Transcript: Maya Rudolph (Live) on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

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Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and

welcome to Good Hang.

Hello. Welcome to the Fonda Theater. I

am Amy Polar. We are so excited that

you're here tonight.

How's everybody feeling?

All right.

Just want to remind everybody to please

turn off your cell phones and refrain

from taking any photos or videos during

the show. We want you to enjoy yourself

and be in the moment, which I know is

difficult to do in these trying times.

We are very, very happy that you're here

with us. Thank you so much for coming.

And to kick off the show and get us

started, give it up, ladies and

gentlemen, for my dear friend,

incredible musician, and the singer of

the Good Hang theme song, an incredible

artist, Amy Miles. Everybody, Amy Miles,

thanks so much. Let's get this going. My

name is Amy Miles. I'm so happy to be

here. I am so um honored to be here and

I am here with my beautiful friends Mr.

Quick Wedwin

and Mr. David Wayne on the drums.

>> Okay you guys uh without further ado we

are going to play the theme two good

hank and I like it and I like it and I

will not mess this up. One, two, three,

CLAP

BOY.

Low consequences and low offenses when

my arm break a bone. Coming back to city

in late summer. Everybody. Everybody.

Everybody's gone. Everybody. Everybody.

Everybody's gone. Everybody. Everybody.

Everybody's gone. Everybody. Everybody.

Everybody's gold. Everybody's gone.

Woohoo. Going

for the hug.

Go

with a B. What's up?

What do you say?

All I ever wanted was a really good Hey,

hold on. See if I'm breathing. Till to

the right and start believing. Money's

got a dress. Get the party started.

Money's got a party that starts tonight.

Money's got to just get the party

started. What you say?

Money's got to just get the party

started. Starts tonight.

Party.

You broke my heart.

When I see you, I turn and go home.

Woohoo. Going

for

a B.

What do you say?

All I ever wanted was a really good

hang.

What do you say?

All I ever wanted was a really good

hand.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the host,

my friend, your friend is 80.

80 miles, everybody. 80 miles.

Hey.

Woohoo.

Woohoo! WOOHOO!

HELLO.

Thank you, Amy. Thank you, David. Thank

you, Craig. Hello, everyone. Please have

a seat. This is a podcast. We're sitting

down.

Hello. Welcome. Welcome to Good Hang

Live.

Thank you so much for coming. It is a

thrill to be here. I just want to start

by saying I apologize for the late

start. I did not know this show was

going to be an 8:00 p.m. show. I truly

didn't and I'm so sorry. I'm telling you

right now, you're not getting home

before 11 and it's upsetting and I won't

do that to you again.

Welcome. Um we are very very excited to

do our show tonight. Um we have uh we

have a few people to thank before we get

started and the first is Spotify. Thank

you for um everything everyone here who

works on Good Hang. They're just

amazing. Uh an amazing group of people

and we've had a pretty awesome year. Um

we started this podcast um this year.

Yeah. And it's going great. Um

um so thank you to everybody working on

the show and I will thank you all

personally and Jenna most of all. Um,

and um, also thank you to PayPal

for sponsoring this evening. And I know

there's some PayPal peeps in the crowd.

You're my pal. PayPal. Have you guys

thought of that as a slogan? PayPal is

my pal. Um, but thank you so much for

making tonight. So, um, we're going to

get started and, um, I think, you know,

without further ado, I think it's

important for you guys to know who

you're getting to see tonight because

We like to keep these guests secret up

until a point, but you are eventually

going to hear us talk to each other. So,

I have to say, ladies and gentlemen, you

have a really good good hang guest this

evening because it is the one, the only

Maya Rudolph.

YEAH.

YES,

you wanted her. You You wanted her. You

got her. How exciting is that, Maya?

That was exciting. Um

but um Yes. Yes. And we have I have my

lip balm and my laptop and my GL and my

my glasses. So excited.

Um but we always uh we always like to

start our podcast by talking well behind

our guests back, right? So um I'm going

to introduce the guest who's going to do

that as I move this microphone over.

This is what we practice in blocking.

And then Amy is going to play me over to

the desk.

>> This podcast is sponsored by PayPal.

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>> All right.

Now I'm comfortable sitting down.

Okay. We are very excited to introduce

um uh our our guest who's going to be

talking to us about Maya and giving me a

question to ask Maya. We always like to

do that on Good Hang to talk to somebody

who knows our guest really well. We're

thrilled to have this person joining us

tonight. He is an incredible actor,

standup and sweet, tender-hearted

person, and he plays Maya's cousin

Howard on the show Loot. Give it up for

Ron Bunches. Everybody

hi Ron.

>> Hi.

>> Hi. Now, uh, people should know we were

trying to keep you a secret,

>> but then you and Maya just saw each

other backstage.

You didn't do a good job at all.

>> Nope.

>> It felt like no one even tried to keep

us apart.

>> No, we all we literally needed to do was

close your door.

>> Yeah.

>> And we forgot to do that.

>> And I think I Maya said that she just

went, "Hey, Ron, what are you doing

here?"

Like you live here.

>> Yeah, sometimes I just pop up places.

Thank you so much for coming. Let's take

a water break.

>> It's so nice to be here.

>> And I have some lip balm if you need.

>> I can't believe you got so many people

here.

>> Really nice.

>> Very exciting. Very nice.

>> Don't they know podcast are free?

>> They are severely overpaying.

>> That's a good point.

>> I think it's an excellent point.

>> Yeah, you can go home and listen to this

for free. But they don't seem like they

make good financial decision.

They wooed for PayPal.

>> Yeah. Ron, are you a Cal You're not a

California kid, are you?

>> I was actually born in Los Angeles in

Gardina.

>> What's it like being a California kid?

>> Uh, I mean, I'm just proud to be from

here, especially this year with the

wildfires and everything. I feel like

you get just this sense of community and

loyalty to the place. But I moved around

a bunch. I lived in Chicago. I lived in

Oregon. So I kind of just learn to just

carry my home and my space with me

mostly.

>> I like to ask people when they've moved

around a lot, what's the coldest you've

ever been?

>> Definitely southside of Chicago.

Shoveling snow in the winter is

terrible.

>> And what's the hottest you've ever been?

M probably when I was like 212 lbs real

cut.

>> Just every day. Yeah.

You tour a lot. What is your tour? Uh

what do you like to do on tour? What's

your how do you prepare for your show

and what do you do after?

>> Thank you for asking. No one asked me

that.

>> I'm really fascinated by a person on the

road. It's hard work.

>> No, it is because you get you just hate

being away from home. I used to when you

first start sometimes the hotel much

better than my home but as the years

have progressed that has switched and

>> and I always want to be home and so I

try to make uh the road as much like

home as possible. I travel with my best

friend Gabe Dinger. He's a great

comedian. He's here with me tonight. Uh

we bring our video games with us all the

time and I usually do a Pilates class

wherever I go.

>> Nice. Yeah. Um, what uh what video game

do you play when you're on the road?

Usually any of them or

>> all of them. Anything anything you got,

I will play

>> if you're good.

>> And Pilates, which I enjoy doing. What

do you like about Pilates?

>> I like that it's so difficult.

>> Yeah,

>> I like that. I could be like, how am I

sweating so much while exclusively

laying down?

Oh, this is a good audience for this

joke.

>> Yeah, that's this this is a Pilates

audience. Are you kidding me?

>> Your audience like a goop store.

>> Every sing everybody gets a reformer on

the way out.

>> You have a reformer. You know, um do you

bring anything with you on the road? You

know how like people bring a pillowcase

or a carbon monoxide detector?

No, I just usually bring like the same

pair of pajamas that I want to wear. I

bring my Steam Deck, which is like my

little video game thing, but like it

makes me feel like I'm at home. And then

um but that's really it. I think that

and the Pilates keep me feeling like I'm

focused at home because with the

traveling, I always feel stiff and uh

just kind of off balance. And once I

feel like I land at a place and I sweat

in a place, I feel more grounded.

>> Yeah, I hear you. And last question, are

you a person that likes to talk to

people on the plane?

>> No, not at all.

>> Not at all. I got my headphones on all

the time. It is actually I know it's

probably okay being named droppy here.

Uh but it's how Bill her and I connected

one time. We were working on a movie

together and we were both on a plane and

we saw each other and so but we were

like separated by aisle. So the lady I

was sitting was like, "Do you want to

sit with your friends so you guys could

talk?" And we both looked up and

immediately were like, "No,

>> that's a nice

>> Oh, okay.

>> I respect you."

>> Now, you and Maya

>> have a real chemistry on your show and I

know you also have a real friendship in

life. Can you tell me where you first

met? Was it working together on Loot or

did you meet?

>> Yeah, I met her first. I mean, obviously

been a big big fan of hers for a long

time. similar to you as well, you know.

So, I just remember watching her on

Saturday Night Live. I don't remember

how many times I would rewind and

rewatch the scene of her just [ __ ]

in the street on

>> Yeah.

>> bridesmaids, you know, like to me that

was

>> beautiful. It was like it's like a

beautiful opera.

>> It's the highest form of art you could

ever find.

>> Agreed.

>> And so, I've always been such a such a

big fan. And then when the Luke came up

as an opportunity, I was actually in the

process of pitching my own show and um

was seeing if that was going to go

across the line. So I originally had

turned down the audition and then Maya

sent me a nice email um which was just

more like, "Hey, I know you probably

think this is just like some random call

and you're just one of 20 30 people, but

I like your work. I'm a fan of your

work. I know who you are. I just wanted

to just send you a quick email to see if

you would reconsider and do this

audition. And uh just getting a direct

email from her like that, I was like,

"Oh, I should probably do this."

>> And then luckily in the next two weeks,

they passed on my show. So I was like,

"I really need to do this."

>> And um what is it like to work with her?

>> It's amazing. It is like I tell her I've

told her in person and nice to tell her

on this podcast. Um I'm a big big comedy

fan. I have been my whole life. Um one

of my favorite shows is I Love Lucy. Big

fan of just Lucil Ball in general. And I

always say that working with her to me

must feel like it was like to be like

William Froley and to be Vivian Vance

working with Lucil Ball. like to see the

level of dedication and the level of

skill and the craftsmanship that she can

do in multiple areas that she's can be

funny that she's a great singer, a great

dancer, that she can be a dramatic actor

when she wants to be. Um, to have that

full skill set and to put that on

display while still being a kind person

is something that I don't see often. So

to me, I'm like this is the like I'm in

the presence of a true like legend. So,

it's a and but she never makes you feel

separate, you know? She never makes you

feel like you don't belong or you're

smaller than, you know, sometimes she'll

be like, she'll turn to me, she goes

like, "Is this funny?" And I'm like,

"Why the [ __ ] are you asking me?

If you say it, it probably will be."

I mean, um, I don't usually talk behind

the guest back when they're off stage

right there, but I wanna what I want to

talk about tonight is that Maya is like

a natural. Like she's like one of a kind

natural. Like she's she's one of those

people to me that feels like is was born

to do what she's doing. Like it's almost

like she make she makes it look so easy

when she's doing stuff. It's because

she's so naturally good at it, I think.

Yeah.

>> And um you know, I think they should

remake The Natural and they should put

Maya in their

>> She's born to do it. You know, she's

true Hollywood royalty. And a lot of

times, uh people look at that and they

just think about like nepotism or people

who don't do anything. But in a lot of

cases, it's the opposite where it's like

she's been born into this world and she

spent a lifetime crafting these like

abilities and it shows in everything

that she does. And then the fact that

she still is spends so much time with

her family and so much time balancing

everything. That's to me is the wildest

part is like to accomplish so many

things and to still be driven to get up

and to come do this show and still spend

time with your family. Like that that I

mean I know it's hard for me and I just

you know I'm doing standup four days a

week. So to do all the stuff that she

does is amazing to me.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Women are amazing.

There you are.

>> And you too, Ron.

>> Thank you.

>> And you too. So, um, what, uh, what

question do you have for Maya? What

would you think we should ask her today?

>> Uh, I have three questions.

>> Okay. I need a pen.

>> There you go.

>> Okay. Okay. I'll remember it.

>> You'll be fine.

>> Okay.

>> Uh, one, um, is Luke coming back? Cuz I

need a job.

>> Great.

>> So, if you could confirm that onto a

microphone.

>> Great. Is Lude coming back?

>> That would be helpful. Uh, number two is

one that I really do wonder personally,

but I don't know if she'd want to answer

in the pot, so I'm just going to ask and

she doesn't have to answer. Um, but just

when the time that she spent on Saturday

Night Live playing Kamla Harris to me is

a thing that I'd be very interested to

know more about to to go through all of

that to like live in her skin while

she's going through the most like

pressurized time in her life to have

things not turn out the way that she nor

me or most of us

would have preferred. I just wanted to

know like what that would feel like cuz

I imagine there' just be a lot of

symbiotic pain from doing that. But

maybe she don't want to answer that. So

>> my third one would just be about bal

choose like what projects are worth

spending time away from her family? what

makes her choose a thing that like is it

like about providing more for her family

or is just something that she finds fun

for herself or challenging for herself?

Um just cuz again like I have my son and

I'm on the road four days a week and

then I immediately come back home to my

son and it's like a balance because but

uh I don't know how to do it. I want to

know how to do it better.

>> Yeah. Yeah. I know what you mean. Me

too. We all want to know how to do it.

We're all hanging on by a thread.

>> Yeah.

>> That's the secret.

>> Yeah. Nobody know. That's the secret.

Nobody knows how to

>> People think. But if you have a

microphone, they'll go, "Maybe they

know."

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. I'm gonna sell a course talking

about it.

Okay. So, just cuz I'm uh uh menopausal.

Uh so, so you've got is Lude coming

back?

>> Uh,

>> how do you do it, babe?

>> Yeah.

>> How do you do it? Right on. Those are

awesome questions.

>> Thank you. Ron Funches, thank you for

doing this. You're a total delight.

>> I'm gonna take this.

>> Take the mug. That mug is yours.

Everybody, Ron Funches, thank you so

much Ron.

This episode is brought to you by

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I don't know if you saw the back of

Ron's shirt, but it said, "I only want

to work with friends." What a great

shirt. Wow, Ron. Thank you so much. That

was a pleasure. I could have talked to

you all evening, but it's literally

already 8:33.

Horrifying. Um,

okay. Very excited to introduce our

guest this evening. Um, you know, uh,

her from, uh, a backup singer for the

Rentals.

Uh she was um was a crossroads coolest

student

uh California's own biggest comedy hit

MVP of SNL till the end of time. Ladies

and gentlemen, give it up for Maya

Rudolph.

Woohoo!

Hi Maya.

>> Hi Amy.

>> Hi.

>> How's it going? Isn't this a nice crowd?

>> This is very nice.

So many nice people.

>> Nice people. You can tell they're nice

people.

>> I can

>> I can feel it.

>> I can smell it.

>> Um Maya, we're going to do a little mic

check.

>> Okay. And uh let's Will you sing the

national anthem for us?

>> Yeah.

>> Okay. Little mic check. Go ahead.

>> Um I'm not kidding. I want someone to

ask me to do that again.

>> Wouldn't that be fun? I Someone did say

for the 50th,

"Hey, we uh we want you to sing open the

show with the national anthem." And I

was like, "Okay." And then it just went

away.

>> Wouldn't that have been fun?

>> Oh, you want me to do it?

>> Just one.

>> Just a little bit.

I went to I haven't even I don't I don't

really like think I've even ever done it

since then.

>> That's enough, right?

>> Beautiful. Beautiful.

Thank you.

>> It's the faces.

>> Yeah.

>> It's the faces and it's the amount of

time it takes.

>> You know what?

>> Can we talk about that for a second?

>> Talk about how that came to be. You

singing the national anthem.

>> There was

>> for your character.

>> My character Pamela Bell. Let's be

clear. Um, you know what? I rarely all

the time that we were at SNL, I rarely

had good ideas.

>> That's not true. Like you know when you

have an idea and you're like this is

going to be fun to do or maybe I maybe I

should be more clear. I always have

ideas for characters but I never really

had

clear ideas for sketches and this one

was like beginning, middle, and end. And

it's because in the writer room on nine

at some point someone was watching I

think it was like a rewrite night and uh

American Idol was on and they do these

wrap-ups and I think it was like base I

don't know world I don't know something

with a baseball and um they had people

singing take me out to the ball game and

this one girl said buy me some peanuts

and apple jacks and that was it. I was

like, "Here we go.

Enuts and Applejacks."

>> Oh, god damn.

>> But it was honestly like

>> I know.

>> Peanuts and apple jacks and purple

jerks.

I just it's just it was such a moment to

be I I've never been like other than

when we did Bronx Beat that was the only

other time where I've like done

something that wasn't completely on the

cards.

>> Yeah,

>> cuz Bronx Beat's the only time I really

feel like we were I ever did anything

loose.

>> Yeah. Yeah, that's what she said.

>> That's what she said.

>> Maya, um I don't know if you heard Ron

talk and I talking about you, but

>> what? No.

>> Did you know Ron was going to be here?

What?

>> I actually didn't until I walked in the

room and he was sitting there.

>> Literally, all we needed to do was close

the door.

>> Uh, couldn't get that done. Couldn't

>> How dumb am I? I was like, "Hey, Ron,

what are you doing here? I just thought

he was hanging out. He lives here at the

Fonda. You um have you have you

performed here or been here at the Fonda

recent?"

>> I've been here. I've I was here recently

for the Geese show.

>> Oh.

>> Uh, yeah.

>> Oh. Oh, Cameron Winter.

>> Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

>> What if he's here? He's still here.

>> Oh my god. Cameron,

>> was it Did you feel cool when you were

felt so cool? I did bring earplugs.

>> Yeah, cuz I'm 53. But, um,

that was a huge laugh. Um, but I, uh, I

love them a lot and it was really hard

to make myself go out.

>> I know. What time did you have to go

out?

>> I don't know.

>> What time did they go on?

>> I don't know.

>> You don't You really don't remember. Was

it 10:00 p.m.?

>> Who knows?

>> It It literally like

>> What time is it?

>> You had a sleeping cap on and a candle

and you were like,

>> I had my night gown on.

>> There's a geese on.

Jacob Marley, is that you? I hear your

chain.

I am at a geese show.

>> It was very late. Um, but it was totally

worth it cuz they're so good and they're

so exciting and as you know, I get

really grumpy when music is bad and

they're so good and they're so talented

at making music and writing music,

performing music that I was happy to

leave my house.

>> That's great. I mean, it is hard to

leave your house. It It's hard to go out

and I appreciate that you're here.

>> Period. Yes.

>> And I really do. And I want to talk to

you about music because um and your

relationship to it. And I want to start

with the fact that you are, as I asked

Ron, he's a California boy, you're a

California girl. And we had an we had a

great interview with the great Jack

Black who said that you were the coolest

person he knew in high school.

>> He said that.

>> Yes. Do you not listen to my podcast?

Um, I do, but I didn't listen to his

episode yet.

>> You didn't? We've glazed you so hard.

>> Wait, what?

>> Glazone tonight.

Maya

>> um I It's funny. I almost said his name

when we were talking about the national

anthem because

>> when I was singing it on um first of all

there's so much to talk about when it

comes to Jack cuz I've known him since I

was 14 and I met him in school and

>> he changed my life um for the better and

you know when you find people and you

both speak the same language and he was

new he he was a couple years older and

he had transferred to the school and I

think my drama teacher was like, "You

guys should should hang out." He was um

he coached me in an improv competition.

Um me and a couple girlfriends and we

just like spoke music the same way right

away. We both like had an a love for

Bobby McFaren. And I don't I didn't know

any 14-year-olds that liked Bobby

McFaren. Um, but when I was doing the

national anthem, especially when I go,

I always think about Jack.

Um, he brought me to my first

Groundlings show when I was a kid and

showed me this whole world. I I didn't

even imagine I'd end up being there and

that would lead me to you. Really,

honestly, I mean, he changed my life.

But there's just so few people um that

you can you you feel so lucky when you

have those moments where you had no idea

you were going to meet someone that was

going to going to be such a positive

influence on your life and he's such a

great goof.

>> Did you guys ever kiss?

>> No.

I wanted to.

>> There's still time.

>> I really chapter act three, baby. I

wonder if we did maybe in like a like a

a short film. Well, I played his

girlfriend

>> and like um Brett Morgan who ended up

becoming an incredible documentary

filmmaker. He went to our school. I know

everyone's like

private school. Like it was such a

[ __ ] great creative cool. It was so

punk and weird and artistic and I took

film classes and improv. Jack got me

into the improv class early when I was

in eighth grade. You're supposed to be

in ninth and he got me in

>> eighth grade and you were LIKE, "HEY YOU

GUYS,

>> HEY, I GOT SOMETHING to improv about."

>> And you were like improvising LIKE,

"HONEY, I'M HOME FROM WORK." With your

little briefcase.

>> Isn't Candy stupid.

>> Tough day at the toy factor.

>> Oh boy. I don't remember.

>> He played his girlfriend. Okay. And you

also went to school with Gwyneth.

>> Yes. When elementary school. elementary

school at Gwynneth Paltro.

>> Yeah.

>> And um did you guys kiss?

>> We kissed. No, I'm kidding. You guys did

kiss?

>> Yeah, we did.

>> Okay, good. That's what I thought.

>> Yep. We went to St. Augustine together,

which was um it was the elementary of

Crossroads before Crossroads really had

an elementary. It was in this church

called St. Augustine by the Sea. And uh

yeah, and we were very close. And and

weirdly, our dads went to college

together, so we had kind of like a

family bond. And then after sixth grade

she went to New York. But

>> and do you do you remember your first

time in that time period with like your

wonderful artistic beautifully groovy

parents? You remember when you first saw

SNL?

>> I really do remember

um sneaking into my parents' room and

faking like a stomach ache or or just

like I can't go to I can't sleep or

something. That's how I talked when I

was a kid. I can't sleep. Um, and I my

parents were young. I mean, they were

probably in their 20s

>> and they were Yeah, they were watching

the show and I I think I saw the Land

Shark is what I remember.

>> Oo. But

>> for those of you um,

there was a man named Chvy Chase

>> and he was on Update.

>> That's all you need to know.

>> And the shark would come in and they'd

grab him and get him.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Um, Groundlings, you mentioned

Groundlings. When you were at the

Groundlings, premier improv, sketch,

comedy, theater, who was in your

freshman class? Who were you with at the

time?

>> I had the most unbelievable group of

people. Um, so our beloved uh dear

friend Emily Spivey, who uh we wrote

with for many, many years at SNL. I met

Emily there. Um,

my friend Nat Faxton, who's on loot. Uh,

my friend Jim Rash, Cheryl Hines,

Melissa McCarthy, um, Ben Falconee,

um, oh my god, who am I forgetting?

Jordan Black, Will Forte, Jordan.

>> Will was in our group.

>> Um,

uh, who else? [ __ ] this is going to

sound really bad when I can't remember

people's names.

>> That's great. That's perfect.

>> Is that good?

>> Yeah, that's great.

>> Rachel Harris. Oh my god, I'm still

talking. We had an un we had an

unbelievable group of people

>> and what did you like now with a lot of

perspective right? What what was the

biggest takeaway the best thing about

being in that space making that kind of

art at that time?

>> Absolutely knowing that

I listened to myself and found my people

and that I liked

and you've said this about me and I know

it to be true especially because you're

so good at reading people. I like to be

with my friends and have fun. And I know

that sounds stupid, but it's such a

great way to do improv and sketch. It I

like to like I like to come in the room

and people are hanging when there's a

group of people that I really like. It

makes me so happy and then it makes me

feel like I'm actually funny or funnier

and it it fuels me. I I like to be in

the in the mix of it.

>> Yeah. you Maya if I may speak uh for you

Maya

>> please and about you

>> the word fun feels like like you know

it's like a feels like a not a complex

word but it is because it's really about

this idea of like a shared communal

sense of energy and you love that and I

will say you know I said to Ron that you

I think you're one of the most naturally

gifted performers I've ever met and I

think you're the the n most naturally

best person at SNL that's ever been on

the show.

>> It's true, babe. You have to have a lot

of skills to be on that show. You got to

have a lot of skills to pay the bills on

that show.

>> And one of the things that you do that

is so important in live television

especially is we are never nervous when

Maya's performing. Like we're never

worried about you.

>> We're our mirror neurons aren't firing

that you're like because you're like

when you perform you're having a lot of

fun.

>> Yeah. It's almost like you're the most

relaxed and the least nervous or at

least it seems that way.

>> It seems that way.

>> So, is that not true?

>> I definitely get nervous, but I think

it's interesting how I get nervous and

that I I I realized it coming back to

SNL during co the first time I I came to

play Kamla, which was which worked the

first time.

Um,

>> oh brother.

>> Oh, brother.

>> Oh, brother.

>> Um, I uh I lost my train of thought.

What were we talking about? Um,

>> nervous. Well, how are you like when

you're nervous? I

I my nerves are different when I'm there

specifically because I want to be there

and I like how present

>> it is and the I get I do get an

adrenaline rush from being in that room

and knowing that it's like happening in

that very moment and the history of the

room like all of it and over the years

knowing so many of the people so many of

the crew in that room but my armpit

sweat is like how I know my body's

reacting I'm not I don't tremble.

>> I I do I do get nervous about [ __ ] up

or stumbling words and that has happened

and that's the thing that sticks with me

>> is when you [ __ ] up you like look at you

know whoever you're with and me being

sometimes being like

which is like the even the joy of the

electricity of that

>> but like even you know how you you know

how there's moments where you really

you're like I can't wait to say this

line.

>> Oh no. And even even back to the

national anthem, remember there was one

line that I used to say and I it would

tickle Keenan

>> and I was singing it kind of like

Whitney Houston and instead of saying

like

gave proof to the night I was saying

like give a little bit of proof and

every time I sang it, he would like go

and I love that he was tickled by it and

I was so excited to do it that I didn't

do it.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. and and those little slip ups even

most one of the most recent

can't remember which one it was but one

of the most recent commas we did I

stumble you know you just stumble

sometimes your tongue your tongue

>> adrenaline like your adrenaline gets you

all twisty yeah

>> so I hate that and then and then Sunday

morning you're like oh god you just hear

it again and again and you can't fix it

>> well but no one ever knows

and also nobody cares

>> nobody cares

>> I mean no one's paying attention

except themselves. And I mean, it's

almost quarter to 9.

>> We're almost in bed.

>> It's ridiculous.

>> I agree.

>> Um,

so you came into SNL for like the final

three shows.

>> Oh. Of the 25th season. Yeah.

>> So, you came in at the very end.

>> Isn't that weird? Yeah.

>> What was your uh audition like? And what

do you remember of your audition?

>> I did an audition. [ __ ] That's right.

>> Oh [ __ ]

>> I knew it.

>> I don't love.

>> Oh, my water.

>> Oh my god. I spilled my water on my lap.

>> Oh my god.

>> Guys, we're going to get electrocuted.

Um, I don't love that I did an audition,

but I said to Lauren very recently, "If

I had auditioned, I probably wouldn't

have been on the show. I didn't have a

very good audition ready to go." Do you

need a napkin?

>> These are the Seth Meers Good hanged

tissues.

>> The Seth Myers memorial tissues when I

made him cry.

>> Um,

really? You think you would have blown

it if you auditioned?

>> Yeah, I do. Um, I I had never

want to. You don't need those questions.

>> No.

>> You know, we know how to clean a table,

though, don't we?

>> I mean, this is this

>> You like cleaning tables? I do. I love I

love it.

>> I like a nice smelling spray.

>> Oh, do you use Windex?

>> Oh, you know what? I don't. Do you love

Windex? You [ __ ] love Windex, don't

you? And not the new stuff that doesn't

have the chemicals in it. The

>> I like the stuff that doesn't have the

chemicals in it.

>> I know. You're so California.

>> I'm [ __ ] California. I know.

>> Well, that was the thing. When Maya

arrived to SNL, there was like East

Coast, West Coast people.

>> East Coast was like, "Hey,

you from the Groundlings,

cool

a little bit."

Well, when I when I arrived, you were

you had already been there, but I didn't

know at the time for only three shows.

But

>> yeah, isn't that crazy?

>> Like it was So, what was it like to come

at the end of a season?

>> It was very strange and it was a trial

period. I had sent I um I had sent some

uh VHS tape of some of my sketches

>> to to uh to Lauren. I um

>> directly to his house.

>> Directly to Lauren's house. And I was

like,

>> you're like5 Park Avenue.

>> It was like a like a trial period. Trial

by fire. They came to they they did come

to uh to the groundings. I think I

believe it was Tina and perhaps Mike

Shoemaker and God I don't remember.

Probably Steve Higgins who had seen me

there before who I credit giving me my

job. Amen. Hallelujah.

>> Changed my life forever. Um

>> do you remember where you were when you

got the call that you were going to be

on the show?

>> I was at my house. I used to live near

Larchmont Village

around the corner from the yoga place in

the Larchmont Wine and and Spirits.

Um yeah.

Great sandwiches, am I right?

When I was pregnant with my oldest

daughter, I used to go to that yoga

place just so I could eat the sandwiches

after.

>> They're really good. Have you ever had

them? I'm going to get you one.

>> I haven't. I would love one. Although uh

uh sandwiches

I'm not really into them.

>> You don't like sandwiches?

>> I'm not really into grown out not as a

restrictive thing. I just like in

general

>> it's a lot of work.

>> When I see sandwich I'm like oh god this

sandwich like

>> how are we going to get through this?

How are how am I going to do this?

>> Do you talk to it?

>> I go

>> you like negotiate.

>> But you know what I do love? I love a

fake felt.

>> Yeah, you do.

>> Sorry. We can cut this part out. Can we

cut cut things out? Probably not. Um,

look at this felt sandwich.

>> I love it.

>> This is fake tomato.

>> I want you to do ASMR a little bit.

>> Onion.

>> Okay.

>> You know you're in California cuz we got

an avocado coming over here.

>> Yep.

>> Lettuce. Sorry. It's only six more

things. Cheese and bread. Okay. I love

you.

>> I love that.

>> Yeah. Me, too.

>> I like pretend. I like pretend food.

pretend food.

>> I love pretend things. Okay.

>> God, what were we talking about?

>> Okay, it doesn't matter. So, um,

>> we were talking about coming. Oh, yes.

>> You got the SNL call

>> and I came out and I had nowhere to

live. I um I was in the Sunday company

at the Groundlings and I think I had to

come out there like in the next week or

two or something. So, I lived at the

Palace Hotel

>> down the street and um I think I you

know pitched Oh. Oh, I came on a Tuesday

because there was no there was no pitch

on Monday for some reason and I didn't

know anybody. Um I knew Chris Parnell a

little and I said, "What do we do

tonight?" And he said, "We write." And I

said, "Till then?" He said, "Till about

8:00 in the morning." And then all the

doors started closing.

And I was like, and I was sharing an

office with another temporary um actor,

whatever you would call us there, I

guess. Were we featured? I don't even

know. named Zach Galifanakis.

Is

>> that wild?

>> Yeah.

>> And then we'd walk back to the palace

going like, "What are we doing here?" I

was like, "I don't know."

>> Yeah. There we've talked about it

before, but there wasn't a lot of

onboarding. There was no like no one

told you any really. Shoemaker did. I

will say when you and Seth started the

following year, I saw him making an an

extreme I watched the process of him

onboarding you and Seth in a way that

made me so proud and so happy that

people were given a chance to understand

the mechanics of how a show like that

works. It was really and and it helped

educate me. I still felt so new and I

didn't know what I was doing. And it's

one of those things where you don't want

to tell people like, "I've ne I've never

been swimming, but I'm going to try."

Like I I didn't want to say like, "Yeah,

I've never been swimming before, but I

just I tried." But I You didn't want to

say how scared you were. And

>> no, fake it till you make it.

>> Fake it till you make it, baby. We did a

lot of faking it. And we did a lot of

making it.

>> We did. And so Maya and I were My office

was across the hall from you and Emily

Spivey. And Maya and Emily had a great

office. It had a window and um it looked

out over the Empire State Building and

this is in the 2000s so you could fully

open the window, no bars, nothing and

lean out and smoke a cigarette.

>> 17th floor,

>> 17th floor.

>> And when we were writing on Tuesday

nights, um we could tell it was time to

go home because we could hear people

lining up for the Today Show outside and

look down below. And

we used to get visitors from a friend

who would hang out of the window. Yes,

>> he was made of cardboard.

>> Harper Steel used to a writer on SNL.

She used to um write uh draw a a picture

of a weird creepy

>> creepy dude.

>> Creepy dude and stick a stick it out the

window into our window.

>> That's right.

>> Um

>> and then and then we'd go, "Who did

this?"

>> And then we'd run over and she would

just be like her window.

>> Her office would be freezing cold. Yeah.

Um and um but also I have memories, a

lots of tears, like laughter and tears

in that office. I have a lot of memories

of your office.

>> Our office was I felt like you were one

of the first people that really made me

feel

good about coming in and recognizing it

as a safe space. You'd come in, you'd

crack your back, you do your little

backy. And sometimes you'd lay on the

floor and it was just a place for us to

say, "This is really hard or I'm really

sad or I'm stressed out or this [ __ ]

sucks or whatever it was." It was such a

safe space. And I I mean,

I could spend so as you know, I could

spend so much time talking about how

fortunate I feel about being there with

the company that I was with. Um, and I

don't know how the stars aligned in that

way, but I think because we had so many

of us that even though we didn't grow up

in the same town and go to the same

schools, we kind of had a similar,

I don't know, life ethic. And I always

say it's like, well, we were like, you

know, good daughters, good students.

>> I've heard you talking about this on

Kylie Kelsey's podcast. Great podcast.

Love her. And you you made such a good

point about that, Maya. you were like

saying like why you know all the women

at the time at SNL Rachel and Tina and

Anna and Kristen like we all felt like

we were different certainly but we had

some kind of similar shared sensibility

>> a common thread and I also feel like you

know in those days like even you know at

the groundings now it's all I think you

have to wait a long time to get to the

next level or we were just kind of like

walking right in. We had something in

common that we just knew was our thing.

And I can't even I can't describe it,

but it was that generation, that time.

We had the same shows growing up. We had

the same influences. And

>> I don't know, for me it was like my

older brother was the funniest person I

knew. And so I was trying to emulate

people that I looked up to, like my

heroes. That's why I wanted to be funny.

I wanted to be funny because he and his

friends were so funny.

>> What were they listening to and what who

were they who

>> My brother was really into like

Parliament and funkadelic which is act

which has such a huge sense of humor. I

mean it's just like the funkiest

funk funky funk funk funk. Um like the

mothership connection and um Motor Booty

Affair is one of the albums and the

album artwork is insane. George Clinton

is just like a freak and clearly has

such an amazing sense of humor. My

brother and I used to watch um the Gong

Show.

>> Oh yeah.

>> And Make Me Laugh. Did you ever watch

Make Me Laugh?

>> Yes.

>> And we used to play Make Me Laugh at in

our house all the time. Make me laugh

was basically it was just a guest was

sitting in a chair and then I guess it

was standups or comedians were supposed

to make them laugh. They had 60 seconds

on the clock and the person had to like

not break. That was it.

>> And there were a lot of young comics

that started. They were like, could it

have been Gallagher Gallagher there

maybe? And like um

>> I don't know. I was doing so much acid

then I don't remember anything. But it I

have a feeling if we looked back we'd

probably recognize a lot of people. Same

with the Gong Show for sure.

>> Yeah. Do you um one one thing I wanted

to bring up in that office was uh there

was a cleaning lady um

>> Rosa. Rosa that worked in the in the on

the 17th floor. Teeny tiny lady.

>> Very teeny.

>> And um she had been there for a very

long time. She had seen some [ __ ]

>> Yeah.

>> And uh there was a moment when would you

tell the moment when we were in that

office and Rosa came in?

>> I think it was probably usually if we

were in that office during the day

because we were there so much at night,

you know, they we weren't keeping

regular office hours. So there weren't

great times for people to come in and

clean and change the trash cans out and

stuff. And so it's probably a read

through day, maybe like a Wednesday. And

we were in there waiting for uh table

read to start. And um someone was

definitely crying. I think I think Emily

might have been crying because her desk

at in that office was close to the door

and so she had her back to the door

>> and she was talking to us about

something that was really hard and we

were also sleepd deprived and I just

remember Rosa coming in and she didn't

speak very much English um but she saw

what she always saw which was she came

in and she saw a few of us just sitting

around talking to each other deep in

conversation and Emily was crying and

she put her uh hand on Emily's shoulder

and she goes, "On don't cry, sexy."

Do you remember that?

I love it so much. It was like it was

yesterday.

>> Don't cry sexy.

>> Don't cry, sexy.

>> And highly recommend you say that to

your friend when they're sad. It's

really

>> just a little

>> Don't cry, sexy.

>> Don't cry, sexy.

Um, do you want to tell everyone the

first time you met Barack Obama and who

you were dressed as?

>> Yes, I would love to. Um, the first time

I met Barack Obama when he was running

for office, I was dressed as Shirley

Mlan

and um,

>> and then the second time you saw him,

you were dressed as

>> Barack Obama.

Um yeah, it was a sketch that you were

you and Daryl were Hillary and Bill

Clinton at um

>> Halloween party.

>> Halloween party. And it was one of And I

remember

Barack was new on the scene.

>> Mhm.

>> Looking smooth

and uh and at that time I think like

Barack Obama masks were popular, you

know, because it was like the new

candidate. And um so the joke was going

to be that I come in like [ __ ] [ __ ] I'm

Barack Obama and then he taps me on the

shoulder with his mask and takes mask

off and everybody goes oh my god it's

the real Barack Obama. So we did that at

dress and that was it.

>> Yeah. He didn't do it to air.

>> We did not do it at air. Thank god. Um

>> why do we know why?

>> I do. I mean I did not have a take on

Barack Obama at all. I didn't

>> know you know I just remember you were I

was dressed. You were a teeny tiny

tall man. Very tall, handsome man.

>> So fun and stressful to be dressed

exactly like the person you're standing

next.

>> It is so much fun. And I remember the

first time we saw each other was when we

were about to walk out on stage. So at

dress rehearsal, there was like a little

little flag there and door that's

supposed to open. And I'm there waiting

in my little Brooks Brother suit and I

think we like bound my boobs. And I had

um I used to play Scott Joplin and so I

had my Scott Joplin wig on

and I was standing there and then

>> people don't know Maya has the cutest

little tiniest little legs from knee

down it's like knee down it's like a

little

>> little toothick

>> teeny tiny toothpick. Look at those

little legs from knee down. So cute.

>> Stretch

little to three.

>> Teeny tiny teeny tiny

>> just from the knee down.

>> They're like like breakable, I think.

>> I know. They're so little. So, you had

your little suit on.

>> My little suit on and it was teeny tiny.

And then he came over and here's the

thing. I didn't it was written then I

didn't have a good impression like I was

sort of like I'm Barack Obama

and um so I was standing there and then

he came over and I said well what do you

think

and all he said to me was

I don't wear a three button suit.

>> Damn.

>> I still don't know what that means. It's

like it's like guy that's like a guy

knowledge thing.

Sounds like flirting to me.

>> Just kidding.

>> No, I'm not. I I will take that. I've

I've gotten two two tonight and I'm

taking them home with me. I'm taking

them into the spank bank tonight.

>> Um,

>> speaking of spank bank, Ron Funches, so

great.

>> So spank bankable.

>> So spank bankable. And he has three

questions for you. Let me give you the

first one which is

speaking of standing next to someone

that you play. You were so incredible

when you were playing Kla Harris and it

was such an exciting time to watch you

play and for Dana Carvey to be playing

Joe like it was just very exciting.

>> The world was watching. There was this

feeling

>> of like here we go again. And that's the

SNL at its best, I think, when the when

the world is

>> on the same vibe as the show and the

political uh imp like impersonations. We

>> I mean, it's one of the best things

about,

>> you know, the our tenure there is that

more and more women we were we got to

play because more and more women were

were were candidates at the time. And

Kamla was such a um incredible

um you did an inc great take on her. you

were so good and you got to do stuff

with her. Ron's question is a good one

which is like how what do you do with

all of that energy and feeling when it

goes away when you know it she doesn't

win?

>> There was definitely especially after

the first election. Um

I remember even talking about it with

our friends saying like I'm you know

when we heard this was happening again

like I'm scared to be hopeful. You know,

we were nervous about

opening that vulnerability and opening

up our hearts to like could something

good happen cuz it's been such a [ __ ]

storm. Um,

and a rat [ __ ] of a of a

time. Um,

I uh I chose to especially because she

came to the show and that that

electricity alone just propelled this

idea of

I'm going to allow myself to be hopeful.

I hadn't felt hope in a very long time

when it came to this this um subject.

and she made me feel hopeful even if it

was a dream even though I got to be

honest it didn't feel like it it felt

real but she's really good at what she

does and she makes you feel like it's

going to be okay truly she was saying

things like this country really needs to

heal which I mean now we really need

like a [ __ ] we need some sage

um I mean it's so bad. Amy,

>> yeah,

>> we don't have to go. But what I was

going to say, what do you do with the

feeling?

>> Okay, so and I, by the way, I haven't

let go of it either, is that knowing

that I can still be hopeful even when

I'm scared actually was really

incredible.

>> Ah, I see.

>> And it was something that I I shared

with quite a few people the night before

the election, after the election, is

being hopeful is a good thing. even if

you even if you lose being hopeful is

for you

that I was really surprised I was I

allowed myself to feel because I felt I

felt like um and in case anyone's

wondering yes I wanted her to win but

what I'm

>> but but I

God you know listen just to rewind a

little bit I all the time that we worked

at the show I never expected to play

anyone that was running for president

ever,

>> right?

>> You know, and this was such a natural

path,

>> which is the best kind. And especially

when you're no longer working on the

show and they say and you hear people

saying like they should call you and

then Lauren calls you.

>> It feels very like Avengers Assemble,

right? It's such a cool It's like Maya,

we need you.

>> You're like pulling on your pants.

trying on all of your wigs.

>> Yeah.

>> And it and it's exciting to be and and I

think it helped me filter all my rage,

my anxiety about the all of it.

>> It was so great to have something to do.

>> Yeah.

>> And and I service.

>> Yeah. And it felt like being of service

and then sometimes I'd say like I mean

it doesn't really affect the election

and I was like why doesn't it? I like

being part of the conversation.

>> Yeah. Okay. especially some of the

relief because we needed some relief.

>> And also Maya, you bring up a beautiful

obvious but yet not often discussed

point which is

>> you looked like the candidate and

candidates didn't look like you.

>> Yeah. And that was for me like the

biggest part of it is that all the years

that we worked on the show, it wasn't

like when are they going to call me? I

was like, there's not going to be anyone

>> that looks like me running for president

in my

>> time at this show ever. I'm I couldn't

imagine.

>> And to

play someone that looks like me running

for president of the United States was

wild.

>> Wild.

>> And I'm like you. I'm like, you know,

we're those people that can do anything

on the show and we're like, put me in,

coach. I want to do that. I want to do

that. I want to do that. I just didn't.

There are some things naturally that you

don't get the opportunity because you

don't resemble the person and that's

just the way that it is. I mean, you

have to understand like, and you know

this about me, I played so many

different kinds of people on the show.

And

>> I think it's because I just believe I

can be anyone. And I don't even know

like

>> I don't know. That's more just me and

how I've always just been in the world.

and something that probably came out of

me from being a kid. And um I don't even

know

I don't even know if that's allowed

anymore, you know, in a lot of ways. Um

>> but in the best way possible, like it it

was just more like I just do what feels

natural or funny or right, which is why

it was always fine. But I don't know. I

don't know how I got so lucky. Um it was

a really exciting thing to be a part of.

And then the the other part of it was

the Dana Carvey part of it because

>> because I think for us anyway, our

generation, Dana Carvey was I mean that

was the era that I started watching SNL

>> and they say like your you know a lot of

people one of the theories is like your

favorite cast is when you were in high

school and that cast was

>> the dream. I mean, I fell in love with

so many of the casts, but him and Mike

Myers and Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman, I

I really

didn't realize how much of them that I

took with me. And when we came off stage

after that first time and Dana did

something and he he turned on a little

sauce like on the air and was being a

little goofy and having fun. He said, "I

just like to do that. I like to I like

to make the other person part of it and

I like to have fun and it's infectious.

And I realized while he was singing in

that moment is that's why I that's what

I like to do and I think I got it from

him.

>> I couldn't believe it.

>> Very cool.

>> It was really cool.

>> That's very cool.

>> And you know, I feel like we shared a

similar feeling when we did Bronx Beat

with Mike Meyers for the SNL 50th

>> because we were huge fans of Linda

Richmond and Coffee Talk. Oh my god.

>> And we did a little what the kids would

call a mashup.

>> Yep.

>> And we smooshed everybody together. And

>> I mean that's that was also like the

most exciting dream is like SNL 50th. I

was like I want to be with my heroes and

and that was truly the mashup. That was

really exciting.

>> That was cool.

>> It really was.

>> And um and and and I'll finish the and

there's so I mean I could talk to you

forever about all your characters, you

know.

>> You don't have to.

Beyonce and Whitney Houston and Donna

Teler Versace and I mean just you just

did so many and just so also so many

small dumb people with weird names and

just

>> those are my favorites and you and I

both share a love for dumb dum dums.

>> God dum dum dums. So who was your what

was the favorite wig you ever wore?

>> Oh my god. There was a wig that really

like it made the rounds. I think my

Leilani wig became a pet psychic became

um

who was the lady. She was a fake Charro.

She was a redheaded Charo.

>> Oh yeah.

>> Fiesta Politico.

>> Fiesta Politico.

Um Yeah. And she was like she kind of

had like Amy, she had your color hair.

>> Yeah.

>> She had like a beautiful red, a vibrant

red.

>> A vibrant red. Perhaps a little bit of a

strawberry blonde. Um

>> her name was Rebecca. Her name was

Rebecca.

>> Good job, Maya.

>> Thank you.

>> Yes, I remembered something. Um, yes, I

remember that cuz I remember Well, I'm

not going to tell this story. Can you

cut it?

>> Can we cut it? Probably not. I'll

whisper it.

Hello.

You cannot tell that story.

Absolutely not. I'm sweating. Just you

and you.

Oh my god, I'm sweating. I'm sweating.

You talk to me. Woo. Sorry guys.

>> Can we talk about flirting more? I

didn't get to like sleep with anybody at

SNL.

>> I know. I'm sorry.

>> Poor me.

>> ANYBODY GOT A TIME MACHINE?

>> I know. Why didn't I like flirt with

people? I'm bad at flirting.

>> That

>> I'm bad at it.

>> I agree.

>> Yeah.

>> I can't read it.

>> You don't read it. And I'm saying that

everyone was in love with you. Every

Yes. didn't have that experience. But

that's why I'm I'm bringing it up

because the way you said it earlier, I

knew that's what you were saying was

like you

>> you didn't know, dummy.

>> Yeah.

>> I didn't.

>> You could have

wo is me. Nobody likes me.

>> And there was like 10 like howling dogs

outside your window every night.

>> Not one. Are you going home? I need a

need help.

>> That didn't happen.

I did go on one date when I was there

with somebody that you know and he took

me to see a show um called Puppetry of

the Penis.

>> Sure.

>> So,

>> you can't tell that story either.

>> Um

I should try to ask a question. Um,

and we're and we're and

okay, I'll just say that in the in the

vein of you being a natural and you

being musically gifted in every way,

like you know, Maya was, you know, we

would have musical guests come on and

then Maya would sing in a sketch and

we'd be like, Maya's better than the

than the multi-platinum singer. Um, but

do you think that there's some rhythm

that's important to have for both comedy

and music? And like what do what do you

think why do you think you need both?

Like why do you think they're such like

loving cousins?

>> They're cousins. I love this topic so

much because I can't really truly

define why. I think there is a language

to both of them. I think that there's an

incredible inherent

um ability to them. Some people are just

musically gifted. Um those people are

musically gifted. I know that for a

fact.

>> And and and and

that's why you always hear about

musicians

quoting Spinal Tap on their tour bus

like they want to be in some way.

Musicians want to be comedians and

comedians want to be musicians. and

sometimes they're both. Um,

but they they live together. There's and

and it's such a mutual appreciations

admiration society, you know. Um,

>> but they're also like an incredible

skill and and when you're good at it,

like you can't fake it,

>> you know? you do great musicians don't I

mean I I also like had this funny

I don't know what growing up because I

was so surrounded by music because my

parents were musicians that and we saw a

lot of music too or we had friends that

were musicians and music was just very

music was very normal

>> in my house like that's just the best

way to describe it like it was it was

normal and um sometimes I'd watch people

on stage and I'd think I'm I'm that's

what I want to do. Like I could see

like I I could just imagine doing it and

then I'd see somebody funny and I was

like that's what I want to do and I'd

sort of like vacasillate between the

two. But um here I go. I can't remember

what I was saying. Um I think I think

it's a fascinating um love story, comedy

and music. And I think that when I think

about some of the best people, I do

think it's something that you really

when people are naturally good at it,

there's nothing better.

>> And I think I like to we all know Maya,

you know, in another life has is married

to Prince in another life.

>> And you're hu you're you're in the band

Princess. You you know Yes. And uh

Prince, you know, you had the

>> um pleasure to meet him and

>> um and you love him and um

>> he you like to talk about how funny

Prince was.

>> So funny. Oh my god, so funny.

>> Can you tell us a joke that Prince told

you or something funny or a funny moment

with Prince?

>> He did tell me a joke once, but I didn't

understand it.

>> You're not supposed to.

I'm thinking about when Fred Armison and

you would do Beyonce and Prince and

Prince would hide the whole time.

>> Oh my god, Prince was always hiding.

That was again like the best thing about

that sketch was the fact that we loved

Prince so much that we understood it and

so it was just like getting to do it. It

wasn't like, "Isn't this funny?"

>> Yeah,

>> he's short.

>> Yeah.

>> I hate that so much.

>> And you felt that way about Beyonce.

Like the same with Beyonce, like such

reverence for her.

>> Well, yeah, because the other thing is

like I never I don't know how you feel

about doing impressions of people, but

I'm not an impressionist. And we've

talked so many times about different

personality. There's so many different

types of people that work at Saturday

Night Live specifically. Some people are

impressionists, some people are

stand-up, some people are sketch

performers. Um, and some impressionists,

they can be very specific personalities.

I'm not an impressionist, but I feel

like when I do an impression, it comes

from watching someone. And I'm watching

them because I'm fascinated. I'm

interested. I'm excited by them. So, I

think I'm picking up in the same way

that like you tell a story and you use

the person's voice like whatever. But

like, but but joking aside, like when I

tell a story, I I usually imitate the

person.

>> But I think it's cuz I'm interested. I'm

I don't know. I can hear it. Yeah.

>> I also think I'm a little bit of a

parrot to go back to the

the comedy uh music thing.

>> Well, that's what I would just say is

that I feel like you have a sense of

time. Like uh we you know when we

started with you singing the national

anthem,

you took you take your time with that.

You know when to go fast and be like

Whitney talking to Bobby Brown really

fast and you know how to go really slow

>> and it's like you know the rhythm, the

in between of stuff. Like that's part of

the magic of you I think Maya is the way

in which you can

>> uh change the the the tempo of the stuff

that you do really naturally and

everybody's just like you just you have

the rhythm that everybody you like you

are the song everybody wants to hear.

>> It's like we love your song like you are

you have that.

>> Okay. So we're going to the speed round.

>> Okay.

>> Okay.

>> Here we go.

>> Here we go. Do you like scary movies?

>> Nope.

>> Great.

>> Favorite thing to cook?

>> Oh,

pancakes. Silver Dollar pancakes.

>> What happened to your finger?

>> I [ __ ] cut it on Thanksgiving making

stuffing.

>> Oh,

>> I sliced the [ __ ] out of it.

It really hurts.

>> Do you like going to Disneyland?

>> Yep, I do. What's your favorite part?

>> What kind of Disney adult are you?

>> And by the way, I know you love me

because you're asking me this question

because you do not like Disneyland.

>> Oopsie.

>> And I was born in Gainesville, Florida,

even though I've lived here since I was

one. Other than the time that I spent

New York, Gainesville got a whoop. Is

somebody from Gainesville? You're from

Gainesville?

>> Wow.

>> Wow.

>> Hi.

You, me, Tom Petty, and Walkin Phoenix.

What if we looked out in the audience

and it was just a crocodile?

>> I actually have not been back to

Gainesville. Do you got Do you want to

go with me after the show?

>> My speed round.

>> Okay. Sorry.

>> Um

>> I probably have ADD, but I was never

tested.

>> That's okay. Um are big pants still in?

>> What do you mean by big pants?

>> You tell me. I mean, yeah, whatever.

>> I feel like these are big pants.

>> Yeah, big pants are still in. I go to

Maya for all my fashion. I love fashion.

>> You love fashion.

>> I love it.

>> You love fashion.

>> I've always loved it.

>> Um, best thing about Hanukkah?

>> Lodkas.

>> Lodkas. This This episode's going to be

coming out close to Hanukkah.

>> I love sour cream and applesauce on my

Lodkas.

>> And um, how's your dog, Leroy?

>> He's great. Thank you for asking.

>> What kind of dog is he?

>> He's probably a golden doodle. We were

told he was a standard poodle when we

rescued him.

For those listening, Maya did that in

quotes

>> with a bandaged finger.

>> I mean, I think he's a rescue. He was He

and his siblings and his mom and dad

were all living in a you know what do

you call it? A crate or whatever. And

>> you you think he's faking being a

rescue?

>> No. Well,

he was like, "Oh, my leg."

>> He He showed up at your door. Dingdong.

>> Uh, hey. Um,

me and my family are uh kind of

homeless.

>> Our car broke down on the side of the

road.

>> You got jumper cables?

>> No, it's just that we we we got them

from a rescue place. There's a lot of

rescue places and I Yeah. So, I mean,

whatever you pay like But you got to pay

to make sure they're healthy and

whatever. And I It's the best [ __ ]

money I've spent. I [ __ ] love that

dog.

Um, I have a I have another dog named

Daisy.

>> And tell us about Daisy.

>> Daisy just got attacked by two coyotes

and now she's okay. She I know.

>> In your yard.

>> In my yard.

>> Did you see it?

>> No, but my daughter did. It was really

bad.

>> Daisy.

>> Daisy is a [ __ ] warrior.

>> Yeah, Daisy. Daisy survived.

>> Daisy survived.

>> [ __ ] those coyotes.

>> [ __ ] those coyotes. I know. And they

have they're kind of dicks. Like when I

see

>> these are dicks,

>> don't you? You gray. I feel like when I

look at them, they're like, "Sup,

what they do? They just stand there like

sup." I'm like, "No, get the [ __ ] out of

here man."

I I mean, I don't know. I

Right.

>> Coyote.

>> They're so rude.

>> Oh, rude. And they're really They just

>> They're like the They're like the Lost

Boys. THEY'RE LIKE

THEY ARE.

>> What's up?

>> You got any bread?

>> You guys have cereal?

>> Get the [ __ ] out of here, man. Nobody

invited you in into my yard.

Get out of my yard, dicks.

>> Oh my god. The Lost Boys.

>> I don't know why that was my reference.

>> And then um the last thing I want to ask

you about is um

>> I love fast questions. I'm sorry I

didn't. This is fun.

>> Um, your astrological signs,

>> Leo.

>> Yeah.

>> Um,

>> and I don't remember my um, what's it

called?

>> It's a seven. I've told you so many

times.

>> That's so many times I've told you.

>> And you told me that I'm a seven cuz I

don't remember that I'm a seven.

>> Well, it's about fun. Sevens love to

have fun. Uh oh.

I mean, let's be clear. I like to have

fun with you. There's plenty of people

I'm do not have fun with.

>> Yeah, for sure. I mean, we have a lot of

fun. We've had a lot of a lot of fun.

>> We have fun.

>> We have fun.

>> Um and then, um Ron brought this

question up, but I think it's a

beautiful Well, first of all, um he'd

like to know if Loot is if Loot is

coming back. And congratulations on

another season. Thank you. Thank you.

It was a fun season and I love working

with Ron so much and I love um that he

wants to come back to his job. Isn't

that a nice thing when people are like I

want to come back to my job and

>> Yeah. What's great about working with

Ron?

>> Oh my god. I always say Ron is like

human mochi. He's like, well, the sound

of his voice, but like he's a genuinely

good human being and it's very I was in

love with Ron's work and I just wanted

him to be on my show. I just I didn't

know him. I just wanted to work with him

and um there's nobody like him and he's

sensitive and kind and he cares. He

cares about where he is and who he's

with. And he is so singularly

himself

and so funny. I just I love I love who

he is. I just love him.

>> But Ron asks you how how do you do it,

Maya? How do you balance it? How do you

And what I think is uh lovely about that

question and behind it is what we were

talking about um earlier which is

the idea of kind of like figuring out

the art you know being an architect of

your own life trying to figure out what

like what's important to you how to have

a full life. We're, you know, all of us

are lucky enough now to have been

friends for 20, 30 years. And like

we're, you know, some of us are blessed

with children and lives and figuring out

how to work and be a good mom and good

partner and and

I just I I have to say that like being

in your presence as as as you mother is

pretty amazing. you're a fantastic

mother and

>> um you have wonderful kids and I mean I

know it's so important to you like I

knew that was a really really

important thing for you to accomplish in

this time around is being a mother

>> what is what is it how has it changed

your life

>> I remember so

you know I I became a mother while we

were still working on the show when we

were still at Saturday Night Live and

none of my friends there had kids. That

was wild because you go from one

lifestyle and you're watching all your

friends go out and have fun and you're

over here like my I got to get up with

my baby. But thank God it it taught me

to let go of things that I really needed

to let go of. And I I called it, you

know, my [ __ ] meter and just it just

everything that wasn't important just

fell away. there was no time. You have

to keep a human being alive.

>> And um and a human being that you're so

in love with and

it just really helped me. I I I tend to

be someone who can get caught up in the

minutia and I and I worry too much about

pleasing people, making sure I'm polite,

um doing the right thing. I always felt

like I was a very good student when it

came to being at at SNL. And if I had to

do it all over again, I'd I'd want to be

a [ __ ] rebel.

>> Yeah.

>> Um but I wasn't, you know, and I I I

wanted to do it right, which which got

in my way a lot to be honest. Um and

then after I had Pearl and I didn't know

whether I'd come back to the show or

not. I wanted to be with you guys so

much. And it's also so fascinating that

such a hard job is actually a welcome

thing after having a baby. I really just

was like I I because you you say to

yourself like, "Oh, I know how to do

that." And even though you're juggling

something else, I learned the lesson of

if I'm doing something I love, then

that's a good reason to say good night

to her and go to work, you know, or or

give her a bath and say like, "I can't

be here for bedtime or whatever and go

to work because I loved what I was

doing." And sometimes, as you know, when

you're traveling for work and your kids

are little and you have to leave and you

knowing that you're going somewhere that

you love or doing something you love

makes it

more worthwhile. Not to say I've never

worked on things I don't love. I have,

you know, we all have to make a living

and um that can be really tough, too.

But it made me make a mental note of

what works for me.

>> Um, and so I try to seek those moments

out when I can as as often as I can. And

we don't always have the opportunities,

>> but um, it definitely changed how I

viewed work. And I think it's why I did

the national anthem. I think I like

loosened up a little bit. And that was

that was when I came back to work after

Pearl was born. Yeah.

>> Well, we're very lucky that we got to

see you work in real time and I think I

can speak for all of us that like we

know there's so much stuff always ahead

with you. Like Maya, everything you do

is just

>> [ __ ] delight. Sorry I swore. I don't

know why I swore.

>> I liked it.

>> Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for

Maya Rudolph.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and

me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by

The Ringer and Paperkite. For The

Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat

Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xanerys.

for Paperkite. Production by Sam Green,

Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

>> Was a really good Hey