Maya Rudolph is returning to “Saturday Night Live” next season — and her role just got a lot bigger.
Rudolph will reprise her portrayal of Vice President Kamala Harris when the NBC show returns for its fiftieth season this fall, a source with knowledge of Rudolph’s plans told CNN. Rudolph will play Harris through the 2024 election.
NBC and representatives for Rudolph did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.
When President Joe Biden announced he would not seek a second term and endorsed Harris to be the Democratic nominee, there was immediate interest from “SNL” producers to have Rudolph back, the source said. However, her availability was initially unclear.
According to Deadline, Rudolph’s schedule cleared up this week as production on the third season of her Apple TV+ comedy series “Loot” was pushed to January. (“Loot” films in Los Angeles, and “SNL” shoots in New York City.)
Rudolph’s portrayal of Harris on “SNL” has become a fan-favorite.
She first appeared as Harris in an “SNL” Democratic debate sketch in 2019. She won the Emmy Award for outstanding guest comedy performance in 2020 and another Emmy for her hosting role on “SNL” in 2021.
Harris herself has said that she likes Rudolph’s impression of her.
“I grew up watching Saturday Night Live,” she told Seth Meyers in a 2019 interview. “The thought that anyone would be in any way depicting me on ‘Saturday Night Live’ was just – I was a bit overwhelmed.”
“I will tell you that I fully intend to make sure she (Rudolph) has a full eight years of work on ‘SNL,” Harris joked at the time.
No word yet on who might play former President Donald Trump this upcoming season, but James Austin Johnson has portrayed him on the long-running sketch show most recently. With Rudolph returning as Harris, she’s certainly going to need a sparring partner as the race heats up.
Season 50 of “Saturday Night Live” is set to begin on September 28.
By CNN
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