Maya Rudolph

American actress and comedian (born 1972) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress and comedian. From 2000 to 2007, she was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL). During her tenure on the show, she appeared in supporting roles in the films 50 First Dates (2004), A Prairie Home Companion (2006), and Idiocracy (2006).

Quick Facts Born, Education ...
Maya Rudolph
Thumb
Rudolph in 2012
Born (1972-07-27) July 27, 1972 (age 52)
EducationUniversity of California, Santa Cruz (BA)
Occupations
  • Actress
  • comedian
Years active1996–present
PartnerPaul Thomas Anderson (2001–present)[a]
Children4
Parents
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After leaving SNL, Rudolph appeared in more films, including Grown Ups (2010), Bridesmaids (2011), Grown Ups 2 (2013), Inherent Vice (2014), Sisters (2015), Life of the Party (2018), and Disenchanted (2022). She also provided voice acting roles in the animated films Shrek the Third (2007), Turbo (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014), The Angry Birds Movie (2016), The Emoji Movie (2017), and Luca (2021). Rudolph starred in the NBC sitcom Up All Night (2011–2012) and co-hosted the variety show Maya & Marty (2016). In 2022, she began starring in the comedy series Loot, also serving as an executive producer.

Since 2017, Rudolph has voiced various characters for the animated sitcom Big Mouth, including Connie the Hormone Monstress, which won her four Primetime Emmy Awards. For her portrayal of politician Kamala Harris on SNL, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Rudolph received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for playing a judge in the comedy series The Good Place (2018–2020). In 2024, Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[2] She is the daughter of late singer Minnie Riperton (1947–1979) and composer Richard Rudolph.

Early life

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Rudolph was born in Gainesville, Florida on July 27, 1972.[3] Her mother, Minnie Riperton, was a singer, and her father, Richard Rudolph, was a composer.[4][5] Her mother was African-American and her father is Jewish. Her paternal grandfather was Sidney Rudolph, a philanthropist who once owned all of the Wendy's and Rudy's restaurants in Miami-Dade County, Florida.[6] Her great-grandfather was born in Vilnius, Lithuania, changed his surname from "Rudashevsky" to "Rudolph", and was one of the founding members of Congregation Beth Shalom, a Conservative Jewish synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[7] Rudolph's godmother was R&B singer Teena Marie (1956–2010).[8] On an episode of PBS's Finding Your Roots, Rudolph discovered that her maternal great-great-great-grandfather was James Grigsby, who was born into slavery in Lincoln County, Kentucky. Grigsby was denied financial compensation and freedom granted by the last will and testament of his owner, John Warren Grigsby, and challenged the owner's grandson in court in the 1830s.[9][10]

Rudolph's parents moved to Los Angeles, California, when their children were very young, and Rudolph grew up primarily in the Westwood neighborhood.[11] Near the end of the song "Lovin' You", Riperton repeats "Maya", as can be heard in her performance on The Midnight Special.[12] Riperton died of breast cancer on July 12, 1979, at the age of 31, two weeks before Maya's seventh birthday.[11] In 1990, Rudolph graduated from Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, where she befriended schoolmates Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black.[13] She attended the University of California, Santa Cruz, living in Porter College. In 1995, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography.[14]

Career

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Television and film

Rudolph was in the improv troupe the Groundlings, where she met future Saturday Night Live cast member Will Forte. She joined the cast of Saturday Night Live as a featured player for the final three episodes of the 1999–2000 season and stayed until 2007.[11][15][16] She has made several cameo appearances over the years. Since the 45th-season premiere, she has occasionally portrayed Vice President Kamala Harris, a performance acknowledged by Harris.[17] After Harris became the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, Rudolph agreed to portray Harris on SNL through the 2024 election; pre-production on season 3 of her show Loot has been postponed to accommodate her role.[18]

She has appeared in many other television shows, including the CBS medical drama series City of Angels and Chicago Hope. She had small parts in Gattaca (1997), As Good as It Gets (1997), Chuck & Buck (2000), Duets (2000), Duplex (2003), and 50 First Dates (2004); she was also a music supervisor for Duets. Her first prominent film role came in 2006 with A Prairie Home Companion. Earlier, she had costarred with Luke Wilson in the 2005 Mike Judge sci-fi comedy Idiocracy, although that film was shelved until September 2006 and then only given a limited release. She also guest-starred as Rapunzel in the DreamWorks animated film Shrek the Third. She guest-starred as Julia in The Simpsons episode "The Homer of Seville". Rudolph guest-starred as character Athena Scooberman in NBC's Kath & Kim, and starred in the film Away We Go with The Office star John Krasinski.

In 2010, she appeared in Grown Ups starring Adam Sandler, where she played the wife of Chris Rock's character, and returned for the 2013 sequel, Grown Ups 2. In 2011, she appeared in Bridesmaids with Saturday Night Live colleague Kristen Wiig, and in 2013 she played a supporting role in The Way, Way Back as the girlfriend of Sam Rockwell's character. From 2011 to 2012, she co-starred in the NBC sitcom Up All Night, with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett. In 2013, she voiced Burn in the DreamWorks Animation film Turbo. Rudolph's self-titled variety show television pilot aired on May 19, 2014,[19] but the show did not go beyond that. Also in 2014, she voiced Precious in the animated film The Nut Job, as well as in the 2017 sequel The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, and voiced Aunt Cass in the Disney animated film Big Hero 6.

It was later announced that she would star in an NBC variety series Maya & Marty with Martin Short,[20] which debuted on May 31, 2016. Her next series, Forever, premiered on September 14, 2018, on Amazon Video.[21] As a voice actress, she voiced Matilda in The Angry Birds Movie (2016) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), voiced Smiler in the animated The Emoji Movie (2017), and had various roles in the Netflix animated series Big Mouth, premiering in 2017.

In 2018, she performed in advertisements for Ruby Tuesday and Seventh Generation. In 2019 she appeared as the mother in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. In 2021 she voiced Linda Mitchell, mother of two, in Sony Pictures' The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and Daniela Paguro in the Pixar film Luca.[22] In July 2022 she appeared as the star of Loot, an Apple TV+ series. In 2022, Rudolph portrayed Malvina Monroe, the main antagonist of Disenchanted, the sequel to the 2007 Disney film Enchanted.[23]

Rudolph has a production company called Animal Pictures with Natasha Lyonne which has produced Russian Doll, Poker Face, Loot, and The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy.[24] As of October 3, 2023, Rudolph reportedly separated amicably from Animal Pictures to produce independently.[25]

In January 2023, it was announced that Rudolph would be the spokesperson for M&M's after owner Mars Incorporated supposedly pulled its "Spokescandies" in light of criticism for its depictions of gender,[26] though a few days later Mars confirmed that their Spokescandies would return in their Super Bowl commercial.

Music

Prior to joining Saturday Night Live, Rudolph was a backing singer from 1995 to 1999.[27] and briefly a keyboardist in the band the Rentals, with whom she toured.[11] She appears in music videos for the songs "Waiting" and "Please Let That Be You". In 2004, she recorded a track with the Rentals frontman Matt Sharp, including a cover of Tegan and Sara's "Not Tonight". She performed "Together in Pooping" and "Little Roundworm" with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (Robert Smigel) on his album Come Poop With Me. She is in a Prince cover band called Princess with her friend Gretchen Lieberum.[28]

Personal life

Rudolph has been in a relationship with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson since 2001.[1][29] They live in the San Fernando Valley with their four children.[30][31][32][33]

Filmography

Film

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes
1997 As Good as It Gets Policewoman
Gattaca Delivery Nurse
2000 Chuck & Buck Jamilla
Duets Karaoke Hostess
2003 Duplex Tara
2004 Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie Kanshasha X
50 First Dates Stacy
2006 A Prairie Home Companion Molly
Idiocracy Rita
2007 Shrek the Third Rapunzel Voice only
2009 Away We Go Verona De Tessant
2010 MacGruber Casey Fitzpatrick
Grown Ups Deanne McKenzie
2011 Beastie Boys: Fight for Your Right (Revisited) Skirt Suit Short film
Bridesmaids Lillian Donovan
Zookeeper Mollie Voice only
Friends with Kids Leslie
2013 The Way, Way Back Caitlyn
Grown Ups 2 Deanne McKenzie
Turbo Burn Voice only
2014 The Nut Job Precious
Inherent Vice Petunia Leeway
Big Hero 6 Aunt Cass Voice only[34][35]
2015 Strange Magic Griselda Voice only
Maggie's Plan Felicia
A Very Murray Christmas Lounge Singer
Sisters Brinda
2016 Mr. Pig Eunice
The Angry Birds Movie Matilda / Poppy (uncredited) Voices only
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Deborah
My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea Verti
2017 CHiPs Sergeant Gail Hernandez
We Don't Belong Here Joanne
The Emoji Movie Smiler Voice only
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature Precious
2018 Life of the Party Christine Davenport
Love, Gilda Herself Documentary
The Happytime Murders Bubbles
2019 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part Mom
Booksmart Motivational Voice
Wine Country Naomi
The Angry Birds Movie 2 Matilda Voice only
2020 The Willoughbys Nanny
Thirsty The Mosquit Short film; Voice only
Hubie Halloween Mrs. Mary Hennessey
2021 The Mitchells vs. the Machines Linda Mitchell Voice only
Luca Daniela Paguro[22]
Licorice Pizza Gale
2022 Disenchanted Malvina Monroe[36]
2023 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem Cynthia Utrom[37] Voice only
Good Burger 2 Herself
2024 IF Ally Voice only
His Three Daughters Executive producer[38]
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Television

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes
1996–1997 Chicago Hope Nurse Leah Martine 5 episodes
1997 The Devil's Child Holly Television film
2000 Action Phina Episode: "Dead Man Floating"
City of Angels Nurse Grace Patterson 15 episodes
2000–2007 Saturday Night Live Various roles 143 episodes
2006 Campus Ladies Professor Theresa Winslow Fabre Episode: "All Nighter"
2007 The Simpsons Julia (voice) Episode: "Homer of Seville"
2008–2009 Kath & Kim Athena Scooberman 5 episodes
2009 The Mighty B! Cherry (voice) Episode: "The Dragonflies"
2011–2012 Up All Night Ava Alexander 35 episodes
2012 Sesame Street Herself Episode: "The Very End of X"
2012, 2021,
2024
Saturday Night Live Herself (host) 3 episodes
2013 Hollywood Help Maya 2 episodes
2014 Portlandia Anita Episode: "Bahama Knights"
The Maya Rudolph Show Herself Variety special; also producer
Family Guy JoAnne Shalit (voice) Episode: "The Book of Joe"
2014–2015 The Awesomes Lady Malocchio (voice) 9 episodes
2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Herself Episode: "Maya Rudolph Wears a Black Skirt and Strappy Sandals"
The Spoils Before Dying Fresno Foxglove 4 episodes
Drunk History Griselda Blanco Episode: "Miami"
2016 Angie Tribeca Jackie Wilder Episode: "Organ Trail"
Maya & Marty Herself / co-host 6 episodes; also writer and producer
Brothers in Atlanta Shirley Television film
Brooklyn Nine-Nine U.S. Marshal Karen Haas Episodes: "Coral Palms, Part 1" & "Coral Palms, Part 2"
Documentary Now! Anita Episode: "Final Transmission"
The Grinder Jillian 4 episodes
2016, 2018 Mike Tyson Mysteries Various Voices 2 episodes
2017 Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special Herself Variety special
Nobodies Episode: "Mr. First Lady"
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Dionne Warwick Episode: "Kimmy Does a Puzzle!"
Tour de Pharmacy Lucy Flerng Television film
The Gong Show Herself / Judge Episode: "Megan Fox/Andy Samberg/Maya Rudolph"
2017–present Big Mouth Diane Birch / Connie / various voices 71 episodes
2017–2021 Big Hero 6: The Series Aunt Cass (voice) 31 episodes
2017 A Christmas Story Live! Mother Parker Television film
2018–2020 The Good Place Judge Gen 12 episodes
2018 Forever June Hoffman 8 episodes
I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman Lady Liberty Episode: "Cory Booker"
2019 The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience Val Gal Variety special
Nailed It! Herself / Judge Episode: "A Classic Christmess"
2019–2021 Bless the Harts Betty Hart, Norma (voice) Series regular
2020 Mapleworth Murders[39] Broda Bcbillan 3 episodes
Eater's Guide to the World[40] Herself / narrator 7 episodes
Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine Andrea Steele Television special
2021 A Clüsterfünke Christmas Shania Gary Comedy Central film
MacGruber Casey 2 episodes
2021–2023 Baking It Herself / host 12 episodes
2022 Baymax! Aunt Cass (voice) 2 episodes; Disney+ miniseries
Murderville Herself Episode: "Who Killed Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery"
2022–2023 Human Resources Connie / Bonnie (voice) 20 episodes
2022–present Loot Molly Novak / Wells Main role; also executive producer
2023 Digman! G.A.W.D. (voice) Episode: "Fear of GAWD"
2024 The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy Dr. Vlam (voice) Main role; also executive producer
Dinner Time Live with David Chang Herself / guest Episode: "The Spring Menu"
Dream Productions Jean Dewberry (voice) 4 episodes
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Video games

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Role Notes
2019 Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series ZO-E3
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Music videos

More information Year, Title ...
Year Title Artist(s) Role Ref.
1995 "Waiting" The Rentals
2005 "Please Let That Be You" The Rentals [41]
2006 "Dick in a Box" The Lonely Island featuring Justin Timberlake Girlfriend
2011 "Make Some Noise" Beastie Boys Metal Chick
2013 "Hugs" The Lonely Island featuring Pharrell Williams Drug dealing '80s Oprah
2020 "Imagine" Gal Gadot & Friends Herself [42]
2024 "Sushi Glory Hole" The Lonely Island Businesswoman
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Awards and nominations

More information Association, Year ...
Association Year Category Work Result Ref
Black Reel Awards 2010 Outstanding Actress Away We Go Nominated
2012 Outstanding Supporting Actress Bridesmaids Nominated
2014 Outstanding Voice Performance Turbo Nominated
2015 Big Hero 6 Nominated
2016 Strange Magic Nominated
2018 The Emoji Movie Nominated
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature Nominated
2019 Outstanding Guest Actress, Comedy Series The Good Place Nominated
2020 Won
2021 Saturday Night Live Nominated
Outstanding Voice Performance The Willoughbys Nominated
2022 The Mitchells vs. the Machines Won
Luca Nominated
2024 Outstanding Lead Performance, Comedy Series Loot Pending
Chicago Film Critics Association 2009 Best Actress Away We Go Nominated
Critics' Choice Super Awards 2021 Best Voice Actress in an Animated Movie The Willoughbys Nominated [43]
Best Voice Actress in an Animated Series Big Mouth Nominated
Gotham Independent Film Awards 2006 Best Ensemble Performance A Prairie Home Companion Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards 2014 Robert Altman Award (shared with rest of cast) Inherent Vice Won
NAACP Image Awards 2007 Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Saturday Night Live Nominated
2012 Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Up All Night Nominated
2022 Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Television Series Saturday Night Live Won
2023 Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Loot Nominated
2025 Outstanding Guest Performance Saturday Night Live Pending
MTV Movie Awards 2012 Best Jaw Dropping Moment (shared with rest of cast) Bridesmaids Won
Primetime Emmy Awards 2012 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Maya Rudolph/Sleigh Bells") Nominated [44]
2018 The Good Place Nominated [45]
2019 Nominated [46]
2020 Nominated [47]
Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Eddie Murphy/Lizzo") Won
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Big Mouth (Episode: "How To Have An Orgasm") Won
2021 Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Maya Rudolph/Jack Harlow") Won [48]
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Big Mouth (Episode: "A Very Special 9/11 Episode") Won
2022 Big Mouth (Episode: "A Very Big Mouth Christmas") Nominated [49]
2023 Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program Baking It (Shared with Amy Poehler) Nominated [50]
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Big Mouth (Episode: "Asexual Healing") Won
2024 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Loot Nominated [51]
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Maya Rudolph/Vampire Weekend) Nominated
Outstanding Music & Lyrics Saturday Night Live (Song: "Maya Rudolph's Mother's Day Monologue") Nominated
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Big Mouth (Episode: "The Ambition Gremlin") Won
Satellite Awards 2004 Best Actress in a TV Series – Comedy or Musical Saturday Night Live Nominated
2011 Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Mini Series or TV Movie Up All Night Nominated
2012 Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Mini Series or TV Movie Up All Night Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards 2012 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Bridesmaids Nominated
Writers Guild of America Award 2016 Comedy/Variety – Sketch Series Maya & Marty Nominated
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Notes

  1. Rudolph refers to Anderson as her husband, although they are not formally married.[1]

References

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