Topline
Actor Maya Rudolph is returning to NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” to reprise her role as Vice President Kamala Harris through the 2024 election, Deadline first reported, reprising a role that earned her two Emmy awards.
Maya Rudolph will reportedly play Vice President Kamala Harris once again on “SNL.”
Key Facts
Rudolph, who first portrayed Harris in 2020, won a Primetime Emmy Award for guest actress in a comedy series that year, and she won another Emmy for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for a 2021 appearance, where she played Harris at a Seder in her home with second gentleman Doug Emhoff (played by Martin Short).
Harris is expected to play prominently in the show’s upcoming season as it once again covers the presidential election, following President Joe Biden’s departure from the 2024 race amid mounting concerns over his mental acuity and advanced age.
Forbes has reached out to NBC for confirmation.
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When Does ‘snl’ Season 50 Premiere?
The next season of “SNL” will begin Sept. 28, with longtime cast members Keenan Thompson, Michael Che, Mikey Day and Colin Jost returning, as well as breakout star Bowen Yang, a four-time Emmy nominee for his work on “SNL.” No cast members from the previous season announced they would be leaving after the season 49 finale in May, bucking a trend of a major exodus of cast members in recent years.
Surprising Fact
“SNL” relied on a handful of cast members and guest actors to play Biden over the course of his presidency, including actor Jim Carrey, former cast member Alex Moffat, and cast members Mikey Day and James Austin Johnson. The show also featured multiple actors in the role of former President Donald Trump, including Alec Baldwin and Austin Johnson.
Key Background
After a stint in improv comedy, Rudolph joined “SNL” as a featured cast member in 2000, and remained on the show through 2007. Rudolph gained recognition as a talented impressionist on SNL, imitating the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Beyonce, as well as for recurring segments, such as her New York City talk show “Bronx Beat” with Amy Poehler—Rudolph debuted her Harris impression only after she left the show and returned in guest roles.. Since leaving the show, Rudolph has starred in a string of comedies, including 2011’s “Grown Ups” and 2014’s “Inherent Vice.” She has returned to host SNL three times.
Tangent
Since its debut in 1975, “SNL” has played into political comedy, often as a voice of satire, though critics on the right have long criticized the show for what they claim is a leftward lean. The show has repeatedly mocked presidents, including Dana Carvey as former President George H.W. Bush, Darrell Hammond as former President Bill Clinton, Will Ferrell as former President George W. Bush and Fred Armisen as former President Barack Obama. Rudolph also follows a long line of actors and former cast members to play major figures in politics on the show. Former cast member Tina Fey returned in 2008 to play former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, then the Republican vice presidential nominee. During Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s contentious appointment process in 2019, the show brought in Matt Damon to play him.
Further Reading
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