Maya Rudolph is set to reprise her Emmy-winning role as Vice President Kamala Harris on “Saturday Night Live” this fall, as the NBC late-night show covers the 2024 presidential campaign.
Deadline broke the news on Wednesday (July 31), Rudolph’s portrayal of Harris has been immensely popular, and with Harris now the presumptive Democratic nominee following President Joe Biden’s exit from the race on July 21, fans eagerly anticipated Rudolph’s return to SNL. In response to this demand, production on Season 3 of Rudolph’s Apple TV+ comedy series “Loot,” which was scheduled to start filming on August 26, has been paused.
Sources indicate that the cast and crew were informed earlier this week that production has been delayed due to scheduling conflicts. “Loot” is produced by Universal Television, which also produces SNL alongside Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, allowing for easier synchronization of production schedules.
SNL’s milestone 50th season is slated to premiere on September 28. The show employed a similar strategy in the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, with Jim Carrey and Maya Rudolph playing Joe Biden and Harris, respectively, from early October through December. Carrey relocated to New York, where SNL is based, for the duration. Rudolph’s participation this time is expected to follow a similar pattern, with “Loot,” which films in Los Angeles, set to resume production in January.
Rudolph’s portrayal of Harris became an instant hit when she debuted the character in the cold open of the December 21, 2019 episode hosted by Eddie Murphy. Despite having only a few lines in a star-studded presidential debate skit, Rudolph won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2020 for her performance. She affectionately became known as “Funt,” short for America’s Fun Aunt.
Since the 2020 election, Rudolph has reprised her role as Harris a few times, including during her March 2021 hosting stint, which earned her another Guest Actress Emmy. Now, as the 2024 campaign heats up, Rudolph’s return to SNL promises to bring her beloved portrayal of Kamala Harris back to the forefront of political satire.