Maya Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. In 2000, she became a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...

'' (''SNL''), and later played supporting roles in the films ''

50 First Dates ''50 First Dates'' is a 2004 American romantic comedy drama film directed by Peter Segal and starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin and Dan Aykroyd in supporting roles. It follows the story of Henry, a womanizing m ...

'' (2004), ''

A Prairie Home Companion ''A Prairie Home Companion'' is a weekly radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor that aired live from 1974 to 2016. In 2016, musician Chris Thile took over as host, and the successor show was eventually renamed '' Live from ...

'' (2006)'','' and ''

Idiocracy ''Idiocracy'' is a 2006 American science fiction comedy film directed by Mike Judge and co-written by Judge and Etan Cohen. Starring Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, and Terry Crews, the film tells the story of Corporal Joe Bauers (W ...

'' (2006). Gale Biography In Context. Since leaving ''SNL'' in 2007, Rudolph has appeared in various films, including '' Grown Ups'' (2010) and its 2013 sequel, '' Bridesmaids'' (2011), '' Inherent Vice'' (2014)'','' '' Sisters'' (2015)'','' '' CHiPs'' (2017), '' Life of the Party'' (2018), ''

Wine Country Wine Country is the region of California, in the northern San Francisco Bay Area, known worldwide as a premier wine-growing region. The region is famed for its wineries, its cuisine, Michelin star restaurants, boutique hotels, luxury resor ...

'' (2019), and ''Disenchanted'' (2022). She has also provided voice acting roles for the animated films '' Shrek the Third'' (2007), ''Big Hero 6'' (2014), '' The Angry Birds Movie'' (2016), '' The Emoji Movie'' (2017), '' The Willoughbys'' (2020)'','' '' The Mitchells vs. the Machines'' (2021)'','' and '' Luca'' (2021). From 2011 to 2012, Rudolph starred as Ava Alexander in the NBC sitcom '' Up All Night.'' In 2016, she co-hosted the variety series '' Maya & Marty'' with Martin Short. Since 2017, she has voiced various characters in the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

animated sitcom '' Big Mouth'', including Connie the Hormone Monstress, which won her

Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

in 2020 and 2021. For her portrayal of United States senator and vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris on ''Saturday Night Live'', she won the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...

Rudolph appeared in the NBC fantasy comedy series '' The Good Place'' (2018–2020), for which she received three

Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

nominations. From 2019 to 2021, she starred in the Fox animated sitcom '' Bless the Harts''. In 2022, she began starring in the comedy series ''Loot'', also serving as an executive producer.

Early life

Rudolph was born on July 27, 1972, in

Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, which had a population of 339,247 in ...

, to singer-songwriter Minnie Riperton and composer

Richard Rudolph Richard James Rudolph (born October 27, 1946) is an American songwriter, musician, music publisher, and producer. Life and career Richard Rudolph is the son of Muriel Eileen (Neufeld) and Sidney J. Rudolph. His grandfather, Julius Abraham Rud ...

. Her mother was African-American and her father is Ashkenazi Jewish. Her paternal grandfather was Sidney Rudolph, a philanthropist who once owned all of the

Wendy's Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas (1932–2002) on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was ...

and Rudy's restaurants in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Her great-grandfather was born in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

, changed his surname from "Rudashevsky" to "Rudolph", and was one of the founding members of Congregation Beth Shalom, a

Conservative Jewish Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generatio ...

synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

. Rudolph's godmother was R&B singer Teena Marie. Rudolph's parents moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

, when she and her brother Marc were very young, and they grew up primarily in the Westwood neighborhood. Near the end of the song " Lovin' You", Riperton repeats "Maya". She incorporated this into her performance on '' The Midnight Special''. She died of

breast cancer Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or ...

on July 12, 1979, at age 31, two weeks before Maya's seventh birthday. In 1990, Rudolph graduated from Crossroads School in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...

, where she befriended schoolmates

Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (; born ) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Paltrow gained notice for her early work in films ...

and

Jack Black Thomas Jacob Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for his acting roles in the films '' High Fidelity'' (2000), '' Shallow Hal'' (2001), '' Orange County'' (2002), '' School of Rock'' (2003), ' ...

. She attended the

University of California, Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California system. Located on Monterey Bay, on the ed ...

, living in Porter College. She graduated in 1995 with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

degree in

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is emplo ...

Career

Television and film

Rudolph was in the improv troupe

the Groundlings The Groundlings is an American improvisational and sketch comedy troupe and school based in Los Angeles. The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin, whose improvisational theater techniq ...

, where she met future ''

'' 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 through 2007. She has made several cameo appearances over the years. Since the 45th-season premiere, she has occasionally portrayed

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Kamala Harris, a performance acknowledged by Harris. She has appeared in many other television shows, including the CBS

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the characters' jobs and portray som ...

series '' City of Angels'' and ''

Chicago Hope ''Chicago Hope'' is an American medical drama television series, created by David E. Kelley. It originally aired on CBS from September 18, 1994, to May 4, 2000. The series is set in a fictional private charitable hospital in Chicago, Illino ...

''. She had small parts in ''

Chuck & Buck ''Chuck & Buck'' is a 2000 American black comedy drama film directed by Miguel Arteta. It was written by and starred Mike White in the leading role. Plot Buck O'Brien is a 27-year-old amateur playwright with the maturity level of an adolescent. W ...

'', '' Gattaca'', '' As Good as It Gets'', '' Duplex,'' and ''

Duets A duet is a musical composition or piece for two performers. Duets or The Duets may also refer to: Films and television * ''Duets'' (film), a 2000 film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti and Huey Lewis * "Duets" (''Glee''), a 2010 episod ...

''; she was also a music supervisor for ''Duets''. Her first prominent film role came in 2006 with ''

''. Earlier, she had costarred with Luke Wilson in the 2005 Mike Judge sci-fi comedy ''

'', 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 ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...

'' episode "

The Homer of Seville "Homer of Seville", also known as "The Homer of Seville", is the second episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 30, 2007. In ...

". Rudolph guest-starred as character Athena Scooberman in NBC's ''

Kath & Kim ''Kath & Kim,'' (also written as ''Kath and Kim'') is an Australian sitcom created by Jane Turner and Gina Riley, who portray the title characters of Kath Day-Knight, a cheery, middle-aged suburban mother, and Kim, her self-indulgent daughte ...

'', and starred in the film '' Away We Go'' with ''

The Office ''The Office'' is a mockumentary sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, first made in the United Kingdom, then Germany, and subsequently the United States. It has since been remade in ten other countries. The original ser ...

'' star

John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nin ...

. In 2010, she appeared in '' Grown Ups'' starring

Adam Sandler Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...

, where she played the wife of

Chris Rock Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his work in comic film, television and stage, he has received multiple accolades, including three Grammy Awards for best come ...

's character. 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 Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for appearing in independent films and also as a character actor portraying a wide variety of roles both comedic and dramatic in films such as ''Lawn Dogs'' (1997 ...

's character. She co-starred in the NBC sitcom '' Up All Night'', with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett. Rudolph's self-titled

variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a co ...

television pilot aired on May 19, 2014, but the show did not go beyond that. It was later announced that she would star in an NBC variety series '' Maya & Marty'' with Martin Short, which debuted on May 31, 2016. Her next series, ''

Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama * ''Forever'' (1992 film), an American ...

'', premiered on September 14, 2018, on Amazon Video. As a voice actress, she had various roles in the

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''. In July 2022 she appeared as the star of ''

Loot Loot may refer to: Film *''Loot'' (1919 film), a film by William C. Dowlan * ''Loot'' (1970 film), a British film by Silvio Narizzano * ''Loot'' (2008 film), a documentary * ''Loot'' (2011 film), an Indian film * ''Loot'' (2012 film), a Nepali fi ...

'', an Apple TV+ series. In 2022, Rudolph portrayed Malvina Monroe, the main antagonist of '' Disenchanted'', the sequel to the 2007 Disney film '' Enchanted''.

Music

Prior to joining ''Saturday Night Live'', Rudolph was a backing singer (1995–1999) and briefly a keyboardist in the band the Rentals, with whom she toured. She appears in music videos for the songs "Waiting" and "Please Let That Be You". She sang backing vocals for "Barcelona" and "My Head Is in the Sun", both from the album ''

Seven More Minutes ''Seven More Minutes'' is the second studio album by American rock band The Rentals, released on April 13, 1999 and features numerous guests, including Petra Haden (of that dog.; also appeared on The Rentals' first studio album, '' Return of t ...

''. In 2004, she recorded a track with the Rentals frontman Matt Sharp, including a

cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of copy ...

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 A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

cover band called Princess with her friend

Gretchen Lieberum Gretchen Lieberum is a singer and songwriter. Career Lieberum was raised in Berkeley, California and educated at University of California, Santa Cruz. After leading a funk band for several years, she released her first solo album, ''Three A.M. ...

Personal life

Rudolph has been in a relationship with filmmaker

Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. He made his feature-film debut with '' Hard Eight'' (1996). He found critical and commercial success with ''Boogie Nights'' (1997) and received ...

since 2001. They live in the San Fernando Valley with their four children.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Music videos

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rudolph, Maya 1972 births 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American comedians 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers Actresses from Gainesville, Florida Actresses from Los Angeles African-American actresses African-American female comedians African-American Jews American film actresses American impressionists (entertainers) American keyboardists American people of Lithuanian-Jewish descent American sketch comedians American television actresses American voice actresses American women comedians Audiobook narrators Comedians from California Crossroads School alumni Jewish American actresses Jewish American comedians Jewish singers Living people Musicians from Gainesville, Florida People from Westwood, Los Angeles Primetime Emmy Award winners Singers from Los Angeles The Rentals members University of California, Santa Cruz alumni