Maya Rudolph American actress and comedian Date of Birth: 27.07.1972 Country: USA

1. Maya Rudolph - American Actress and Comedian
2. Early Life and Family
3. Career

Maya Rudolph - American Actress and Comedian

Maya Habira Rudolph was born on July 27, 1972, in Gainesville, Florida, USA. She is an American actress and comedian, best known for her role as a former cast member of the popular NBC television show "Saturday Night Live".

Early Life and Family

Maya is the daughter of African-American soul singer Minnie Riperton and Jewish musician and producer Richard Rudolph. Maya was present in the studio with her mother on the day the song "Lovin' You" was recorded. Her parents intentionally recorded this hit as a lullaby for their beloved daughter. Towards the end of the track, Minnie can be heard singing "Maya, Maya, Maya". However, on July 12, 1979, Riperton passed away from cancer, shortly after Maya's seventh birthday.

Growing up, Maya attended Santa Monica High School in California, and later pursued her education at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In 1995, she graduated from Porter College with a Bachelor's degree in Photography.

Career

In the late 1990s, Maya joined the popular television show "Saturday Night Live" as a cast member, after previously being a member of the improv group "The Groundlings". On NBC, Maya portrayed characters such as prosecutor Glenda Goodwin and Megan from the sketch "Wake Up, Wakefield!". She also parodied various famous personalities including Oprah Winfrey, Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton, Liza Minnelli, Whitney Houston, designer Donatella Versace, and many others.

After taking a maternity leave, Maya returned to "Saturday Night Live" in February 2006. She frequently showcased her musical talents on the show and excelled in her portrayal of Beyoncé Knowles in one of the sketches. Maya's ability to impersonate various ethnic groups, including light-skinned Barbara Streisand and Lisa Kudrow, Asian women Lucy Liu and Lisa Ling, dark-skinned Diana Ross, and half-Irish, half-Ecuadorian Christina Aguilera, further showcased her chameleon-like talents. She also successfully impersonated several men, including Scott Joplin, Justin Guarini, and Mario Vazquez.

Maya has appeared in several television series, including "City of Angels", "Hope & Faith", and "Up All Night". She has also had minor roles in Hollywood films such as "Chuck & Buck", "Gattaca", "Duplex", "Duets", and "Away We Go". Her breakthrough role came in 2006 when she starred in Robert Altman's musical "A Prairie Home Companion" while she was pregnant. Prior to that, she had landed a leading role in Mike Judge's sci-fi comedy "Idiocracy" alongside Luke Wilson, but the film was delayed and had a limited release. Maya has also voiced the character of Rapunzel in the animated film "Shrek the Third" and portrayed Athena Skuberman in the TV series "Kath & Kim". Recently, she completed filming the dramedy film "Away We Go" with actor John Krasinski.

Currently, Maya plans to continue voicing Rapunzel in "Shrek Forever After" and make an appearance in the TV series "Buddies". Before her career on "Saturday Night Live", Maya briefly served as a keyboardist and backing vocalist for the band "The Rentals". Recently, she recorded several tracks with "The Rentals" frontman Matt Sharp.

Maya Rudolph resides with director Paul Thomas Anderson and their two daughters, Pearl Bailey and Lucille.