Maya Rudolph Naturally Textured Hair

Maya Rudolph Naturally Textured Hair

Maya Rudolph (born July 27th, 1972) brings joy and laughter wherever she goes.  Fans adored her turn as the bride-to-be in the Summer's hit Bridesmaids.  She also is fabulous as Ava on NBC's new Up All Night comedy.

What fans may not know is that her naturally textured hair played a very important piece of her lifetime career goals and success.

Rudolph was previously best known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy show "SNL" for her characters like Donatella Versace and Megan of "Wake-up Wakefield."

The unconventionally beautiful daughter of music producer Richard Rudolph and the late '70s soul-singer Minnie Ripperton ("Lovin' You") is proud of her mixed heritage.

Her mother was African American and her father is Caucasian.  Maya was almost 7 when her mother died of breast cancer.   Eventually her father remarried gifting Maya with an Asian step-mother.

Although Maya doesn't like jokes about her big head of naturally curly, unruly biracial hair, it actually triggered her special appreciation for late SNL comedian Gilda Radner and fueled her dreams of a career as a comedian.

Radner had a head of wild naturally curly hair which Maya could relate to.

She told the media "I thought Roseanne Roseannadanna (Gildner Radner's famous SNL character) and I had the same haircut -- kind of pyramid-shaped."

Radner's famous nappy haired character kindled Maya's dream to join the long running popular ensemble show.

The funnylady who has described her own tresses as unruly and, at times, downright nappy felt "there was just something about" Radner.

She "had my hair! I thought, 'I want to be that when I grow up.'"  She has confided that it was her dream from the time she was a little girl to be on Saturday Night Light.  Maya confirms "I was truly obsessed with Gilda Radner."

Obviously Maya picked the right naturally textured SNL to emulate.  She was voted by Entertainment Weekly as one of the funniest people in America! And although she makes her living impersonating others, Maya says she feels the most beautiful and most comfortable when she's in her own skin.    Also, when she has nothing on, especially no makeup.

She's said "I'm not going to lie—I don't look my best when I wake up! But I do feel beautiful when I'm tired and happy and I've had a good laugh and a glass of champagne.  For me, I feel beautiful when I'm just resting. I think that's when you really get a chance to sink into your own skin."

Always Cried When Leaving Beauty Parlor

Although her hair helped her relate to Gilda Radner, her gravity-defying locks are no laughing matter to her.  She's told the media "I've never, in my entire life, ever not cried when I left the beauty parlor."

She also has recounted one disastrous experiment with bangs at the mere mention of her mane. "I'm incredibly sensitive about it. Any person in my life can tell you, we don't broach the subject."

Makes sense.  Anyone with natural curls, kinks or coils knows how impossible it is to create bangs on that they of texture.

Insiders who personally know the wildly talented comedian, actress and musician confide that she has thick, gorgeous hair, which everyone thinks is fabulous, except for Maya.

Indeed, on Bridesmaids and her new NBC sitcom, Up All Night, Maya wears her hair mostly straight with just a hint of texture throughout the edges.