The Truth About Maya Rudolph And Kamala Harris

The announcement that Kamala Harris will be Joe Biden's running mate in the 2020 election was met with excitement from a number of Democrats on social media. While seemingly everyone had a hot take about whether she was the right choice, some people were thinking of a different potential benefit of having her on the ticket: It would mean a lot more of Maya Rudolph's Harris impression on Saturday Night Live. And the comedian herself definitely took notice.

Rudolph is no longer a regular cast member on SNL — she first appeared on the show in 2000 and her final episode was in 2007 — but she comes back when called to play certain characters, which is what happened with her Harris impression. The first time Rudolph broke out the impression was in September 2019 for a DNC Town Hall sketch. The sketch was full of star power: Alex Moffat played Beto O'Rourke, Bowen Yang played Andrew Yang,  Colin Jost was Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker portrayed by Chris Redd, Elizabeth Warren by Kate McKinnon, Marianne Williamson by Chloe Fineman, and Larry David returned to do his Bernie Sanders routine. Woody Harrelson, the host that evening, played Biden.

While all the impressions were pretty spot-on, Rudolph's impression of Harris was so good that they kept bringing her back, especially as the California senator gained some momentum in the polls before dropping out of the race in December 2019. But it looks like there could be a lot more of Rudolph now. 

On social media, many people were excited about the fact that Kamala Harris joining Joe Biden on the 2020 presidential Democratic ticket meant that Maya Rudolph would likely be returning to Saturday Night Live. Even Rudolph was moved. She told Entertainment Weekly, "I'm as surprised as you are, guys. That's spicy. I don't know that I'm ready to go right this minute, but it's so nice to have this nomination be associated with the show because it's my true love."

Rudolph added that she wouldn't even mind commuting to take on the gig week to week. She said, "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] has some sort of invisible helicopter that can get me there."

In Rudolph's impression, Harris is often seen chasing a viral moment or being bitter about having to drop out, and the politician's reaction to the portrayal at least shows she has a sense of humor. After the first of the three appearances Rudolph made as Harris, the senator tweeted a GIF from the show and even made a little joke about her iconic response to Biden during a town hall: "That girl was me." 

Maya Rudolph's take on Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live wasn't just adored by fans, it might even win her an award. The comedian was nominated for three Emmys in 2020: one for her appearance on SNL as the California senator, another for her voice role on Big Mouth, and the other for her appearance on The Good Place. So the talent is there, as will be the material once the campaign and debates really get up and running.

There's one catch, though. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Saturday Night Live is on an indefinite hiatus. The cast put on a remote episode in April 2020, per Vulture, but since then, there have been no new episodes. A rep for the show told The New York Times, "We will monitor the situation closely and make decisions about future shows on an ongoing basis as further information develops." Hopefully, something develops soon. Because the people want what the people want... and that's Rudolph back on their TV screens.

People seemed thrilled that they're likely going to see more of Maya Rudolph on Saturday Night Live now that Kamala Harris is Joe Biden's VP pick. Actor Billy Baldwin tweeted after the news broke, "Paging Maya Rudolph...Paging Maya Rudolph...Please report to the SNL writers room immediately... thank you." Vulture's senior writer E. Alex Jung added, simply, "Maya Rudolph up your fee," implying that she could make bank this fall if the show goes back into production.

Other fans were very optimistic about the Democrats' chances at the White House this year, opining that Rudolph would have the "next 12 years booked up," even if the math doesn't quite make sense when it comes to term limits. Writer Roxane Gay seemed pleased with Biden's VP pick, but noted, "the real winner here today is Maya Rudolph."

"Maya Rudolph bout to eat eat," wrote Keep It podcast host Aida Osman, referencing how much money the comedian could ask for for any special appearances as the prospective new veep. No matter where you stand in politics, it's hard to ignore the fact that it's obviously a good opportunity for Rudolph to get back to her SNL roots.