Maya Rudolph facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maya Rudolph
Rudolph in 2012
Born	(1972-07-27) July 27, 1972 (age 52) Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
Education	University of California, Santa Cruz (BA)
Occupation	Actress comedian
Years active	1996–present
Partner(s)	Paul Thomas Anderson (2001–present)
Children	4
Parents	Richard Rudolph (father) Minnie Riperton (mother)

Maya Rudolph (born July 27, 1972) is a talented American actress and comedian. She is well-known for her funny characters and impressions on the TV show Saturday Night Live (SNL). She was a main cast member from 2000 to 2007.

After SNL, Maya Rudolph starred in many popular movies. These include Bridesmaids (2011) and Grown Ups (2010). She also uses her voice for animated films like Shrek the Third (2007) and Luca (2021).

More recently, she has voiced characters in the animated show Big Mouth. For her work on this show, she has won several Primetime Emmy Awards. She also won an Emmy for playing politician Kamala Harris on SNL. In 2024, Time magazine named her one of the world's most influential people. Maya Rudolph is the daughter of the famous singer Minnie Riperton and composer Richard Rudolph.

Early Life and Family

Maya Rudolph was born in Gainesville, Florida. Her mother was Minnie Riperton, a singer and songwriter. Her father is Richard Rudolph, a composer. Maya's mother was African-American, and her father is Ashkenazi Jewish.

Her family moved to Los Angeles, California, when Maya and her brother Marc were very young. They grew up in the Westwood neighborhood. Maya's mother, Minnie Riperton, was famous for her song "Lovin' You". In the song, she would repeat "Maya" at the end. Sadly, her mother passed away from breast cancer in 1979, just before Maya's seventh birthday.

Maya Rudolph went to Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California. There, she became friends with future actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black. She later studied photography at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and graduated in 1995.

Career in TV and Movies

Before becoming a TV star, Maya Rudolph was part of an improv comedy group called the Groundlings. This is where she met Will Forte, who would also join Saturday Night Live.

Saturday Night Live (SNL)

Maya Rudolph joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2000. She quickly became known for her funny characters and impressions. She stayed on the show until 2007. Since then, she has often returned to SNL as a guest. She is especially known for her impression of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Film Roles

After leaving SNL, Maya Rudolph appeared in many movies. Some of her early film roles include 50 First Dates (2004) and A Prairie Home Companion (2006). She also starred in the comedy Idiocracy (2006).

She continued to act in many popular comedies. These include Grown Ups (2010) and its sequel Grown Ups 2 (2013), where she played the wife of Chris Rock's character. She also had a big role in the hit comedy Bridesmaids (2011) alongside Kristen Wiig.

Maya Rudolph is also a talented voice actress. She has lent her voice to characters in many animated films. These include Rapunzel in Shrek the Third (2007), Burn in Turbo (2013), and Aunt Cass in Big Hero 6 (2014). She also voiced Matilda in The Angry Birds Movie (2016) and Smiler in The Emoji Movie (2017). More recently, she voiced Daniela Paguro in the Pixar film Luca.

In 2022, she starred in the Apple TV+ comedy series Loot. She also played the main villain, Malvina Monroe, in the Disney movie Disenchanted.

Television Roles

Besides SNL, Maya Rudolph has appeared in other TV shows. She co-starred in the sitcom Up All Night from 2011 to 2012. She also co-hosted a variety show called Maya & Marty in 2016.

Since 2017, she has voiced several characters in the animated Netflix series Big Mouth. Her role as Connie the Hormone Monstress has earned her multiple Primetime Emmy Awards. She also received Emmy nominations for her role as Judge Gen in the comedy series The Good Place (2018–2020).

Music Career

Before her acting career took off, Maya Rudolph was a backing singer and a keyboardist for the band the Rentals. She even appeared in some of their music videos. She also has a Prince cover band called Princess with her friend Gretchen Lieberum.

Personal Life

Maya Rudolph has been in a relationship with filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson since 2001. They live in the San Fernando Valley and have four children together.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

Maya Rudolph has won many awards for her acting and voice work.

See also

In Spanish: Maya Rudolph para niños