Saturday Night Live has groomed many of today’s biggest film and television stars. One of those stars is Maya Rudolph. Over the years, the SNL veteran played many memorable characters, including Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, even after she departed the NBC sketch series. But given the current state of everything, Maya Rudolph revealed one reason she wasn’t ready to return to Saturday Night Live.
As one of SNL’s go-to staples, Maya Rudolph has been portraying the Vice President-elect on and off since the Democratic Primaries in 2019. She spoke with Allure about her current stint on SNL along with self-care related to COVID-19 and quarantine. Like many Americans, she has spent much of her time quarantining with her family, particularly before she came back to perform "Cold Open" sketches on the show. So, she had a little apprehension about getting out of her pajamas and still portraying the future Vice President. The actor spoke on one factor about doing the show that was stressful given the circumstances.
The only thing stressful about going to SNL was just the idea of getting there. When I first heard she was going to be Biden’s running mate, I had been happily living in nightgowns at home, so I wasn't ready to travel. But I do feel extremely safe with the way we are following the protocol at SNL. It's weird with no people crowding the hallways, but it's comforting to be there.
With so much still unknown about the pandemic, Maya Rudolph had every right to worry about filming the sketch comedy series. For much of early 2020, film and television productions were shut down due to COVID-19. Later, many productions started up again with safety protocols in place, though some, like Outlander, are still paused.
Maya Rudolph originally left Saturday Night Live in 2007 after being a regular cast member since 2000. Over the years, she has remained in the fold, having portrayed everyone from former First Lady Michelle Obama to Oprah Winfrey. She even worked with SNL producer Lorne Michaels for two variety shows – The Maya Rudolph Show and Maya and Marty with fellow alum Martin Short. Both shows unfortunately never received series orders.
Over the years, Maya Rudolph‘s comic timing and effortless one-liners have made her a constant player in the world of Saturday Night Live. It’s nice to know that she has remained serious and cautious about the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides seeing her portrayal of Kamala Harris on SNL, you can hear her voice in Big Mouth on Netflix and Bless the Harts on Fox.
