Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg talk 'Baking It' and look back on 'D*ck in a Box'

Baking It stars Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg talk about the new baking show on Peacock, and look back on the SNL Digital Short, D*ck in a Box, which premiered 15 years ago this year.

Video Transcript

MAYA RUDOLPH: Welcome to "Baking It." One team will win the $50,000 prize.

ETHAN ALTER: So Maya, I feel like "Baking It" is actually sort of a stealth musical because you and Andy are always bursting into song at the drop of a hat. Is that just what naturally happens when you two get together? You're just singing constantly?

ANDY SAMBERG: (SINGING) You tell me.

MAYA RUDOLPH: (SINGING) Sometimes it devolves in purging.

ANDY SAMBERG: (SINGING) What happens when you get together? It depends. [MUMBLING]

ETHAN ALTER: Well, I mean, you're taking over from Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman for this particular edition. So can we expect a musical battle between you four coming up? Do you think you have the edge in that case?

MAYA RUDOLPH: Definitely, definitely. I mean, Andy is a recording artist, and Nick is not. So I think we're good.

ANDY SAMBERG: I feel like, yeah, Nick's more of like a Nick Cave vibe or, you know--

MAYA RUDOLPH: I feel like he'd crush us if we had to both use saw mills. Like, like--

ANDY SAMBERG: You'd do really like a stripped down acoustic guitar singer-songwriter thing. Poehler, though, you know can scat.

ANDY SAMBERG: Well, she's a real scatter, that one.

ETHAN ALTER: Well, we also know that Nick is a master craftsman. So Andy, what's your level of baking expertise to be on par with him?

ANDY SAMBERG: I would say if like Nick is a 10 out of 10 for master crafting, as a baker, I'm probably like a 1 out of 10.

MAYA RUDOLPH: Mhm.

ANDY SAMBERG: That sounds right, Maya?

MAYA RUDOLPH: That sounds correct. Yeah.

ANDY SAMBERG: Yeah.

MAYA RUDOLPH: That's accurate.

ANDY SAMBERG: That's tight. So I'm definitely the only choice for hosting this show.

ETHAN ALTER: Maya, how about you? What's your baking like in your household?

MAYA RUDOLPH: I like to bake every once in a while. Like holiday times, I get in the kitchen, it makes me cranky, I get tired. But I like it. I do it. It's just not my go-to. But boy, when you do it from scratch, it really is-- I do like to make a pie sometimes with scratch. Does it make you feel good about yourself. And then I don't do it for like four or five years.

ETHAN ALTER: So it's special when it happens, right? Do you have a go-to holiday pie or cake or anything when holidays do roll around?

MAYA RUDOLPH: I'm usually a traditionalist when it comes to Thanksgiving. Like, even if I don't make it, I make sure there's a pumpkin pie. I like a fruit pie, guys. I like I like an apple, just because that's a fan favorite. It gets the crowd going.

I want to cake that makes me go, what. And then, mmm.

[LAUGHTER]

I'm going to get dirty.

ETHAN ALTER: I do love how both of you react to the contestants when you're talking to them. And Maya, you seem to get really caught up in their stories sometimes. Is it hard for you to remain objective and not root for someone off camera, you know, be like--

MAYA RUDOLPH: Sure. I mean, listen. We fell in love with everybody pretty quickly, like, much, much faster than anticipated. I was sort of like, oh now I get it. This is hard. Like, I don't want anybody to leave this room. It's painful to watch people leave, and yeah, you get deeply invested right away. And you have some of your favorites. And then sometimes people surprise you.

ANDY SAMBERG: For sure, yeah. As it got deeper and deeper in, it became more of like, oh no, like, I don't want them to go. They're so fun to hang out with and talk to, and yeah. It gets a little bit more emotional and intense than you would expect.

[MUSIC - LONELY ISLAND, "DICK IN A BOX"]

ANDY SAMBERG: (SINGING) Wanna get you something from afar. Something special, girl. It's my [BLEEP] in a box.

ETHAN ALTER: Andy, I do have to ask. This year is the 15th anniversary of the classic [BLEEP] in a box song from "SNL"--

MAYA RUDOLPH: What?

ETHAN ALTER: --believe it or not.

ANDY SAMBERG: Is it?

ETHAN ALTER: 15 years ago, 2006. So like looking back now, are you still amazed you got away with that? Are you still amazed that that made it to air?

ANDY SAMBERG: Mostly I'm just still-- I'm thrilled that we got Maya to be in it. I mean, this is kind of the 15th reunion.

ANDY SAMBERG: This is the party right now.

ANDY SAMBERG: Yeah. Yeah, I'm still surprised. I'm still surprised by all of it. When we got hired to "SNL," I was surprised. And then when we got anything on the air, I was surprised. And then from that point on, everything's just been like, well this is a surprise.

ETHAN ALTER: [LAUGHTER]

ANDY SAMBERG: So I'm very glad.

MAYA RUDOLPH: It's a gift the gift that keeps on giving, in my opinion. I remember being there for it and just a palpable joy that overcame everyone. And like, I think-- did we listen to it in the car, like, on the way to the after party?

ANDY SAMBERG: Yeah, we might have.

MAYA RUDOLPH: Yeah.

ANDY SAMBERG: It's a jam.

MAYA RUDOLPH: It's a jam.

ETHAN ALTER: Absolutely, yeah. I love the scene in the video where Andy's putting the rose down your face. And how many takes did that take? Were you cracking up constantly while he's doing that?

MAYA RUDOLPH: There was a bit of giggling, but it was-- there was like-- we were really reaching for those 90s R&B videos, like, just with full sincerity. But I do think there are some tears from crying, yes.

ANDY SAMBERG: Andy, of you're a dad now, obviously. When are you going to show your kids [BLEEP] in a box, and are you going to cringe when that happens?

MAYA RUDOLPH: When are you?

ANDY SAMBERG: I had it playing on my phone as my daughter was born, so it was the first thing she saw when she came into the world.

MAYA RUDOLPH: My kids are fully aware. I think there was, no joke, a [BLEEP] in a box reference last week in my house.

ANDY SAMBERG: Is that right?

MAYA RUDOLPH: Yeah, from my youngest.

ANDY SAMBERG: You remember how old your kids were when they saw it?

MAYA RUDOLPH: I mean, Pearl was one when that came out.

ANDY SAMBERG: [LAUGHTER]

MAYA RUDOLPH: But we're doing great.

ETHAN ALTER: Because it is the 15th anniversary, can we expect to see those characters again? Are you going you're going to Zoom bomb the Christmas episode of "SNL" and do it again?

ANDY SAMBERG: No plans at present. [LAUGHTER]

MAYA RUDOLPH: Get right on it.

ANDY SAMBERG: You'll be shocked to know that's more up to Justin.

[MUSIC - LONELY ISLAND, "DICK IN A BOX"]

ANDY SAMBERG: (SINGING) Every single holiday, a [BLEEP] in a box. Oh, but at your parents' house, a [BLEEP] in a box.