How do you pronounce Maya Rudolph? David Letterman 2009 interview controversy explained

Maya Rudolph felt the pangs of her name being mispronounced early on in her career. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal magazine on Friday, October 28, 2022, the comedian opened up about how she felt following her first appearance on The David Letterman Show in 2009.

Comedian Maya Rudolph (image via Getty/Rodin Eckenroth)

Host David Letterman mispronounced Rudolph's name while introducing her and though he immediately apologized, the Bridesmaids star reflected on the incident with a heavy heart. She said that she did not have a good time and the show left her feeling embarrassed and humiliated owing to her being new to the industry.

Maya Rudolph disclosed:

"I did not have a good time. 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.”

---

How did Letterman pronounce Maya Rudolph's name?

The 2009 interview was Maya Rudolph's first appearance on the famous talk show. David Letterman, now aged 75, introduced the up-and-coming comedian as "uh-ma-ya." After she sat in the hot seat next to him, he apologized on air, calling himself a "b**b" and saying there was no excuse for it.

He proceeded to hold her hand and apologize "from the bottom of [his] heart." A clip from the interview capturing the infamous moment can be found here.

Rudolph during her first appearance in the talk show in 2009 (image via Getty/Ray Tamara)

Regarding that moment, Rudolph shared how she felt helpless and did not know what to do, stating:

"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.”

Now, however, thirteen years later, she claims to have gotten much better and that if she's ever in an uncomfortable situation, she tries to be funny. Yet, it's better late than never to learn how to pronounce her name. The video below explains the correct pronunciation in comparison to what Letterman said on his show.

David Letterman's representatives are yet to comment on the situation.

---

Apart from highlighting this specific event, Maya Rudolph also opened up about her general discomfort with all public-related aspects of her career, like red-carpet interviews and talk-shows, which she claims stunted or rather delayed her growth. She said that these soul-snatching moments enabled her to build a stronger persona, further adding:

“It would always feel like someone was stealing my soul. That’s where, over the years, I created a persona to protect myself.”

Maya Rudolph is best known for her appearances on SNL as a cast member for seven seasons and, since quitting, has returned several times as a guest star. She reflected on how sketch comedy had become tiring for her and how that motivated her to explore different ventures.

She currently appears on the AppleTV + series Loot as the divorcee of a billionaire, and will appear in the sequel to Enchanted, titled Disenchanted, as the villain Malvina Monroe.