Maya Rudolph never thought she would play a presidential candidate on “Saturday Night Live.”
Returning to the NBC sketch show to play former Vice President Kamala Harris allowed her to have hope again before President Donald Trump’s second win last November, she told Amy Poehler at a live taping of her podcast “Good Hang” at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles.
“Especially because [Harris] came to the show, that electricity alone just propelled this idea of, I’m going to allow myself to be hopeful,” Rudolph said. “I hadn’t felt hope in a very long time when it came to this subject and she made me feel hopeful.”
The “Loot” star joked that in case anyone was confused she wanted her to win: “Duh.” She added that it felt vulnerable to wish that “something good” could happen, referencing a Harris win and the potential of the first female U.S. president.
“Knowing that I can still be hopeful even when I’m scared, actually, was really incredible,” she said. “It was something that I shared with quite a few people the night before the election and after the election. Being hopeful is a good thing, even if you lose, even if someone cheats and wins, even if, whatever it is, it doesn’t even matter. Being hopeful is for you.”
Rudolph added that representing the then Democratic presidential candidate on “SNL” helped her filter her rage and anxiety into her work. She also felt like she was of service to Harris’ campaign in some way. The “Bridesmaids” star said that Harris often made her feel like it was going to be OK.
“I mean now we really need a f–king – we need some sage,” she joked.
“We need some crystals,” Poehler added.
“We need some crystal meth,” Rudolph quipped.
The “Grown Ups” actress added that working so closely with Dana Carvey, who played former President Joe Biden when she played Harris, was a dream in itself.
“When we came off stage after that first time, Dana did something and he turned on a little sauce, like on the air, and was being a little goofy and having fun,” she remembered. “I realized, while he was saying it in that moment, that’s what I like to do. And I got it from him, I couldn’t believe it.”
Poehler and Rudolph also remembered their days on the sketch show together, crying, laughing and cracking backs in each other’s writing offices. Rudolph started on the series three shows before the end of Season 26. Poehler joked that the “Bridesmaids” star did not even audition for the gig.
“I don’t love that I didn’t audition,” she said. “I said to Lorne very recently, if I had auditioned, I probably wouldn’t have even been on the show. I didn’t have a very good audition ready to go.”
Rudolph’s episode of “Good Hang With Amy Poehler” is available now.
