Maya Rudolph is a multifaceted American comedian, actress, and singer boasting a net worth of approximately $20 million. Her rise to fame began as a cast member on NBC’s iconic sketch comedy show, “Saturday Night Live,” from 2000 to 2007. Over the years, she has graced the silver screen with performances in a variety of films, including Idiocracy (2006), Away We Go (2009), “Bridesmaids (2011), and Wine Country (2019). In addition to her film work, Rudolph portrayed Ava Alexander in the NBC sitcom Up All Night from 2011 to 2012 and played Judge Gen in The Good Place” from 2018 to 2020. Alongside Martin Short, she co-starred in the variety show Maya & Marty in 2016. Rudolph has also lent her voice to numerous animated projects, such as “Shrek the Third” (2007), “The Nut Job” (2014), “The Angry Birds Movie” (2016), and the ongoing series “Big Mouth” (2017-present) and “Bless the Harts” (2019-present).
Musically inclined, Rudolph has been a part of several bands, including Super Sauce and The Rentals, and is currently a member of the Prince tribute band, Princess. Her musical contributions include performing on The Rentals’ album “Seven More Minutes” in 1999 and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog’s album “Come Poop With Me” in 2003. She has appeared in music videos for the Beastie Boys (“Make Some Noise,” 2011) and The Lonely Island (“Dick in a Box,” 2006; “Hugs,” 2013). Since 2020, Rudolph has taken on the role of Senator-turned-Vice President Kamala Harris on “Saturday Night Live,” a performance that earned her a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Early Life of Maya Rudolph
Maya Khabira Rudolph was born on July 27, 1972, in Gainesville, Florida. Her father, Richard Rudolph, is a composer, while her mother, Minnie Riperton, was a renowned singer-songwriter who tragically passed away from breast cancer when Maya was just six years old. Maya has one brother, Marc. After their mother’s passing, the family relocated to Los Angeles, California. In her youth, Maya attended the Crossroads School in Santa Monica, where she formed friendships with future celebrities such as Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow. She graduated in 1990 and later enrolled at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography in 1995.
Career Beginnings
Maya Rudolph made her television debut in 1996 on CBS’s medical drama “Chicago Hope,” where she portrayed Nurse Leah Martine in five episodes. Her film debut followed in 1997, with appearances in “As Good as It Gets” and Gattaca.” In 2000, she played Nurse Grace Patterson in NBC’s “City of Angels” for 15 episodes. That same year, she joined the cast of Saturday Night Live, where she remained until November 3, 2007, while returning frequently as a guest star. During her time on “SNL,” Rudolph impersonated numerous celebrities, including Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, and Oprah Winfrey. She developed memorable recurring characters like Megan from “Wake Up, Wakefield!” and Jodi Deitz from “Bronx Beat.” While working on Saturday Night Live, she also appeared in films such as Duplex (2003), Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004), 50 First Dates (2004), and A Prairie Home Companion (2006).
From 2008 to 2009, Rudolph took on a recurring role as Athena Scooberman on NBC’s “Kath & Kim.” In 2010, she starred alongside Will Forte and Kristen Wiig in the “SNL” spin-off film “MacGruber.” That same year, she appeared in Grown Ups,” a film that achieved commercial success, grossing $271.4 million worldwide. Rudolph reprised her role in the sequel Grown Ups 2 in 2013. In 2011, she joined an ensemble cast in the critically acclaimed comedy “Bridesmaids,” which grossed $288.4 million and won a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Comedy. From 2011 to 2012, she co-starred in “Up All Night” alongside Will Arnett and Christina Applegate. In 2014, she featured in “Inherent Vice,” made a guest appearance on “Portlandia,” and starred in “The Maya Rudolph Show.”
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Continued Success
Maya Rudolph’s career continued to flourish in 2015 when she appeared in the Netflix holiday special “A Very Murray Christmas.” She also starred with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler in Sisters that same year. Rudolph appeared in “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” (2016) with Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island, as well as in “The Happytime Murders” (2018), “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” (2019), and “Hubie Halloween” (2020). In 2019, she reunited with former Saturday Night Live colleagues in Wine Country,” alongside Rachel Dratch, Ana Gasteyer, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey. More recently, Rudolph guest-starred in several television shows, including Angie Tribeca (2016), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2016), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2017), and Mapleworth Murders (2020). From 2018 to 2020, she co-starred with Fred Armisen in the Amazon Video series Forever.” Additionally, she has voiced Connie the Hormone Monstress in the animated series “Big Mouth” since 2017.
Awards and Recognition
Maya Rudolph’s talent has been recognized with numerous award nominations and wins. She has been nominated for six Primetime Emmys, winning for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live and for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for Big Mouth in 2020. In 2016, she received the Behind the Voice Feature Film Voice Acting Award for Best Female Vocal Performance in a Supporting Role for her work in “Strange Magic.” Additionally, she was named Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series by the Black Reel Awards for her role in The Good Place in 2020. Rudolph has garnered eight Gold Derby Award nominations, winning four awards for “The Good Place,” including Comedy Guest Actress of the Decade. She has also won five of the seven Online Film & Television Association Awards for which she was nominated, with accolades for “The Good Place,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “Big Mouth.”
The cast of “Bridesmaids” was awarded the MTV Movie Award for Best Gut-Wrenching Performance in 2012, while “Inherent Vice” received the Robert Altman Award at the 2015 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Throughout her career, Rudolph has earned additional nominations from various prestigious awards, including the Black Reel Awards, Critics Choice Super Awards, and Teen Choice Awards, among others. Furthermore, she received a Writers Guild of America Award nomination for Comedy/Variety Sketch Series for “Maya & Marty” in 2017.
Real Estate Investments
In March 2021, Maya Rudolph and Paul Thomas Anderson made a notable real estate purchase, acquiring a 2,810-square-foot home in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, for $2.6 million. This three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom residence is situated on a .28-acre lot, featuring arched doorways, an ebony fireplace, and elegant quartz and marble countertops. Additionally, the couple owns a home in Tarzana, which they purchased for $2.3 million in the early 2000s, showcasing their investment in property alongside their successful careers in the entertainment industry.
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