TheGrio's 100: Maya Rudolph, comedienne on big and small screen

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Actress and comedienne Maya Rudolph has been making us laugh for more than a decade. Starting as a cast member on Saturday Night Live in 2000, Rudolph impersonated everyone from talk show host Oprah Winfrey to singers Beyonce and the late Whitney Houston and even first lady Michelle Obama.

While working on SNL and generating buzz for her comedic prowess, Rudolph made appearances in several movies, including 50 First Dates, MacGruber and most recently Bridesmaids, in which she co-starred with fellow SNL castmate Kristen Wiig.

Click here to read an original Grio Q&A with Rudolph

She also co-stars with actors Christina Applegate and Will Arnett in the NBC hit TV show Up All Night, where she plays a quirky but lovable TV host named Ava Alexander.

Rudolph is daughter of African-American soul singer Minnie Riperton and Jewish American music engineer Richard Rudolph. She was born in Gainesville, Florida, but moved to Los Angeles when she was young. She is romantically linked to Paul Thomas Anderson, a movie director famous for Boogie Nights and There Will Be Blood.

Maya Rudolph is making history … as one of the most talented multicultural comediennes in the U.S. Whether on Saturday Night Live, Bridesmaids or Up All Night, Rudolph’s hilarious impressions and impeccable timing have made her an in-demand Hollywood actress.

What’s next for Maya?

Rudolph and her husband welcomed their third child last July. She continues her role in Up All Night, while rumors of a possible sequel to Bridesmaids continue to circulate.

A little-known fact …

The late singer Teena Marie, known as the “Ivory Queen of Soul,” was Rudolph’s godmother.