Maya Rudolph will return to ‘SNL’ to play Kamala Harris
Rudolph originally played Harris, first as a candidate for president and then as Biden’s running mate, from 2019 to 2021
Maya Rudolph is headed back to “Saturday Night Live” — just in time for the 2024 election.
The actress will return to the sketch comedy show to play Vice President Kamala Harris leading up to the November election, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Universal Television and Lorne Michael’s Broadway Video delayed production on Rudolph’s Apple TV+ series “Loot” allowing her the time needed to play Harris once again, THR reported.
Rudolph originally played Harris, first as a candidate for president and then as Biden’s running mate, from 2019 to 2021. She most recently played the politician in a March 2021 episode of “SNL” that she also hosted, per THR. In the sketch, Martin Short plays Harris’ husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
Rudolph is just one of many celebrities who have portrayed politicians on the iconic sketch show. Comedian Jay Pharoah played Barack Obama during his second term, while Fred Armisen appeared as the former POTUS from 2008 to 2012, according to Vanity Fair. Fans have called for Rudolph’s return as Harris on “SNL” ever since the VP announced her run for president earlier this month, according to THR.
Rudolph received universal acclaim for her Harris impression “when she was introduced in the cold open for the Dec. 21, 2019, episode of ‘SNL,’ hosted by Eddie Murphy,” according to Deadline. The actress won the 2020 Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance, despite only having a few lines of dialogue, per Deadline.
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The news of Rudolph’s return comes just a few short weeks after Harris revealed her presidential campaign. The vice president announced her run shortly after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed her as his replacement. In the weeks since, several celebrities have shown their support for Harris, including Shonda Rhimes, Spike Lee, and Beyoncé.
The “Sorry” singer gave Harris permission to use her song, “Freedom,” throughout the presidential hopeful’s campaign. The vice president walked out to the 2016 song, which was featured on Beyoncé’s groundbreaking album “Lemonade,” during her first official visit to her campaign headquarters on July 22.
“SNL” will premiere its milestone 50th season on Sept. 28.
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