When I was in LA for the Away We Go junket I was able to interview Maya Rudolph about the film, SNL and a couple of other things.
Women & Hollywood: What was it about this script that spoke to you?
Maya Rudolph: I fell in love with these two people instantly. I really loved them. I loved the simplicity of the description of their relationship. That it really wasn’t trying to say anything other than the way they loved each other. It was written in a way that was very familiar because it was written by people familiar to each other.
W&H: You mean the writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida?
MR: Yes, they are smart, exceptional writers and funny too. I loved the humor in their relationship. And for me, the other side was that I had just had a baby so I remember the onslaught of extraneous and unsolicited advice where everyone is telling you what to do, how to do it, what you need to buy and how to apply it. Telling you oh my god you’re huge and touching you. It was so overwhelming.
W&H: Verona is a unique character, a partner to Burt and so well written. We don’t see women characters like her too frequently. Any opinions as to why women are ignored and underwritten in mainstream Hollywood films?
MR: I don’t know why that’s either untapped or overlooked or not done well because there is really no excuse for it. This is a perfect example of it. It’s not as if women don’t exist. I will say that in general there is a lot of crap in the world. It wasn’t until I was thrown in the water on day 1 of Saturday Night Live where they said you write for yourself. That’s what everyone does. I learned the enormous power of writing for yourself, especially now that people seem to be receptive to the fact that women can write.
W&H: I read an account that said that only 36 out of the 116 cast members on SNL have been women and only 20 have survived into their second season. The guys seem to break out: Adam Sandler, Eddie Murphy, John Belushi among many others. The women don’t seem to break out in the same way. Where are Cheri Oteri, Jan Hooks, Ellen Cleghorne? Has your experience been different?
MR: It has. When I arrived at SNL that seemed to be the story but it started getting old because things changed. Without a doubt in sketch comedy there are fewer women than men. There are fewer women at the Groundlings today even though there are a lot more women than when I started.
I don’t know if comedy is a male sport. I always wondered that. There were always less of us than them no question. As far as the group of women I started with at SNL, I came into an amazing powerhouse of women on that show and I feel like everything was macheteed out of the way for me and the girls I was there with.
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