Maya Rudolph To Host 'SNL' February 18

NBC has announced that Maya Rudolph will host "Saturday Night Live" on February 18, 2012. Supporting her as a musical act will be the Brooklyn based band Sleigh Bells.

Rudolph, who is one of the stars of the Oscar-nominated "Bridesmaids" and currently appears on the NBC sitcom "Up All Night," was an "SNL" cast member herself from 2000 to 2007. This will be her first time hosting, although she has appeared on the show several times since leaving.

On "SNL," Rudolph was known for a wide variety of characters, including the co-host of "Bronx Beat" and her animated impersonation of Oprah Winfrey. Notably, she is the only actor to have played Michelle Obama on "SNL," in a 2008 guest appearance prior to Obama's election. It's a good bet that Rudolph will play the First Lady again when hosting. Watch her first appearance here.

Rudolph joins Jimmy Fallon and Ben Stiller as former "SNL" players who have returned to host the show this season, the 37th for the program. (Stiller was a featured cast member for five episodes in 1989.)

Sleigh Bells, a darling of the indie music establishment, will release their second album "Reign of Terror" on February 21. This "SNL" appearance will be their network TV debut.

This weekend, on February 11, Zooey Deschanel will host the show, with musical guest Karmin. Jonah Hill will host the show on March 10.

UPDATE: A previous version of this article indicated that Rudolph had only appeared on "SNL" twice since leaving. She has actually appeared on the show much more frequently in guest appearances.

Also on HuffPost:

Comments

[Heidiho9016]

08:50 PM on 02/11/2012

Is it too soon for her to do her Whitney Houston impersonation? She does her so well.

[cleylol]

08:30 PM on 02/12/2012

I thought it was Tina Turner...?

[Heidiho9016]

08:45 PM on 02/12/2012

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/whitney-houston/1115822/

[pab08]

04:25 AM on 02/11/2012

Even McLean Stephenson and Chevy Chase think that Maya blew it when she left her successful gig to become a "big star."

[ColoradoCool]

04:19 AM on 02/11/2012

Maya's bazoombas are back and they brought Maya too.

[elicourey]

01:00 AM on 02/11/2012

Maya needs to return to The Rentals

[shellfish789]

12:10 AM on 02/10/2012

why do all these offsprings of famous parents get to have a better go at showbiz and rise up so fast?

[pab08]

04:24 AM on 02/11/2012

Seriously? :-)
Nice to see Jim Carey's daughter get bounced from American Idol this week.

[Andre Scott]

11:35 AM on 02/09/2012

She was great when she played for The Rentals

[MrOnePercent2012]

11:25 AM on 02/09/2012

Never heard of her?
Can't they get Steve Martin?

[baxtron]

11:10 AM on 02/09/2012

Sexy is back. In the front. Her boobs.

[Shealy Mark]

10:58 AM on 02/09/2012

Love Maya! And Sleigh Bells. Should be a great show!

[brownbag]

10:02 AM on 02/09/2012

I'm going to be Billy Crystal: "Not Funny.... Not Funny"

[Vballboy60]

06:05 AM on 02/09/2012

Yeah. She is soooooo funny.

[RationalCaliGirl]

03:55 AM on 02/09/2012

I love Maya! Great news!

[time1865]

03:20 AM on 02/09/2012

Oh goody she really is returning! Exactly who is she?

[AgentGrey]

07:30 AM on 02/09/2012

Judging from the article, I'm going to say 'Rudolph, who is one of the stars of the Oscar-nominated "Bridesmaids" and currently appears on the NBC sitcom "Up All Night," was an "SNL" cast member herself from 2000 to 2007.'

[twain307]

09:55 PM on 02/09/2012

Snappy answers to stupid questions..Love It.

[teyring532]

02:50 AM on 02/09/2012

I get mixed emotions when alum return to host. Sometimes the writers bring back the alum's signature skits and kill. Usually, other alum make cameos alongside the host, which takes away from the current cast, good or bad. When Fallon came back for the Christmas show, Poehler, Fey, Sanz, Morgan, and Kattan all combined for a lot of air time. So will any pop in again so soon? I always stay positive with SNL's evolution through the decades and do not think they've lost any humour. What's making me feel old and out of touch with current pop culture is their choices of muscial guests, but that's my fault.

[baxtron]

11:07 AM on 02/09/2012

they all live in 30 Rockefeller Center. SNL just sends out the bat signal on the buildings intercom system and former cast members show up.

[pab08]

04:30 AM on 02/11/2012

I feel your pain. I skip right over the musical guests. The last time I was bowled over by a "new cutting edge" musical guest was The Dave Mathews Band in 1995. Coincidentally, that was when I turned 30. I guess I am too old now......................I bet my father would have liked to have invent a DVR to fast forward through Elvis Costello or Rickie Lee Jones 35 years ago when I first started watching...................

HEY! YOU KIDS GET OFF MY LAWN!

[Carrie KrivitWainfor]

02:06 AM on 02/09/2012

Her mom was Minnie Riperton....for those of us cool cats from the 70's

[Sunflo]

02:37 AM on 02/09/2012

Best known for this classic song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdDNzaO5E1A

[baxtron]

11:08 AM on 02/09/2012

Yeah, but Richard Stamos can't hit the high F.