From “Saturday Night Live” to wedding comedy of the year, comedienne Maya Rudolph serves up laughs in Bridesmaids.
Maya, did you enjoy getting to reunite with “Saturday Night Live” alumni?
Yeah, it’s like getting the band back together. For me personally, Melissa [McCarthy] and I actually go back further because we used to perform together at The Groundlings, back when we were young. And then, I thought I had just met Kristen [Wiig] at SNL, but the first time I met Kristen was at a mutual friend’s bridal shower and Melissa’s house, way back. When you know the people that
you’re going in to play with, it’s the most fun. I knew that character was in Melissa, so seeing it, when I get to watch it, is like a delicious meal. You know what your friends can do. The best way to play with each other is when you’re improvising or you’re part of an ensemble, which is really what sketch comedy and improv is about. It’s about everybody’s ingredient making the best
possible dish. And, when you know them, it’s like artillery because you know who you’re going in with and you can set each other up. It’s so much fun! We all got to know each other’s characters when we were rehearsing because there was a lot of improv that ended up in the movie. We knew each other’s characters well enough that we could play with them and set each other up. It’s the most fun,
getting to play at work with your friends.
How do you describe your character as the bride-to-be with bridesmaid drama?
MAYA: I was the glue to these women.
What were some of the highlights about the film?
I was eager to work once again with Kristen Wiig, with whom I
have been close since our days at “SNL” together. When you know somebody well, you have a short-hand. It’s so much fun to incorporate it into this film because it makes it feel real…not just for the audience, but for us as well.
What was the best part of being in the film?
The friendship, to me, was the easy part. The hard part to me was Lillian has to be this grounded person bringing all of these different characters together, these completely different personalities. It’s sort of a real high-pressure job. You know in a situation where you’re the host: “Oh, meet this friend from this
part of my life, and this friend from this other part of my life. I hope they like each other.” It can be so awkward. And it’s also hard to remain true to one personality and not be two-faced.
Can you talk about any of the other characters?
Kristen and I have this strange way of talking to each other and
making each other laugh, and you can see it throughout
the movie. When do you get the opportunity to do that
with somebody who shares the same brain?”
You had a really cool director for the film as well. What was he like?
The coolest thing about the director, Paul Feig, is how much he laughed with us from the beginning; he had as much fun. He has made it so much fun and it was really wonderful.
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