No one is more surprised by Joe Biden picking Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate than Maya Rudolph. The comedian, who was recently nominated for an Emmy for her pitch-perfect, ultra-canny portrayal of Harris on Saturday Night Live, shared her expletive-laden reaction to the vice-presidential nomination on Tuesday in the middle of recording a panel discussion for Entertainment Weekly.
“That’s spicy,” Rudolph said of Biden’s pick. “Oh, shit. Ruh-roh.”
Biden made the announcement Tuesday after months of deliberation, dubbing the California senator a “fearless fighter for the little guy.” While pundits have a million questions about what Harris’s selection means for the campaign, the rest of us were left to wonder whether Rudolph would reprise her turn as the politician and gift the public with more “Mama needs a GIF!” moments. (Rudolph is now so synonymous with Harris that the comedian’s name began trending on Twitter almost immediately after the announcement was made.)
We don’t have to wonder any more, though, because Rudolph confirmed she would be happy to continue playing Harris in future SNL episodes, despite her concerns about working through the pandemic.
“I love going to the show any excuse I can get…I just didn’t really anticipate traveling during this pandemic, but if there’s anyone who can work it out I’m sure Lorne [Michaels] has some kind of invisible helicopter that can get me there,” she joked to EW, alluding to reports that the iconic sketch-comedy series is going to resume production in New York ahead of the election. “Ever since I was a kid, truly, I wanted to be on any kind of SCTV, Saturday Night Live, and I can’t believe that I got to work there, and I can’t believe that it’s my family still. I’m so thrilled that I got to go back. It’s my favorite place to play.”
She continued, adding that she’s “as surprised as you are, guys. I don’t know that I’m ready to go right this minute, but it’s so nice to have this nomination be associated with the show because it’s my true love.”
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