Newswise — Actress and comedian Maya Rudolph, who rose to fame as a cast member of “Saturday Night Live” and went on to star in films such as Bridesmaids, The Way Way Back and Away We Go, will deliver the keynote address at Tulane University’s 2015 Commencement, 9 a.m., May 16 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Besides being one of the country's most popular comedic actresses, Rudolph has strong connections to Tulane. Her father Richard, a musician, songwriter and producer, is a Tulane alumnus and plans to attend the ceremony. In addition, Maya Rudolph’s cousin, Sabrina Rudolph, is a member of Tulane's 2015 graduating class.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Rudolph family back to campus. Maya Rudolph has entertained legions of fans through her television appearances, dead-on impersonations and movies. We look forward to her sharing a lot of good advice and humor with our graduates and their families,” Tulane President Mike Fitts said.
Rudolph was born in Gainesville, Florida but moved to Los Angeles with her parents and brother when she was a young child. Her mother was singer Minnie Riperton, whose works include the No. 1 hit “Lovin’ You,” which she penned with her husband Richard Rudolph. The song’s soothing melody was originally created as a lullaby for Maya. Before entering show business Rudolph earned a bachelor of arts in photography from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Commencement 2015, Fitts’ first as president of Tulane, will feature all the pageantry and New Orleans flavor for which Tulane commencements are widely known, including live jazz, herald trumpets, confetti cannons, a traditional New Orleans second-line procession and more.
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