Maya Rudolph is pure joy. After wrapping the first season of NBC’s Maya and Marty, her comedy variety show with Martin Short, Maya toured with her college friend Gretchen Lieberum to sold out crowds. Their band Princess pays tribute to the late genius Prince, Princess and in our interview, we spoke about how Prince enjoyed their Valentine to his legacy. Maya and Gretchen even gave us glimpse into why their show is so fun. The secret is in the sauce.

On Maya and Marty, Rudolph sings and breathes light into loopy characters, much like the ones that endeared her to audiences and the celebrities she depicted on SNL, such as Oprah. We spoke about how Lorne Michaels hired Rudolph because of her “daring exuberant spirit and how being on SNL was always Maya’s dream. Many performers share that dream, but Maya infuses her depictions with utter originality and a familiar quality, enabling audiences to go wherever she takes us.

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