Maya Rudolph is an American comedienne, actress, and singer, best known for her roles on Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids.
Rudolph was born in Gainesville, Florida. She is the daughter of songwriter/producer, Richard Rudolph and soul singer, Minnie Riperton, who unfortunately passed away from breast cancer just before Rudolph’s seventh birthday. In 1995 Rudolph graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in photography.
Soon after graduating, Rudolph became a member of improvisational comedy troupe, The Groundlings. She began landing small parts in films such as As Good as It Gets (1997), and Gattaca, along with a role on television drama Chicago Hope. It wasn’t until 2000 when Rudolph’s talents were truly discovered. A producer from SNL saw her performance with The Groundlings and invited her to New York City. She became a featured player for the final three episodes of Saturday Night Live’s 1999-2000 season. A year later, she became a full cast member.
During her time on SNL she has impersonated many celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, and Christina Aguilera. She mixed her singing talents along with her acting abilities, which led her to take on many musical roles on the show, leading to her fame. She is known for appearing in sketches such as “Bronx Beat” and “Gays in Space.”
Rudolph’s SNL fame scored her many roles in feature films. She appeared alongside her fellow SNL cast member, Kristen Wiig starring in Bridesmaids, and also appeared in Grown Ups with Adam Sandler. She costarred in NBC’s sitcom Up All Night with Christina Applegate and Will Arnett, before its cancellation. Upcoming roles include Grown Ups 2 and Turbo along with a few other projects in the works.
Rudolph lives with director Paul Thomas Anderson, who is also the father of her three children. The couple is expecting a forth child due October 2013.