Maya Rudolph is set to return to ‘Saturday Night Live’ to portray Kamala Harris in the upcoming season of the long-running comedy show.
Deadline reports that the former cast member has adjusted her schedule to be available for the new episodes, with Season 50 premiering on September 28. Pre-production on Rudolph’s Apple TV+ comedy series ‘Loot’ has reportedly been paused.
Rudolph, who won an Emmy for her portrayal of Harris during her 2020 presidential run, has described playing a major political figure as ‘a rite of passage’ on the show.
In 2022, Maya Rudolph shared that she had dinner with Kamala Harris after participating in a fundraiser with Harris, Amy Poehler, and Hillary Clinton. She told Jimmy Fallon that Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, was ‘pretty excited that there were two Kamalas.’
With Joe Biden dropping out of the upcoming race, there have been widespread calls for Rudolph's return, including from actor Amy Sedaris.
Rudolph first portrayed Harris in 2019 during a DNC town hall sketch with Woody Harrelson’s Biden. At that time, Harris commented that she hoped Rudolph would be ‘in work for the next 8 years.’
Rudolph follows Tina Fey’s iconic portrayal of Sarah Palin leading up to the 2008 election. Palin noted, ‘I watched with the volume all the way down and thought it was hilarious. I didn’t hear a word she said, but the visual was spot on.’
While Alec Baldwin previously played Donald Trump, James Austin Johnson has taken over the role. It is unclear if Johnson will continue as Trump in the upcoming season.
Rudolph was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007 and has since appeared in films such as Bridesmaids, Sisters, and Wine Country.
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