It’s no secret to anyone who’s ever caught a little program called Saturday Night Live, but Maya Rudolph is comic genius. The woman makes a better Oprah than Oprah herself (do not tell Queen O I said that), and can hold her own in a girl chat fest with a Jerseyed-up Amy Poehler. But now that the late-night queen of impressions has left her SNL throne, it’s time for Rudolph to show the full range of her talent and all-around awesomeness.
Photo via Athena LeTrelle
The crazy thing is that as brilliant of a comic actor as Rudolph is, she could’ve just as easily had a prominent music career. As the daughter of soul singer Minnie Riperton and music producer Dick Rudolph, Maya has the music in her blood. From her over-the-top musical performances on SNL to a more hearty role in A Prairie Home Companion, Rudolph has been able to integrate music into her acting and comedy.
Yet, the comedy world should be grateful Rudolph abandoned her touring bands and Steely Dan backup singer ambitions in favor of the Hollywood scene. Post-SNL, she’s made her mark in indie films like Friends With Kids and Away We Go and solidified her role in the mainstream as a comic superstar thanks to her hilarious turn in the NBC sitcom Up All Night.
But Maya isn’t the only one in her family circle with some serious talent. In fact her longtime partner and the father of her three, soon to be four, children is none other than Paul Thomas Anderson. Yeah, that Paul Thomas Anderson. Just to reiterate, Maya Rudolph’s partner is the writer/director of The Master, There Will Be Blood, and Boogie Nights. She lives in the same house as the man responsible for the most unattractive haircut ever recorded on film, not to mention arguably the greatest technical director on the face of the planet, and god to all pretentious film buffs. So, moral of the story: she’s the coolest and her life is an absolute dream.
Perhaps more important than all of her amazing work and astounding family connections is that at the end of the day, Maya Rudolph is just a great, funny lady. Her character in Bridesmaids became every girl’s ideal for what a best friend should be, but there’s no doubt that Maya herself would be BFF perfection as well. Not only is she hilarious, down-to-earth, and brilliant, but she knows what’s important in life. “If there’s ice cream present, ordering is a no brainer. I think all of us need to have ice cream whenever possible. My go-to is mint-chip,” Maya once said. With those kinds of priorities, who wouldn’t want to be her bridesmaid?
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