Maya Rudolph admits that she “did not have a good time” while appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman back in 2009. The actress reflected on her first night as a guest on the iconic talk show during a new interview with The Wall Street Journal.
“He said my name wrong, and I just sat there, like, I grew up my whole life in love with you. And now my heart is broken. And I’m sitting here embarrassed and humiliated,” Rudolph told the publication.
She continued: “I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t know how to come up with something funny to say. My public persona muscle wasn’t strong yet.”
Rudolph explained that she struggled with many interviews and red-carpet appearances throughout the beginning stages of her career.
“It would always feel like someone was stealing my soul,” she went on. “That’s where, over the years, I created a persona to protect myself.”
“I’ve definitely gotten much better," she said. "When I’m uncomfortable, I try to be funny.”
Regardless of all the success she's had, such as having a long run on Saturday Night Live and starring in many films, Rudolph says she still doesn't feel like a celebrity, adding that she also is working on prioritizing family above all else.
“I know I’m a working actor and people know who I am, but I don’t feel like a celebrity, because that word means something else today to me,” she said. “There are a lot of different types of celebrities these days and a lot of self-made celebrities where people are famous for being famous, and that isn’t what I do.”
Letterman has since moved on from The Late Show and currently hosts the Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.
[Via]
