Transcript

Maya Rudolph (Live) | Good Hang with Amy Poehler

From Good Hang with Amy Poehler · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 1 h 23 min · 13,963 words · 298 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Maya Rudolph (Live) | Good Hang with Amy Poehler", an episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler published December 11, 2025 (1 h 23 min, about 13,963 words). It mentions 173 people, works and ideas, including Maya Rudolph, SNL, Saturday Night Live, Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live.

What this episode is about

Maya Rudolph joins Amy Poehler for a lively event at the Fonda Theater, where they celebrate friendship and creativity while highlighting Walmart Express Delivery's ability to make holiday shopping effortless. The evening features music from Amy Miles and invites attendees to enjoy the moment, emphasizing the joy of connection during festive times.

Key takeaways

  • Walmart ditched elves; try their magic carpet for gifts in an hour—no sleigh required!
  • Forget Santa, order until 5 PM on Dec 24th. Procrastinators, rejoice, but hope availability's kind.
  • Amy Poehler vibes: breaking phones and time curfews as she apologizes for the 8 PM surprise.
  • PayPal's friendly twist—'PayPal My Pal'—because even financial transactions need a buddy system.
  • Maya Rudolph guests sneakily; secrets slip through door cracks like whispers in a comedy club.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 10:00: Good Hang, Good Hang, Good Hang, PayPal
  2. – 20:00: Pilates, Saturday Night Live, SNL, Saturday Night Live
  3. – 30:00: national anthem, PayPal, PayPal, PayPal
  4. – 40:00: Groundlings, Groundlings, national anthem, Emily Spivey
  5. – 50:00: Groundlings, Groundlings, The Gong Show, The Gong Show
  6. – 1:00:00: Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Barack Obama
  7. – 1:10:00: Mr. President, Beyonce, Beyoncé, Dana Carvey
  8. – 1:20:00: Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live, SNL
  9. – 1:23:01: Amy Polar, Maya Rudolph, SNL, Amy Miles

Notable quotes from "Maya Rudolph (Live) | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"

  • Hello. Welcome to the Fonda Theater. I am Amy Polar. We are so excited that you're here tonight.
    about Amy Poehler · at
  • 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.
    about Saturday Night Live · at
  • Student California's own biggest comedy hit MVP of SNL till the end of time. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Maya Rudolph.
    about Maya Rudolph · at
  • Yeah. 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?
    about Groundlings · at
  • Well, that was the thing. When Maya arrived to SNL, there was like East Coast, West Coast people.
    about SNL · at
  • 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?
    about SNL · at
  • It was a fun season and I love working with Ron so much and I love 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.
    about Loot · at
  • Your life I remember so you know 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.
    about SNL · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Maya Rudolph — Person · Main guest · 3 mentions · first at
    Primary interview subject discussing her career, experiences at SNL, and personal life.
  • Amy Poehler — Person · Host · 2 mentions · first at
    Hosts the live episode, introduces guests/segments, and leads the interview with Maya Rudolph.
  • Amy Polar — Person · Host (live event host for Good Hang Live) · 4 mentions · first at
    Emcee for the live Good Hang event episode; opens the show and moderates segments with guests.
    Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Good Hang.
  • Ron Funches — Person · Guest (comedian) / interviewee earlier in the episode · 3 mentions · first at
    Appears as a stage guest who speaks about touring and his relationship with Maya; introduced and interviewed on stage.
    Thank you. Ron Funches, thank you for doing this. You're a total delight.
  • Amy Miles — Person · Theme song performer / musician on episode · 2 mentions · first at
    Performed the Good Hang theme song at the live taping and is introduced as an 'incredible musician' in the episode.
    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,.
  • Dana Carvey — Person · Referenced SNL peer / impersonation collaborator · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as an SNL alumnus and as someone who performed opposite Maya during political impersonation sketches (Dana as Joe Biden).
    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…
  • Kamal Harris — Person · Impersonation subject / topical reference · 1 mention · first at
    Referenced as a figure Maya Rudolph impersonated on SNL; discussed in relation to emotional impact and public reaction.
    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?
  • Mr. President — Person · Referenced figure · 5 mentions · first at
    Maya Rudolph discusses her admiration for Prince and their interactions.
    And I think I like to we all know Maya, in another life has is married to Prince in another life.
  • Barack Obama — Person · Referenced public figure / anecdote subject · 4 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in anecdotes about SNL sketches and masks; discussed in context of sketches where cast interacted with or impersonated him.
    Do you want to tell everyone the first time you met Barack Obama and who you were dressed as?
  • Emily Spivey — Person · Peer / former SNL writer colleague · 3 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as part of Maya's Groundlings/SNL peer group and as someone who shared an office with Maya; credited as a collaborator.
    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 it looked out over the Empire State Building and.
  • Beyonce — Person · Referenced figure · 3 mentions · first at
    Maya Rudolph discusses her impressions of Beyonce on SNL.
    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.
  • Barack Obama — Person · Referenced public figure (anecdote subject) · 4 mentions · first at
    Mentioned in a story about Maya Rudolph meeting him at SNL while she was dressed as characters (including a sketch where she was dressed as Obama).
    Yes, I would love to. the first time I met Barack Obama when he was running for office, I was dressed as Shirley Mlan and.
  • Barack Obama — Person · Referenced public figure (anecdote subject) · 4 mentions · first at
    Used in an SNL backstage anecdote about meeting him while Maya was in costume; illustrates SNL’s political comedy context and proximity to real-world politics.
    Yes, I would love to. the first time I met Barack Obama when he was running for office, I was dressed as Shirley Mlan and.
  • Barack Obama — Person · Referenced public figure (anecdote subject) · 4 mentions · first at
    Referenced in a story about Maya Rudolph meeting him during an SNL sketch when he was running for office; used to illustrate SNL’s political impersonation culture.
    Yes, I would love to. the first time I met Barack Obama when he was running for office, I was dressed as Shirley Mlan and.
  • Jack Black — Person · Referenced peer / anecdote source · 1 mention · first at
    Referenced as a high-school acquaintance of Maya Rudolph; described admiringly and used as a connective anecdote.
    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.
  • Gwyneth Paltrow — Person · Former schoolmate / anecdote subject · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as someone Maya went to elementary school with (St. Augustine/Crossroads); used as an anecdote about early life and connections.
    Yes. When elementary school. elementary school at Gwynneth Paltro.
  • Mike Myers — Person · Referenced SNL peer / influence · 1 mention · first at
    Referenced among the SNL alumni/influences group that Maya admired and worked alongside in sketch contexts.
    And 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.
  • Fred Armisen — Person · Referenced figure · 3 mentions
    Mentioned by Maya Rudolph in the context of SNL sketches.
  • Jan Hooks — Person · Referenced SNL alum / influence · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned among influential SNL performers that shaped the era and influenced younger comedians including Maya.
    Favorite cast is when you were in high school and that cast was the dream. I fell in love with so many of the casts, but him and Mike Myers and Jan Hooks and Phil Hartman, I really didn't realize how much of them that I.
  • Lily or Amy Miles (theme composer) — Person · Possible credit / theme composer (ambiguous) · 1 mention · first at
    Transcript includes uncertain credit line naming 'Lily or Amy Miles' as theme composer; likely refers to Amy Miles (credited elsewhere) but ambiguity remains.
  • David Wayne — Person · Supporting musician (mentioned in intro) · 2 mentions · first at
    Named by Amy Miles as part of the live theme-song performance lineup (“on the drums”), contributing to the show’s opening musical segment.
    Quick Wedwin and Mr. David Wayne on the drums.
  • Daisy — Person · 8 mentions
  • Beyoncé — Person · 3 mentions · first at
    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.
  • Emily Spivey — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    I had the most unbelievable group of people. so our beloved dear friend Emily Spivey, who we wrote with for many, many years at SNL. I met Emily there. my friend Nat Faxton, who's on loot. my friend Jim Rash, Cheryl Hines,.
  • Whitney Houston — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    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.
  • Dana Carvey — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    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.
  • Bobby McFerrin — Person · 2 mentions
  • Charo — Person · 2 mentions
  • Lucille Ball — Person · 2 mentions
  • Seph Meyers — Person · 2 mentions
  • Storm Leroy — Person · 2 mentions
  • Tina Fey — Person · 2 mentions
  • Mr. Quick Wedwin — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Name is Amy Miles. I'm so happy to be here. I am so honored to be here and I am here with my beautiful friends Mr.
  • Abby Howard — Person · 1 mention · first at
    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.
  • Vivian Vance — Person · 1 mention · first at
    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…
  • Pamela Bell — Person · 1 mention · first at
    My character Pamela Bell. Let's be clear. you know what? I rarely all the time that we were at SNL, I rarely had good ideas.
  • Cameron Winter — Person · 1 mention · first at
  • Cheryl Hines — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Emily there. my friend Nat Faxton, who's on loot. my friend Jim Rash, Cheryl Hines, Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falconee, oh my god, who am I forgetting?
  • Jim Rash — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Emily there. my friend Nat Faxton, who's on loot. my friend Jim Rash, Cheryl Hines, Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falconee, oh my god, who am I forgetting?
  • Melissa McCarthy — Person · 1 mention · first at
    My friend Nat Faxton, who's on loot. my friend Jim Rash, Cheryl Hines, Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falconee, oh my god, who am I forgetting?

Companies & orgs

  • Saturday Night Live — Company · Referenced show · 5 mentions · first at
    Mentioned multiple times as a significant part of Maya Rudolph's career and a topic of discussion regarding her performances and experiences.
    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.
  • SNL — Company · Referenced show · 3 mentions · first at
    Abbreviated mention of Saturday Night Live, reinforcing its significance in the discussion.
  • Groundlings — Company · Training / early career institution · 5 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as the improv/sketch school where Maya and others trained; part of origin stories and network of cast/performers.
  • The Ringer — Company · Producer · 1 mention · first at
    Production company behind the podcast.
    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.
  • Spotify — Company · Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a supporter of the podcast.
    Do our show tonight. we have a few people to thank before we get started and the first is Spotify. Thank you for everything everyone here who works on Good Hang. They're just…
  • Paperkite — Company · Producer · 1 mention · first at
    Production company behind the podcast.
    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.
  • Good Hang — Company · 9 mentions · first at
    This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery. Getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso.
  • Geese — Company · 4 mentions
  • paypal.com/payin4 — Company · 2 mentions · first at
  • The Gong Show — Company · 2 mentions · first at
    Is just like a freak and clearly has such an amazing sense of humor. My brother and I used to watch the Gong Show.
  • walmart.com — Company · 1 mention · first at
  • The Rentals — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Okay. Very excited to introduce our guest this evening. her from, a backup singer for the Rentals.
  • American Idol — Company · 1 mention · first at
    At some point someone was watching I think it was like a rewrite night and American Idol was on and they do these wrap-ups and I think it was like base I don't know world I…
  • Windex — Company · 1 mention · first at
    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.
  • Today Show — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Nights, 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.
  • Funkadelic — Company · 1 mention · first at
    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. like the mothership connection and Motor Booty.
  • Parliament — Company · 1 mention · first at
    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. like the mothership connection and Motor Booty.
  • Make Me Laugh — Company · 1 mention · first at
    And Make Me Laugh. Did you ever watch Make Me Laugh?
  • Paperkite — Company · 1 mention · first at
    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.
  • The Ringer — Company · 1 mention · first at
    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.
  • Brooks Brothers — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

  • Loot — Product · Referenced show · 16 mentions
    Discussed as a show Maya Rudolph stars in, with mentions of her co-star Ron Funches and their chemistry.
  • Loot — Product · Referenced product · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as a show Maya Rudolph and Ron Funches worked on together.
    It was a fun season and I love working with Ron so much and I love 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.
  • Steam Deck — Product · Personal item · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned by Ron Funches as something he brings on tour.
    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 but that's really it. I think that.
  • Barack Obama masks — Product · Cultural prop mentioned in anecdote · 1 mention · first at
    Referenced as a popular item at the time which featured in an SNL backstage anecdote; preserved as product type per rule.
    Barack Obama masks were popular, because it was like the new candidate. And so the joke was going to be that I come in like [ __ ] [ __ ] I'm Barack Obama and then he taps me…
  • latkes — Product · 2 mentions
  • Nespresso machines — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso machines magically appear on your doorstep? And if you do happen…
  • Walmart app — Product · 1 mention · first at
  • Steam Deck — Product · 1 mention · first at
    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…
  • VHS tape — Product · 1 mention · first at
    It was very strange and it was a trial period. I had sent I had sent some VHS tape of some of my sketches to Lauren. I directly to his house.
  • Silver Dollar pancakes — Product · 1 mention · first at
    Oh, pancakes. Silver Dollar pancakes.

Concepts & topics

  • Pilates — Concept · Personal interest · 3 mentions · first at
    Discussed by Ron Funches as part of his routine while on tour.
    Comedian. He's here with me tonight. we bring our video games with us all the time and I usually do a Pilates class wherever I go.
  • Groundlings — Concept · Referenced institution · 4 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as a formative experience for Maya Rudolph in her comedy career.
    I had the most unbelievable group of people. so our beloved dear friend Emily Spivey, who we wrote with for many, many years at SNL. I met Emily there.
  • Good Hang — Concept · 9 mentions · first at
    This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery. Getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso.
  • national anthem — Concept · 7 mentions · first at
    Okay. And let's Will you sing the national anthem for us?
  • Loot — Concept · 5 mentions
  • Enneagram Type 3 — Concept · 4 mentions
  • Pay in 4 — Concept · 3 mentions
  • Bronx Beat — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    I just it's just it was such a moment to be 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.
  • The Gong Show — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Is just like a freak and clearly has such an amazing sense of humor. My brother and I used to watch the Gong Show.
  • Lost Boys — Concept · 2 mentions · first at
    Oh, rude. And they're really They just They're like the They're like the Lost Boys. THEY'RE LIKE THEY ARE.
  • Santa — Concept · 2 mentions
  • Bridesmaids — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Bridesmaids, like to me that was beautiful. It was like it's like a beautiful opera.
  • I Love Lucy — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    On this podcast. I'm a big comedy fan. I have been my whole life. one of my favorite shows is I Love Lucy. Big fan of just Lucil Ball in general. And I always say that working…
  • The Natural — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    And I think they should remake The Natural and they should put Maya in their She's born to do it. she's true Hollywood royalty. And a lot of times, people look at that and they.
  • Hollywood royalty — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Maya in their She's born to do it. she's true Hollywood royalty. And a lot of times, 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.
  • nepotism — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    True Hollywood royalty. And a lot of times, 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…
  • Land Shark — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Probably in their 20s and they were Yeah, they were watching the show and I think I saw the Land Shark is what I remember.
  • fake it till you make it — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Just I tried. But I You didn't want to say how scared you were. And no, fake it till you make it.
  • Mothership Connection — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Mean it's just like the funkiest funk funky funk. like the mothership connection and Motor Booty Affair is one of the albums and the album artwork is insane. George Clinton is…
  • Motor Booty Affair — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Mean it's just like the funkiest funk funky funk. like the mothership connection and Motor Booty Affair is one of the albums and the album artwork is insane. George Clinton is…
  • spank bank — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    I've gotten two tonight and I'm taking them home with me. I'm taking them into the spank bank tonight.
  • Avengers Assemble — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    It feels very like Avengers Assemble, right? It's such a cool It's like Maya, we need you.
  • SNL 50th — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    And 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.
  • Coffee Talk — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    With Mike Meyers for the SNL 50th because we were huge fans of Linda Richmond and Coffee Talk. Oh my god.
  • mashup — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    And we did a little what the kids would call a mashup.
  • Fiesta Politico — Concept · 1 mention · first at
  • Puppetry of the Penis — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    I did go on one date when I was there with somebody that you know and he took me to see a show called Puppetry of the Penis.
  • Spinal Tap — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    That's why you always hear about musicians quoting Spinal Tap on their tour bus like they want to be in some way.
  • Hanukkah — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Lodkas. This episode's going to be coming out close to Hanukkah.
  • golden doodle — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    He's probably a golden doodle. We were told he was a standard poodle when we rescued him.
  • standard poodle — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    He's probably a golden doodle. We were told he was a standard poodle when we rescued him.
  • astrological signs — Concept · 1 mention · first at
  • architect of your own life — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Talking about 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…
  • Joe (impersonation role) — Concept · 1 mention
  • Kylie Kelce's podcast — Concept · 1 mention
  • Leo — Concept · 1 mention
  • Princess (band) — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • SNL — Event · Referenced cultural institution / former employer · 5 mentions · first at
    Repeatedly referenced as the show where Maya Rudolph and others performed and gained prominence; used as a touchstone throughout the conversation.
  • The Fonda Theater — Place · Venue / setting for live episode · 1 mention · first at
    Named as the location where the live Good Hang event is taking place; host greets audience from the Fonda Theater.
    Thank you, Amy. Thank you, David. Thank you, Craig. Hello, everyone. Please have a seat. This is a podcast. We're sitting down.
  • Fonda Theater — Place · Setting · 2 mentions · first at
    Venue where the podcast episode was recorded live.
    Hello. Welcome to the Fonda Theater. I am Amy Polar. We are so excited that you're here tonight.
  • Gainesville — Place · Personal origin / background · 2 mentions · first at
    Amy Polar mentions being born in Gainesville, Florida — establishes biographical detail and connection with audience members.
    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.
  • Disneyland — Place · Personal interest · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned by Maya Rudolph as a place she enjoys visiting.
    Do you like going to Disneyland?
  • Gainesville, Florida — Place · Personal history · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned by Maya Rudolph as her birthplace.
    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.
  • Hanukkah — Event · Cultural reference · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned by Maya Rudolph in the context of holiday traditions.
    Lodkas. This episode's going to be coming out close to Hanukkah.
  • Leroy — Place · Referenced pet name / possible location ambiguity · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned in the entity list with low confidence; in the transcript Leroy is the name of Maya's dog — therefore type should be 'person' was incorrect; kept as location in input but flagged uncertain.
  • Crossroads School — Place · 3 mentions
  • St. Augustine by the Sea — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Crossroads before Crossroads really had an elementary. It was in this church called St. Augustine by the Sea. And yeah, and we were very close. And weirdly, our dads went to…
  • Larchmont Village — Place · 1 mention · first at
    I was at my house. I used to live near Larchmont Village around the corner from the yoga place in the Larchmont Wine and Spirits.
  • Palace Hotel — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Come out there like in the next week or two or something. So, I lived at the Palace Hotel down the street and I think I you know pitched Oh. Oh, I came on a Tuesday because…
  • Empire State Building — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Spivey. And Maya and Emily had a great office. It had a window and 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.
  • Gainesville, Florida — Place · 1 mention · first at
    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.
  • Gardena — Place · 1 mention
  • Larchmont Wine and Spirits — Place · 1 mention
  • South Side of Chicago — Place · 1 mention

Media & podcasts

  • Saturday Night Live — Media · Career highlight · 5 mentions · first at
    Central to Maya Rudolph's career and discussed extensively in the episode.
  • Saturday Night Live — Media · Referenced show · 5 mentions · first at
    Mentioned multiple times as a significant part of Maya Rudolph's career and a topic of discussion regarding her performances and experiences.
    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.
  • SNL — Media · Referenced media · 2 mentions · first at
    Abbreviated form of Saturday Night Live, used interchangeably in the conversation.
  • Loot — Media · Career highlight · 2 mentions · first at
    TV show where Maya Rudolph stars and discusses her role and working with Ron Funches.
    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.
  • Good Hang — Media · Podcast · 9 mentions · first at
    The podcast where the conversation takes place.
    This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery. Getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso.
  • Bronx Beat — Media · Sketch / past SNL bit reference · 2 mentions · first at
    Mentioned as one of Maya's notable SNL sketches (Bronx Beat) and as an example of a looser performance style.
    I just it's just it was such a moment to be 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.
  • Ron Bunches — Character · Guest introducer (in-episode character) · 1 mention · first at
    Introduced on stage as 'Ron Bunches' (in transcript this appears to be a comedic name used in the live show); serves as the person who speaks about Maya and asks her questions.
    Hi. Now, people should know we were trying to keep you a secret, but then you and Maya just saw each other backstage.
  • Daisy — Character · Pet (dog) reference · 1 mention · first at
    Mentioned as Maya's other dog who survived a coyote attack; personal anecdote showing family/pet life.
    Daisy just got attacked by two coyotes and now she's okay. She I know.

Sponsors

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    Order gifts up until 5:00 pm on December 24th. Santa, you might want to take notes. Download the Walmart app or head to walmart.com and get your gifts delivered fast. Subject to availability, terms and fees apply.
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    Explicit sponsor of the episode, mentioned multiple times with call to action.
    No fees, no interest. So whether it's the must-have toy or a tiered cheeseboard, PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com/payin4.
  • Wal-Mart — Company · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at
    Sponsor of the episode, mentioned with promotional language.
    This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery. Getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso.
  • Walmart Express Delivery — Product · Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    Explicit sponsor of the episode, mentioned with call to action.
    Order gifts up until 5:00 pm on December 24th. Santa, you might want to take notes. Download the Walmart app or head to walmart.com and get your gifts delivered fast. Subject to availability, terms and fees apply.
  • PayPal — Company · Sponsor · 6 mentions · first at
    Sponsor of the podcast episode, mentioned in ad reads and promotional segments.
    The show and I will thank you all personally and Jenna most of all. and also thank you to PayPal for sponsoring this evening. And I know there's some PayPal peeps in the crowd.
  • Walmart Express Delivery — Company · Sponsor · 1 mention · first at
    Sponsor of the podcast episode, mentioned in the opening ad read.
    This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery. Getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso.
  • PayPal — Sponsor · 6 mentions · first at
    The show and I will thank you all personally and Jenna most of all. and also thank you to PayPal for sponsoring this evening. And I know there's some PayPal peeps in the crowd.

Full transcript with timestamps

This episode of Good Hang is presented by Walmart Express Delivery. Getting gifts to your doorstep in as fast as an hour. Who needs elves when Walmart Express Delivery can make Nespresso machines magically appear on your doorstep? And if you do happen to forget something, no judgment. You can even order gifts up until 5:00 pm on December 24th. Santa, you might want to take notes. Download the Walmart app or head to walmart.com and get your gifts delivered fast. Subject to availability, terms and fees apply. 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. Okay, let's talk holiday shopping. Make the most of your money with PayPal. They give you the flexibility to pay in for no fees, no interest. So whether it's the must-have toy or a tiered cheeseboard, PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com/payin4. PayPal inc nmls910457.

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 PayPal. Here to help you make the most of your money when it comes to holiday shopping. They give you the flexibility to pay in four. No fees, no interest. So whether it's the must-have toy or a tiered cheeseboard, PayPal helps you make the most of your money this holiday. Subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com/payin4. PayPal Inc. NMLS910457. 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

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Maya Rudolph (Live) | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"?

Craig Wedren (Guest), David Wain (Guest), Amy Poehler (Host), Maya Rudolph (Guest), Ron Funches (Guest), Amy Miles (Guest).

What is "Maya Rudolph (Live) | Good Hang with Amy Poehler" about?

Maya Rudolph joins Amy Poehler for a lively event at the Fonda Theater, where they celebrate friendship and creativity while highlighting Walmart Express Delivery's ability to make holiday shopping effortless. The evening features music from Amy Miles and invites attendees to enjoy the moment, emphasizing the joy of connection during festive times.

What is mentioned in this Good Hang with Amy Poehler episode?

173 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Maya Rudolph, SNL, Saturday Night Live, Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Maya Rudolph (Live) | Good Hang with Amy Poehler"?

The episode runs 1 h 23 min; the transcript is about 13,963 words in 298 timestamped sections.

More from Good Hang with Amy Poehler

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated February 24, 2026.