Good Hang with Amy Poehler
Episode: Maya Rudolph (Live)
Podcast: Good Hang with Amy Poehler (The Ringer)
Date: December 11, 2025
Location: Fonda Theater, Los Angeles
Episode Overview
This lively, packed live show features Amy Poehler in conversation with her longtime friend and collaborator Maya Rudolph, with a warm-up Q&A from comedian Ron Funches (who co-stars with Maya in "Lute"). The night is a deep, joyful dive into Maya’s comedy life – from her creative beginnings in Los Angeles, her formative friendship with Jack Black, her legendary SNL run, her love for music, family, and what makes her tick. There’s plenty of playful banter, behind-the-scenes SNL stories, and reflections on finding balance between work, motherhood, and fun. The conversation is irreverent, honest, and full of love.
Key Segments & Topics
1. Opening and Theme Song [01:14–05:32]
- Setting: Amy Poehler welcomes a full house to the Fonda Theater, thanks sponsors, and sets the easygoing, “be in the moment” vibe for the night.
- Theme Performance: Amy Miles, with Craig Wedwin and David Wayne, performs the whimsical "Good Hang" theme live, setting a celebratory and relaxed tone.
2. Ron Funches Joins to Talk About Maya Rudolph [09:25–22:13]
- Introduction: Amy brings out Ron Funches, who plays Maya's cousin Howard on "Lute," to talk about their friendship, working relationship, and give Amy questions to ask Maya.
Highlights
- On Touring and Home Comforts:
- Ron Funches: “I always want to be home. And so I try to make the road as much like home as possible. … I bring my Steam Deck, my video game thing. But that's really it.” [13:59]
- On Pilates: “How am I sweating so much while exclusively laying down?” [13:18]
- First Impressions & SNL Fandom:
- Ron Funches on Maya:
- “To me, I'm like, this is the—like, I'm in the presence of a true legend.” [17:53]
- “She never makes you feel separate, you know. She never makes you feel like you don't belong or you're smaller than, you know.”
- Ron Funches on Maya:
- Amy on Maya:
- “She makes it look so easy when she's doing stuff. … She's one of those people, to me, that feels like was born to do what she's doing.” [17:57]
- Ron’s Questions for Maya:
- Is "Lute" coming back? (“Because I need a job.”) [19:33]
- What was it like playing Kamala Harris on SNL during such a pressurized political moment?
- How does she choose projects and balance them with family? (“I have my son... it's a balance because. But I don't know how to do it. I want to know how to do it better.”) [20:34]
- Quip: Amy on burnout and balance: “We’re all hanging on by a thread. That's the secret. Nobody knows how to do it.” [21:22]
3. Maya Rudolph Takes the Stage [24:58–25:23]
- First Impressions:
- Amy and Maya riff on the crowd’s energy.
- Maya does a brief, funny, half-hearted national anthem as a mic check (“I want someone to ask me to do that again. Wouldn’t that be fun?”) [25:18–26:15]
4. Maya’s Musical Roots, High School Years, and Jack Black [30:12–34:07]
- California Upbringing: Amy notes Maya’s deep roots in L.A. creative circles.
- Jack Black Story:
- Amy: “Jack Black said you were the coolest person he knew in high school.” [30:34]
- Maya: “He changed my life for the better. You find people and you both speak the same language.” [31:03]
- Groundlings Shift:
- Jack introduced Maya to improv at Groundlings, which led to SNL and lifelong collaborations.
- Fun Fact: Maya and Gwyneth Paltrow went to elementary school together. Their fathers were also friends. [33:34]
5. Early SNL Memories: Groundlings, No Audition, Finding Her People [34:09–46:06]
- Discovering SNL:
- Maya snuck into her parents’ room as a child to watch the original SNL: “I think I saw the land shark is what I remember.” [34:20]
- Groundlings Classmates:
- Names include Emily Spivey, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, Rachel Harris, Cheryl Hines, Melissa McCarthy, Ben Falcone, Will Forte.
- Finding “Her People”:
- Maya: “I like to be with my friends and have fun. … It makes me feel like I’m actually funny or funnier.” [36:18]
- Amy on Maya’s Natural Talent:
- “You’re the most natural, best person at SNL that’s ever been on the show, Amy. … One of the things you do that is so important in live television— is we are never nervous when Maya's performing.” [37:02]
- Maya’s SNL Entry:
- She didn’t audition for SNL – sent sketches on VHS to Lorne Michaels, joined for last three episodes of season 25. “If I had auditioned, I probably wouldn't have been on the show.” [41:39]
6. Office Life at SNL: Community, Coping, and Friendship [46:06–54:05]
- Safe Spaces:
- Amy and Maya reminisce about their office shares, cracking backs, finding refuge, and sharing meltdowns.
- The Value of Women’s Community:
- “We were like, you know, good daughters, good students... we had some kind of similar shared sensibility, a common thread.” (Maya) [49:09]
- Laughter and Isolation:
- The “don’t cry, sexy” story: A cleaning lady named Rosa comforting Emily Spivey with “Don’t cry, sexy.” [52:33]
7. Meeting Obama, Iconic SNL Characters, & Representation [53:12–63:00]
- Meeting Barack Obama:
- Maya first met him dressed as Shirley MacLaine; the second time, while wearing a Barack Obama mask (while he was also there). [53:17]
- On Obama’s sartorial critique: “I don't wear a three button suit.” [56:05]
- On SNL Political Impact:
- Amy: “One of the best things... is that more and more women we were—we got to play because more and more women were candidates.” [57:11]
- Maya on Representation: “To play someone that looks like me running for president of the United States was wild. … I played so many different kinds of people on the show because I just believe I can be anyone.” [61:20]
- On playing Kamala Harris: “Knowing that I can still be hopeful, even when I’m scared, actually was really incredible. … Being hopeful is for you.” [59:20]
8. SNL Character Work, Musicality, and Comedic Rhythm [64:34–73:17]
- Favorites and Style:
- Amy: “You did so many... Also so many small dumb people with weird names and just... Those are my favorites. And you and I both share a love for dumb, dumb dumbs.” [64:53–64:57]
- Maya’s recurring wig stories, character improvisation, and auditory memory.
- Comedy and Music – "Cousins":
- Maya: “I can't really truly define why. I think there is a language to both of them ... musicians want to be comedians and comedians want to be musicians. And sometimes they're both.” [68:16]
- On Prince’s (the musician) humor: “He did tell me a joke once, but I didn’t understand it.” [70:53]
- Amy on Maya’s timing: “You have the rhythm that everybody... you are the song everybody wants to hear.” [72:58]
9. Speed Round: Personal Tastes, Coyotes, and Parenting [73:17–81:19]
Fun and fast answers and tangents:
- Scary movies: No [73:22]
- Favorite thing to cook: Silver dollar pancakes [73:28]
- Finger injury: Sliced on Thanksgiving making stuffing [73:35]
- Disneyland: Loves it; Florida roots [73:48, 74:01]
- Big pants: Still in fashion [74:38]
- Best Hanukkah food: Latkes with “sour cream and applesauce” [74:56–75:05]
- Dogs: Maya discusses her two rescue dogs, Leroy and Daisy (the latter recently survived a coyote attack) and her feelings about “dick” coyotes [75:09–77:05]
- Astrological Sign: Leo; Enneagram 7 (“I like to have fun with you. There's plenty of people I do not have fun with.”) [77:39–78:06]
10. Work-Life Balance, Motherhood, and Choosing Projects [79:25–83:02]
- Ron’s Final Question Revisited: How does Maya balance work and family, and how does she choose what to do?
- Maya: “After I had Pearl and I didn’t know whether I’d come back to the show ... thank God it taught me to let go of things that I really needed to let go of. ... I learned the lesson of if I’m doing something I love, then that’s a good reason to say goodnight to her and go to work …” [81:19]
- “I tend to be someone who can get caught up in the minutiae ... I always felt like I was a very good student ... if I had to do it all over again, I’d wanna be a slutty rebel.” [81:47]
- Amy on Maya as a mother: “Being in your presence as you mother is pretty amazing. You're a fantastic mother ... I know that's a really, really important thing for you to accomplish in this time around." [80:33]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Exchanges
-
On Being a Natural Performer:
Amy Poehler to Maya Rudolph:
“You’re the most natural, best person at SNL that’s ever been on the show, Amy. … We are never nervous when Maya's performing.” [37:02] -
On Work-Life Balance:
Maya Rudolph:
“Everything that wasn’t important just fell away. There was no time. You have to keep a human being alive and ... a human being that you’re so in love with. And it just really helped me.” [81:19] -
On Representation:
Maya Rudolph on playing Kamala Harris:
“To play someone that looks like me running for president of the United States was wild. ... I just believe I can be anyone.” [61:20] -
On Collaboration and Fun:
Maya Rudolph:
“I like to be with my friends and have fun. … When there’s a group of people I really like, it makes me so happy. And then it makes me feel like I’m actually funny or funnier. And it fuels me.” [36:18] -
On Hope and Disappointment:
Maya Rudolph:
“Knowing that I can still be hopeful, even when I’m scared, actually was really incredible. ... Being hopeful is for you.” [59:20] -
Ron Funches on Maya:
“To me, I'm like, this is the—like, I'm in the presence of a true legend.” [17:53] -
Classic Maya/Amy Banter:
On flirting at SNL:
Maya: “Can we talk about flirting more? I didn’t get to, like, sleep with anybody at snl.”
Amy: “Anybody got a time machine?” [66:24–66:37]
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------|:-------------:| | Theme Song Performance | 02:15–05:10 | | Ron Funches on Maya (Q&A/warm-up) | 09:25–22:13 | | Maya Rudolph National Anthem bit | 25:16–25:46 | | Jack Black high school years, Groundlings | 30:12–34:07 | | SNL entry and office stories | 34:09–54:05 | | Barack Obama, SNL Political Impressions | 53:12–63:00 | | Comedy and Music, Prince, Impressions | 64:34–73:17 | | Speed Round—Fun Questions | 73:17–78:06 | | Work-Life Balance, Motherhood | 79:25–83:28 | | Closing, tribute to Maya Rudolph | 83:28–84:05 |
Recurring Themes & Takeaways
- Celebrate Friendship & Collaboration: Maya’s happiest (and funniest) moments come from sharing creative energy with friends she trusts and loves.
- Art as Life, Life as Art: Being present and fully in the moment—whether onstage, in a writers’ room, or at home with kids—is the key to Maya’s artistry and joy.
- Balance is a Moving Target: Neither she, nor anyone, ever truly figures out the balance—but loving what you do and who you’re with softens the chaos.
- Representation Matters: Maya’s Biden/Kamala storyline underscored the seismic importance of seeing oneself in the most visible places, and she doesn’t take that for granted.
- Fun as a Philosophy: Amy and Maya agree: seeking fun and joy isn’t trivial—it’s the core of sustaining creative and happy lives.
Final Words
Amy:
“Everything you do is just fucking delight. ... Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Maya Rudolph.” [83:28–84:05]
This episode is the essence of old friends sharing laughs, wisdom, and heartfelt memories. Whether or not you’re an SNL buff, you’ll come away appreciating the joy, skill, and humanity Maya brings to every room she enters.