5 Extra Special Reasons Maya Rudolph is Amazing

When it was announced that Seth Myers would be stepping in and clinching the late night hosting slot left behind when Jimmy Fallon moves on up, comedy geeks everywhere high-fived themselves. Yes, Seth is cute and funny and being the head writer on SNL doesn’t come easy. But something about this decision didn’t sit perfectly well with me. Really, television industry– another dude? I mean, really. Aren’t there enough to choose from?

It got me thinking, how great would it be if someone in the NBC executive office made the argument to switch up the normal formula? To add a splash of diversity to the late night TV landscape? But who would be the brightest option? Tina Fey? Of course, but she is super busy, which I know because we are best friends. Melissa McCarthy? Damn, that would be funny, but she might not have conjured up a big enough following quite yet.

And then it hit me: Maya Rudolph. What’s not to love about this SNL and Bridesmaids queen of funny? She can own a sketch with just a funny face, sing as well as she can act and knock pop culture impressions out of the park. Her talents would be a welcome addition to late night, but alas, that is just a pipe dream.

We already love Maya because of her SNL domination and special brand of LOL. But did you know that there are even more reasons to be enamored with this funny lady? Here are five less obvious tokens from Maya’s life that make her way too cool for late night television.

Maya originally wanted to be a musician, and that she was!

In the mid-’90s, Maya used her strong vocal ability not to nail a Whitney Houston impression, but was also in a rock band called The Rentals. She added backup vocals and keys to the California-based band, who was best known for being the brain child of former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp.

Her mom is Minnie Riperton.

It’s clear where Maya gets her musical chops: her late mother Minnie Riperton. Minnie was most famous for her hit song ‘Lovin’ You’ and rumor has it, the catchy melody was originally written to sway baby Maya to sleep.

She kind of grew up with Gwenyth Paltrow.

The two went to school together and we have this awesome picture to prove it.

Maya has been with Paul Thomas Anderson since 2001.

This indie power couple is going with the Oprah/Stedman technique and staying away from the altar, but they remain an astonishingly talented twosome. Anderson is the genius director behind great films like Boogie Nights, Magnolia and even Punch Drunk Love. The couple has four kids together who are bound to be the coolest people on the planet.

Maya is in a Prince tribute band.

Together with friend Gretchen Lieberum, Maya sings in Princess, a Prince tribute band. Their gigs are few and far between, but the band is active having appeared on Jimmy Fallon live with The Roots as their backing band and at this past October’s Tenacious D-hosted comedy/music megashow, Festival Supreme.

Featured image via ShutterStock
Images via Complex.com and Huffington Post