MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Maya Rudolph says Kamala Harris as Biden's VP is 'spicy', so is she getting her 'Saturday Night Live' gig back?

Ecstatic fans of the show and the actress say it is going to be a 'busy year' for Rudolph

After weeks of guessing and speculations, the world knows Joe Biden has finally picked Kamala Harris as his vice presidential candidate. While political pundits are busy analyzing the choice, 'Saturday Night Life' (SNL) fans are ecstatic. The reason being: Harris’s selection means there’s a chance that actress Maya Rudolph, who played the senator in the sketch comedy show, might be back.

On August 11, the actress was in a virtual panel discussion with Entertainment Weekly (EW) and other fellow Emmy nominees. Coincidentally, Rudolph has been nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of Harris on the sketch show. Fellow nominee actor Angela Bassett informed about Harris’s selection, and according to EW, Rudolph’s first reaction was: “Oh s**t.”

Another Emmy nominee Wanda Sykes teased Rudolph by saying “Somebody's gonna be very busy now,” indicating Rudolph's return to SNL. Speaking about her possible return, the EW report quotes Rudolph as saying, “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, producer] has some sort of invisible helicopter that can get me there.” During the discussion, Rudolph revealed that ever since she was a kid she wanted to be any kind of SCTV and she feels it’s still unbelievable that she got to work for SNL.  Rudolph said, “I'm so thrilled to even be associated with the show and that I got to go back. It's like the gift that keeps on giving. Honestly, it's my favorite place to play.” Expressing further shock and the joy of being nominated for playing Harris, she stated, “I'm as surprised as you are, guys. That's spicy.”

Among her many sketches as Harris, one of the popular ones included Rudolph's Harris stopping by the Democratic debate. As USA Today notes, the real Harris may have had dropped out of the presidential race in December 2019, but that didn't mean the end of Rudolph's Harris on SNL.

Rudolph's Harris stopped by the Democratic debate with a martini glass in hand to drop an iconic Lizzo lyric from 2017 song "Truth Hurts." The article states the actress as Harris said, "I just want to show you how good you could have had it, America. You withheld your donations, and I got tired of waiting, so I walked my fine (butt) out the door… you could have had a bad (expletive)!"

In another episode, Rudolph's Harris attempts to boost her popularity via memes. The USA Today article states, the episode had Rudolph's Harris say, "Tonight I'm not going to worry about the polling numbers. I'm just going to have fun and see if I can get some viral moments. Mama needs a GIF." 

After the announcement of the VP pick, SNL tweeted from their official account a gif of Rudolph as Harris flipping her hair.

Fans of the show and others took to Twitter to express themselves on the probable return of the actress. An excited fan said, "Kamala Harris being VP means MORE MAYA RUDOLPH FOR SNL.THANK YOU UNIVERSE #VPPick."

Author Roxane Gay said, "The real winner today is Maya Rudolph."

One stated, "Maya Rudolph's SNL guest price just went up."

A user wrote: "Maya Rudolph, rest up baby. It’s gonna be a busy next few months. #BidenHarris2020."

A fan said, "I’m looking forward to at least 4 years of Maya Rudolph on SNL #BidenHarris2020."

Actress Meredith Salenger wrote: "The best part of today is hearing that @KamalaHarris is going to be the next Vice President. The second best part of today is knowing that we are going to get to see a lot more of Maya Rudolph!!!!"

 Another declared, "And just like that Maya Rudolph secures a 2021 Primetime Emmy Nomination one year in advance."

Rudolph was a full-time cast member on the sketch show from 2000 to 2008, according to USA Today and then appeared as a guest star over the years. After SNL, Rudolph has appeared in various films, such as Grown Ups (2010), Bridesmaids (2011)  and Wine Country (2019). She also lent her voice to animated films like 'Shrek the Third' (2007), 'The Angry Birds Movie' (2016) and 'The Willoughbys' (2020).