Maya Rudolph Here Comes the Bride

Maya Rudolph: Here Comes the Bride

To say Maya Rudolph has had an eclectic career is putting it mildly. She's played keyboards for '90s alt-pop band the Rentals,doll Bag, starred on 'Saturday Night Live' for nine seasons and delivered a critically-acclaimed performance in 2009's 'Away We Go.' Rudolph's latest turn, as the bride-to-be in the Apatow-produced 'Bridesmaids' (opening nationwide on Friday), helps kick off a trend of raunchy, female-driven comedies invading cineplexes this summer. Rudolph recently talked to PAPERMAG about her experience making 'Bridesmaids,' her craziest costumes and wedding tips for Kate Middleton.
In 'Bridesmaids,' you wear a wedding gown by the fictional designer Lady St. Petsois JuJu. Where does that gown rank in terms of the most hideous costumes you've had to wear on screen?
I've worn so many hideous costumes. The more hideous the better. I can't say my Donatella costumes from 'SNL,' because they were all masterpieces. I guess the craziest costumes I've had to wear are my Nuni costumes, which were really fun to help create. The Nunis were these strange Germanic art dealers who were both named Nuni that Fred Armisen and I played. Fred always wore the same purple jumpsuit, and my lady wore a flapper dress on one side and a ball gown on the other. It was always something asymmetrical, confusing and difficult to sit down in a chair in. Completely nonsensical.
When 'Bridesmaids' hits theaters, it will instantly enter the pantheon of wedding comedies. How is Bridesmaids different from the pack?
Everyone's saying "wedding comedy," but I don't feel like we were setting out to make a wedding movie. For me, the movie is about this great friendship that is put to task through people moving on with their lives. I love how honest the friendship is in this movie. Amidst all the great jokes, there's a real friendship in there, and it's actually really sweet.