Maya Rudolph
A master of character and voice who brought surreal warmth and pinpoint satire to Saturday Night Live and a string of beloved film comedies.
Born 1972 (age 54)·American actress and comedian·Birthday: July 27·Generation X
Biography
Maya Rudolph’s path to comedy was paved with music; she is the daughter of singer Minnie Riperton and music producer Richard Rudolph. This heritage infused her with a natural performative rhythm, which she honed at the Groundlings improv theatre before landing on Saturday Night Live in 2000. On SNL, she didn't just do impressions—she embodied figures like Donatella Versace and Condoleezza Rice with a unique blend of absurdity and affection. Her post-SNL career blossomed into leading film roles, where she specialized in portraying complex, often hilariously flawed women, from the ambitious judge in 'Bridesmaids' to the drained mother in 'The Good Place.' Her work consistently finds the humanity and humor in the mundane and the extraordinary.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Maya was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maya Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Maya's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live, a role that became a defining political satire of the era.
- Received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her voice role as Connie the Hormone Monstress in 'Big Mouth.'
- Starred as the lead in the film 'The Way, Way Back' and the Apple TV+ series 'Loot.'
- Was a featured player in the hit comedy film 'Bridesmaids,' which received an Academy Award nomination.
Did You Know?
She is fluent in French, which she learned while living in Paris as a child.
She was the lead singer of the indie rock band The Rentals in the 1990s.
Her mother, Minnie Riperton, is famous for the song 'Lovin' You.'
She and director Paul Thomas Anderson have four children together.
“I think the best comedy comes from a real place.”
