Maya Rudolph, 48, couldn’t host SNL without playing Vice-President Kamala Harris! While hosting on March 27, the long time cast member reprised the role alongside the one-and-only Martin Short, who played Kamala’s lawyer husband Doug Emhoff. “My step baby daddy — get out here sexy,” Maya’s Kamala said directly to the camera after a brief Passover message. Martin’s Doug bashfully walked out, clearly not as much a lover of the spotlight as his wife@
“I’m just too shy! I’m just a shy entertainment lawyer,” he said. “I just want you to know — listen to me girl. I support you,” he then said, as he began slow dancing with her. The Passover Seder was full of surprise guests as Ted Cruz, Joe Biden, Ella Emhoff and Marjorie Taylor-Greene all waltzed in. Ted attempted to show respect by bringing over cupcakes with an Israeli flag and pigs in a blanket. “I started at hte bottom now I’m here…I’m never been to a Jewish dinner,” Aidy Bryant‘s Ted reasoned, as Maya’s Kamala informed her that they can’t have pork or bread on Passover.
Chloe Fineman’s Ella then turned the room into her own runway. “Shalom to the children. Am I breaking your eyes? Good…I’m serving looks,” she declared. “Dad, all this is going on my mood board as it’s a vibe,” she added before Joe Biden arrived. “I got a Passover surprise for ya’ll! It’s my dog Major — he’s back from being re-trained. All better now, aren’t you Major. He’s a sweet pooch!” he said as the dog roamed around the room. Unfortunately for Doug, ‘Major’ had other ideas as he jumped Martin’s Doug and attacked him! The rest of the party didn’t seem to notice but Martin’s doug recovered just fine. “Sweetie, I’m worried this unity Seder is pulling everyone apart,” Maya told him when they were alone, as Martin’s Doug exclaimed, “I want you! I want your lips!” before placing a big kiss on her. Hilarious!
Maya’s role as Kamala has been a smash hit with audiences, even earning her an Emmy award last September — her first win ever from the academy. “It’s certainly put a smile on my face this week to be so acknowledged,” she said in the virtual press room after winning, “But I felt that way about the nominations to be honest…I’m not really looking a gift horse in the mouth these days. I’m really grateful for any moment when we can stop and reflect and honor and celebrate each other,” she added. She was particularly honored for a sketch during Eddie Murphy‘s episode in Dec. 2019.
The Bridesmaids actress was a staple at Studio 8H from 2000 to 2007, but has continued to appear over the years in sketches as a surprise guest. “I love going to the show. Any excuse I can get, I love,” she also said after her Emmy win. “I just didn’t really anticipate traveling during a pandemic, but if there’s anyone that can work it out I’m sure [showrunner] Lorne [Michaels] has some sort of invisible helicopter that can get me there,” she joked to the press, adding that she wanted to be on SNL ever since she was a kid. “I can’t believe that I got to work there, and I can’t believe that it’s my family still,” she gushed. This season, she also appeared in sketches playing the Statue of Liberty and Aunt Jemima.
WE’RE BACK!!! pic.twitter.com/NrkNLOxmlg
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) March 22, 2021
Kamala never fails to bring the laughs with her on-point take on Kamala, but one sketch in particular got major accolades last year: the show impressively pulled up copying the real Kamala’s stunning white suit just hours after she was named the first-ever female VP. Maya’s dupe on the Carolina Herrera ensemble was impressive, leaving audiences wondering how the show pulled off the feat in just 85 minutes (including the silky pussy bow blouse). “By 9 p.m. we had pulled all the ‘research’ photos together and started looking through our stock to see if there was anything that could work,” costume designer said to Pop Sugar. “Every store in the city had been closed for hours. There was no way to shop this look anywhere, except in our back rooms,” explaining they recut a double breasted soon found backstage. “I work with the most incredible tailors in the world,” he also said.