AceShowbiz - Maya Rudolph is set to reprise her portrayal of Vice President Kamala Harris on "Saturday Night Live" for its upcoming 50th season, which premieres on September 28. Reflecting on her role, Rudolph expressed both excitement and a sense of responsibility.

"I'm thrilled to be associated with it," Rudolph told Variety in a recent interview. "And I'm also glad that I've played her and everyone's cool with it. She likes it."

Despite acknowledging "SNL" occasional missteps during election seasons, Rudolph recognized the heightened stakes of the upcoming 2024 campaign, in which Harris will face off against former President Donald Trump. "This is so much bigger than me, and this is about something very important," she emphasized.

When crafting her interpretation of Harris, Rudolph explained that she focused on portraying a fictionalized version rather than an exact impersonation. "I see the Bay Area alive and well in her, in certain elements of the way that she talks," she said, drawing inspiration from her friends in Oakland and Berkeley. "But I also see the ferocity in her wisdom and her experience and all the work she's done."

Rudolph previously portrayed Barack Obama on "SNL" during his first presidential campaign, but her current role carries a different weight, given Harris' historic status as the first Black and first female South Asian descent vice president. "I never saw it coming, really, until she came on the scene," Rudolph said. "And then I thought, 'Oh, wow. The playing field has completely changed.' "

With the 2024 election approaching, Rudolph is preparing to spend more time in New York to portray Harris on "SNL". "It's definitely going to impact my fall," she said, indicating the importance of her role in shaping the show's coverage of the pivotal race.