Maya Rudolph teased her return to Saturday Night Live, nearly two decades after her eighth and final season as a full-time cast member.
While her presence has been greatly missed since she left the NBC late-night sketch show in 2007, the Bridesmaids star, 51, joked that she never really left.
In a promo ahead of this week’s episode, Andrew Dismukes and Chloe Troast discover the actress hiding in a closet after hearing strange laughter behind a door while walking through the halls of 30 Rock.
After seeing the couple’s surprised expressions, in response to seeing her sitting alone in a dimly lit room holding a bowl of oatmeal, Rudolph says, ‘Oh, hello. I wasn’t expecting visitors.
Maya Rudolph teased her return to Saturday Night Live, nearly two decades after her eighth and final season as a full-time cast member.
When asked how long she had been there, the mother of four revealed that she “never left.”
‘Why would I leave? I have everything I need here. My books, my porridge and my dear friend Kenny,” she explained.
To Dismukes and Troast’s horror, their friend Kenny turned out to be a bug-eyed mop.
Troast reminds Rudolph of her hosting duties this week, prompting her to ask the duo to close the door so she can “cool off.”
By the time Dismukes and Troast turn around, Rudolph is fully dressed and ready on the other side of the door.
‘Hi guys! See you Saturday,” Rudolph tells the SNL stars after catching them off guard.
As Rudolph presents for the third time, Vampire Weekend will perform as musical guests.
Previously, Rudolph was a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 2000 to 2007.
While her presence has been greatly missed since she left the NBC late-night sketch show in 2007, the Bridesmaids star, 51, joked that she never really left.
In a promo ahead of this week’s episode, Andrew Dismukes and Chloe Troast discover the actress hiding in a closet after hearing strange laughter behind a door while walking through the halls of 30 Rock.
After seeing the couple’s surprised expressions, in response to seeing her sitting alone in a dimly lit location holding a bowl of oatmeal, Rudolph says, ‘Oh, hello. I wasn’t expecting visitors.
After explaining to him that he had no reason to come out of the closet, where he has everything he needs, including his dear friend Kenny, who turned out to be a bug-eyed mop.
Troast reminds Rudolph of her hosting duties this week, prompting her to ask the duo to close the door so she can “cool off.”
During her time on the series, she became known for her hysterical impressions of celebrities, from Beyoncé to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Before joining the cast of SNL, Rudolph was improvising in high school with his former classmate Jack Black at their high school, Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California.
“My theater teacher brought us together and was my improv coach for an improv competition we did,” he recalled on The Drew Barrymore Show last month.
“And he got me into improv class and took me to my first Groundlings show, which is where I ended up,” Rudolph added.
She praised Black “as the most inspiring,” noting that he transferred to her school when he was a sophomore and she was in eighth grade.
“First of all, you have to understand something about Jack,” he said. ‘Jack has been the same person since the day I met him. Exactly the same person.
‘He’s just that guy. He’s just special,” Rudolph added.
Before joining the cast of SNL, Rudolph was improvising in high school with his former classmate Jack Black at their high school, Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California (seen in 2015).
The Loot star previously said Vulture she “always had a crush” on Black when they were in school.
“He was like the god of theater at my school,” she explained in 2014. “He was Pippin when we did Pippin. I was just one of the choir in a monkey.
He also recalled that trip to the Groundlings, which occurred in his VW vehicle.
‘He taught me how to drive with a stick shift. I know it sounds horrible. He wasn’t meant to do it,” Rudolph said.
Rudolph and Black also went to school with Gwyneth Paltrow, with whom they both remain friends (Paltrow and Black starred together in 2001’s Shallow Hal).
Paltrow, 51, revealed the connection when she hosted SNL in 2001, during Rudolph’s second season as a cast member.
Rudolph and Black also went to school with Gwyneth Paltrow, with whom they both remain friends.
“I hosted once before, but this week has been very special for me because one of my best friends is now on the show and I’m so proud of her,” Paltrow said in her opening monologue.
“We’ve known each other since we were 7 years old and she’s super fun and talented, and I’m so glad she’s in the cast,” she added of Rudolph.
They revealed that their parents are also best friends and have known each other since college.
Other notable Crossroads alumni include Kate Hudson, Jonah Hill, Maude Apatow, Sean Astin, Michael Bay, Gary Coleman, Emily and Zooey Deschanel.
