As the world reacts to presidential candidate Joe Biden’s Vice President announcement Kamala Harris , people are excited for what it really means- more Maya Rudolph on Saturday Night Live. Rudolph is an amazing actress with the resume to show it and her comedic talent on SNL can bring anyone to tears laughing.
Is Rudolph coming to Saturday Night Live? It just so happens that while everyone looked down at their phones to get the news about Biden’s VP selection, the comedian and actress was recording a panel discussion with Entertainment Weekly and other Emmy nominees. In the video posted by EW, Rudolph can be seen mouthing “Oh s---,“ to the news before explaining “I’m as surprised as you are - that‘s spicy.” The conversation quickly turned to Rudolph and Wanda Sykes joked that “somebody is going to be very busy now.” Rudolph seems to realize it and says “Ruh-roh.” Although it was a little strange seeing Rudolph uncomfortable about seemingly good news, she explained that, “I love going to the show. Any excuse I can get, I love. I just didn’t really anticipate traveling during a pandemic, but if there’s anyone that can work it out I’m sure Lorne [Michaels] has some sort of invisible helicopter that can get me there.” So time to start building that invisible helicopter!
Even though Rudolf might not be “ready to go right this minute” the world is hopeful we will see her back on the show. Twitter has absolutely lost it over the news and Rudolph is currently trending right next to Harris. NBC News White House correspondent Geoff Benett tweeted that Tuesday was a “big day for Maya Rudolph.” The SNL Twitter account even shared a GIF of Rudolph on the show as Harris flipping her hair. Harris has yet to address what her VP selection means for Rudolph but she has commented on the character in the past. Harris appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers in October 2019 and said she grew up watching SNL and was overwhelmed by the idea that anyone would impersonate her on the show. Harris laughed and said, “but I will tell you that I fully intend to make sure she has a good eight years of work on SNL.” Harris may have stepped down from her presidential bid but she might still be able to keep her promise with 8 more years of “good work” for Rudolph.
Rudolph joined the cast as a featured member in 2000 and used her musical abilities, accents, and characters until her final episode as a cast member in 2007. From her Beyoncé , Michelle Obama , and Barbara Streisand impressions she has left an everlasting mark on the show. But just because she was no longer a permanent cast member, that wasn’t the end of SNL for Rudolph and she is a recurring guest on the show. Rudolph debuted the unforgettable character in September 2019 while Harris was running for president. She performed the character 3 times and said goodbye on the season’s final episode after Harris announced the end of her candidacy.
The comedian has had many successful bits over the years, but her impression of Harris became a viral fan favorite. It was so amazing that she is currently nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. In fact, Rudolph is so funny she has a second nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress, making history as the first actor to be nominated twice in the same category. We can’t wait!
