Maya Rudolph on That Taylor Swift Storyline in ‘Loot’ Season 2, and How the Show’s Ideas Could Solve L.A.’s Housing Crisis
On this season of Apple TV+’s “Loot,” it’s revealed that one of the show’s characters, played by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, is a secret Taylor Swift fan — and even hides her Swift albums inside record jackets for jazz music. Don’t worry, star Maya Rudolph isn’t as clandestine. “I’ve always admired her,” Rudolph tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast. “This past summer was the summer of the Eras tour and my life will never be the same again. It was incredible.”
Rudolph says Swift’s album “Lover” is her favorite — but then she quickly backtracks. “Now you got me started. When my kids told me about the concert and said you go as your favorite era, I was like, how do I dress as ‘Invisible String?’ Because that’s my favorite song. My kids were like, that’s not an era. That doesn’t count. But it works for me. I just can never remember if it’s on ‘Evermore’ or ‘Folklore.’ They’re kind of along the same lines. So I sound like a Swiftie, right?”
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Absolutely. Catch our wide-ranging and fun conversation with Rudolph below.
In Apple TV+’s “Loot,” Rudolph plays billionaire Molly Novak, whose dream life of private jets, a sprawling mansion and a gigayacht falls apart when her husband of 20 years betrays her. She then learns she has a charity foundation run by the no-nonsense Sofia Salinas (played by Rodriguez), who pleads with molly to stop generating bad press.
With her devoted assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster) by her side, and with the help of Sofia and team — including mild-mannered accountant Arthur (Nat Faxon) and her optimistic, pop-culture-loving cousin Howard (Ron Funches) — molly embarks on a journey of self-discovery. And in Season 2, that means using her money to potentially solve Los Angeles’ housing crisis — by buying up empty buildings in downtown L.A. and renovating to house the homeless. It’s a simple idea, but one that was suggested to the show’s writers by actual members of the Los Angeles City Council.
“I think it’s an incredible idea,” she says. “If I had the means, like a Molly Wells, I would be a fool not to take this idea and run with it. It’s brilliant. I love that it feels like we have the platform to talk about wealth inequality. We can actually suggest things that I can’t do anything about it, but maybe this guy can. I think there have been moments since we started the show that have kind of seeped into the conversation a little bit. We’ve heard rumblings after the last season that some billionaire was giving away all their money, and we thought, I wonder if they watched ‘Loot!'”
During the podcast, we talk about the Prince cover band (“Princess”) she has with Gretchen Lieberum, and what her deep cuts are. We also ask her to share her favorite songs about wealth and money. She gravitates to “For the Love of Money” by the O’Jays, but makes it clear that it has nothing to do with NBC’s “The Apprentice,” hosted by that guy.
Instead, she shares a little tidbit about her late mother, Minnie Ripperton. “When I was a kid, my mom in her concerts would come out to that song — but instead of saying ‘money,’ they’d say ‘Minnie.’ And so I have affection for that song. I didn’t let ‘The Apprentice’ ruin it for me.”
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, produced by Michael Schneider, is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each week “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines; and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post weekly.
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