Former Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids star Maya Rudolph, 45, reprises her voice role as Precious the pug in the animated Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature, in theaters August 11. The Florida-born actress has four children with her partner, film director Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood).
What’s new with Precious?
In the first movie, when you meet her, she comes across as tough until she immediately rolls over on her back. In the sequel, she takes a more romantic turn.
Was having kids an incentive for doing Nut Job 2?
When we did the first Nut Job, I only had three, so I guess there’s more incentive now. The kids like getting a chance to see the stuff I do. They get excited about it, which is nice.
You also play Smiler in The Emoji Movie. Is Smiler a happy character?
I think she thinks she is happy because she’s smiling, but you’ll have to see the movie to see whether she’s a happy character or not. I wouldn’t assume that, actually.
Are you at the point in your career where people just call and say, “We want Maya”?
I don’t audition for stuff. At a certain point, you end up creating a body of work that people get to know you from and I think if people want to work with you, they ask to work with you. Some of those people are people I have worked with before.
You work a lot with others from the cast of Bridesmaids, like Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy.
A bunch of us were in the Groundlings [improv group] together; that’s where most of us cross-pollinated. It’s easier to write for and work with people whose voice you already know and who speak the same language.
Why did you leave Saturday Night Live in 2007?
I don’t think anyone is meant to work there for the rest of their lives. By the time I had a daughter, it was just the right time for me to leave. It’s hard to work on a late-night comedy show and have a baby. I did it and I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but I wouldn’t really recommend it.
You began your career with music. You sang a little bit on Saturday Night Live. There was music on the TV variety show Maya & Marty. Do you look for ways to incorporate music?
I don’t really look for ways. I think a lot of times that might be the suggestion that people might make sometimes. Other times, I think it’s just natural. I’ve embraced that it’s a natural element to what I do and I stopped questioning it. It’s part of what I do, among other things, and I think it’s just because I’m a musical person, and it’s something I find enjoyment in, but it’s a mixture. No two projects are ever the same for me, so I never approach things that way.
Obviously, Maya & Marty was more of a variety show, where we knew going into it that we would be singing songs just as much as we would be doing comedy, but every project is different. And like I said, I think when you do something, people assume that’s what you do, so sometimes they bring music to it, whereas I wouldn’t necessarily be seeking it out, and then other times it’s just a natural fit for what we are doing. I think that if there’s something that is a part of what you do, it’s better to embrace it than block it.
What do you love about your life right now?
I find being a parent endlessly fascinating and challenging in the most wonderful way, and every day is different than the next. It just requires a lot of thinking and not being so hard on yourself and trying to be the best possible version of yourself, which is really hard to remember. It’s a good exercise.
I feel fortunate in the work that I have been able to do because I tend to seek out doing things that are fulfilling and make me happy, and spending time on projects that either I do because I enjoy or because I know my kids will enjoy. And yeah, I have really talented people in my life that are nice enough to ask me to come to work with them and vice versa, and so I can’t complain about any of that.
So what’s next?
I’m in the middle of working on an exciting project that I hope will happen, but other than that I’m just buying sunscreen, getting in the pool and really enjoying not making lunches every day—because that feels like an accomplishment when you don’t have to get up at the same time every day, force people to eat breakfast and get into the car because they’re going to be late for school, and ask them three times whether they’ve grabbed their lunch. I think it’s a family feat when you can put your feet up and say, “Ah, it’s summer.” It feels really good, and I’m trying really hard not to over schedule my summer and just try to enjoy it regardless of the insane heat wave we’re having.