Maya K. Rudolph

As a little girl, Maya Rudolph begged her parents to let her stay up late to watch Saturday Night Live—and her idol was SNL's Gilda Radner. Rudolph grew up to become one of the show's most popular cast members herself. She was part of regular SNLcast from 2000 to 2007, and she still returns for special appearances. Rudolph is known for her hilarious portrayals of Oprah, Whitney Houston, Donatella Versace, Michelle Obama, and many others.

Before turning to comedy the 1990s, Rudolph pursued a successful music career. Her first band (Supersauce) was formed at UCSC with fellow students, and she went on to sing and play keyboards with The Rentals. After leaving the band, Rudolph pursued her childhood dream of a career in comedy, first as part of the famed troupe The Groundlings, then as part of Saturday Night Live. Her film appearances include roles in Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion, the 2009 film Away We Go, and in MacGruber, Grown Ups, and her current hit, Bridesmaids.