The Emmy-winning 2018 role Maya Rudolph refused to play: “There was no way”
Maya Rudolph reportedly declined the role of Eleanor Shellstrop in the 2016 comedy series *The Good Place*, which later earned Kristen Bell an Emmy nomination in 2018. Rudolph felt she could not convincingly play the character’s central premise: a selfish, morally flawed woman trying to become better, saying there was “no way” she could portray someone so unkind.
The part was created by Michael Schur and ultimately made Bell one of the show’s leading figures alongside Ted Danson. Although Bell did not win the 2018 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, the nomination reflected the programme’s critical success and the importance of the role Rudolph had turned down.
- Maya Rudolph declined the lead role in *The Good Place*.
- She felt unable to play Eleanor’s selfish personality convincingly.
- Kristen Bell later received a 2018 Emmy nomination for the role.