SNL: Maya Rudolph may not be the only Kamala Harris this season
By Matt Moore
Maya Rudolph will be back as Vice President Maya Rudolph for Saturday Night Live season 50. However, there's a good chance she'll pass the baton at some point during the year.
Deadline confirmed that Rudolph is set to reprise her role as Rudolph when SNL returns on September 28. It fulfills the wishes of countless fans whose first reaction to Harris topping the Democratic ticket was to call for Rudolph's return.
Lorne Michaels probably didn't have to make too hard of a sell to Rudolph. After all, the comedian cameoed in one episode last season and hosted another. The only thing that could have kept her from Studio 8H was production on season 3 of her series Loot.
And while Deadline reported that Loot will be pushed back to accommodate Rudolph's Saturday Night Live return, the Apple TV+ series will still impact Rudolph as Harris.
The outlet indicated Loot is expected to begin production in January 2025 in Los Angeles. That would mean Rudolph's Saturday Night Live schedule would be similar to that of Jim Carrey when he played Joe Biden in season 46.
Carrey debuted as Biden during the season premiere and went on to appear in six episodes before retiring prior to the 2020 election. Cast member Alex Moffat took over as Biden beginning on December 19, 2020.
So if Rudolph follows Carrey's example and bows out by December, Saturday Night Live will have to find a new Kamala Harris (assuming Harris wins the White House). Sticking with the 2020 blueprint and turning it over to a cast member should be the way to go.
Rudolph will bring another level of excitement to a season that will already be buzzing for the 50th anniversary. She'll likely also benefit from the electricity around Harris' campaign, which doesn't seem to be slowing down.
But once the election is over, a Harris victory should allow Rudolph to retire her impression on a high note. After that, Ego Nwodim or Punkie Johnson (who has played Harris before) should receive the torch from the SNL icon.
Making things slightly easier for a transition from Rudolph is the fact Harris isn't some larger-than-life character. Portraying Harris isn't a heavy burden that only a select few performers can carry. That isn't to downplay Rudolph's hilarious interpretation, but only to say that current SNL cast members are also up to the task.
The good news is that Saturday Night Live has plenty of time to figure out what it wants to do. In the meantime, hype will continue to build around Rudolph's return.