winner.

Molly is a character that could easily become unrelatable or even obnoxious, given her $87 billion fortune. Rudolph explains, “That’s probably the first place I had to figure out how I wanted to play her—how do you create a story about somebody with ridiculous amounts of money that you actually want to follow, one who isn’t just a total narcissist and selfish jerk that we actually want to live vicariously through, enjoy her, see her mistakes, her ups and downs, but also this genuine feeling of having some of the same feelings.”

Molly’s journey as a philanthropist is exactly the ride Rudolph wanted to take the audience on. “It’s like, ‘We don’t really know what we’re doing, but boy, if we had the ability to help, we would,’” she said. “Sometimes it feels like every time you try to do something good, it’s never enough, or it gets done the wrong way. But trying is where the heart is. Trying is the secret ingredient.”

A thoughtful approach to wealth inequality

Going into the series, Rudolph and show creators Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard knew what they didn’t want Loot to be. “We didn’t feel comfortable creating a show about wealth inequality without having honest conversations about it,” she said. “But I think the idea of a billionaire deciding to give away all their money is an interesting concept. It’s important to have something to say and hopefully try to be on the right side of history.”

Conquering new horizons

Rudolph has already conquered television with SNL and Loot, on which she is also an executive producer; film, with features like Bridesmaids; and animation with projects like Shrek the Third. So, what’s left for her to master? The Great White Way, of course!

“When I was a kid, I always thought that being an actress meant being on Broadway,” she shared. “Once I started working, I realized like, ‘Oh, that’s a real thing.’ But it requires a lot of hard work and something I’ve never done before, but I am very determined to get there somehow, some way, one day. But now that I’ve been talking about it, I feel like, ‘OK, we’re manifesting, let’s go!’”

Rudolph is leaving all options open for a career that brings her immense joy. “The sky’s the limit!” she said. “It’s such a nice compliment to hear you say you feel like I can do anything. I felt like saying, ‘That’s what my brain thinks.’ That’s probably why I’ve done all the things that I’ve done all over the years.”

The fuel of inspiration

“When I see a great performance, that’s everything for me. That’s the fuel that I need. And it can come in a movie, it could come in a TV show, it could come in a song, it could come in an album, it could come in a rock show or going to see a band. For me, it doesn’t matter what the format is. The inspiration is what gives me the fuel and this insane notion that I can do anything.”

For more on Maya Rudolph’s incredible journey, check out the trailers for her shows: Big Mouth, Loot, and Saturday Night Live.