Maya Rudolph Says: “David Letterman humiliated me on his show”

Maya Rudolph was among some actors/actresses that did not have a pleasant time being on “The Late Show with David Letterman” back in 2009.

“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,” Rudolph, 50, told WSJ magazine in an interview published Friday. “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.”

Rudolph, who rose to fame after joining “Saturday Night Live” in 1999, noted that she struggled with interviews and red-carpet appearances during the early days of her career. 

“It would always feel like someone was stealing my soul,” she explained. “That’s where, over the years, I created a persona to protect myself. I’ve definitely gotten much better. When I’m uncomfortable, I try to be funny.”

Despite spending decade under the camera and flashing lights, Rudolph claims she has still yet to view herself as a celebrity.

“I know I’m a working actor and people know who I am, but I don’t feel like a celebrity, because that word means something else today to me,” she said. “There are a lot of different types of celebrities these days and a lot of self-made celebrities where people are famous for being famous, and that isn’t what I do.”

Rudolph was pregnant at the time of her 2009 “Letterman” appearance. Today, she shares kids Pearl, 17, Lucille, 12, Jack, 11, and Minnie, 9, with partner Paul Thomas Anderson. 

Rudolph said, “No matter how busy I am, I always try to prioritize and make time for my family. It means a lot to me.”

“Believe me, I am not a Pollyanna who’s like, I smile all day, every day. I get stressed out, I get pissed off, but I learned I could make a choice for myself, and it’s liberating,” she said. “Maybe people who’ve worked as long as I have make other choices and have nicer cars. I don’t know, but it’s so important for me to try to have that balance.”