Maya Rudolph says she got too burnt out from running her production company, so she left: 'I like working, but I don't like killing myself'
"I used to not have a choice, and so I did it, because that's what you did. You exhausted yourself," Maya Rudolph told Town and Country Magazine.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME
- Maya Rudolph says she was burned out from running a production company she cofounded.
- "I like working, but I don't like killing myself," Rudolph told Town and Country Magazine.
- The burnout crisis in the US can cost the economy $1.9 trillion in lost productivity.
Maya Rudolph says she overworked herself while trying to run the production company she cofounded in 2018.
In an interview with Town and Country Magazine about her career, Rudolph shared why she chose to step back from Animal Pictures, the company she cofounded with Natasha Lyonne and Danielle Renfrew Behrens.
In between running the company and starring in different shows, the workload caught up to her.
"But more and more I was starting to feel like there weren't enough hours in the day," Rudolph told Town and Country Magazine. "It takes a lot to create a show, and it's great to be able to create it, but then to actually show up and be on the set every day, it's, 'All right, then I don't have time for this, this, and this…'"
She added that she didn't use to "have a choice" when she was younger, but things have changed.
"I used to not have a choice, and so I did it, because that's what you did. You exhausted yourself. You ended up in bed, comatose, because you left it all on the dance floor or whatever. But when you're taking care of children, that's not really an option," Rudolph said.
Rudolph shares four children with her partner, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.
Although she still enjoyed what she did at work, the pace was too much for her to handle, she added: "I like working, but I don't like killing myself."
Animal Pictures is behind shows such as Netflix's "Russian Doll" — starring Lyonne — and Apple TV+ comedy "Loot," which stars Rudolph.
Rudolph left Animal Pictures as a partner last year, per The Wrap. "Moving forward, Natasha will operate under the name Animal Pictures while Maya will produce independently," a statement obtained by the outlet read.
A representative for Rudolph did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours.
Burnout can affect anyone. A Gallup survey found that US employees felt more detached from their employers in 2023 than four years ago.
Additionally, employees who aren't engaged at work can cost the economy $1.9 trillion in lost productivity.
The World Health Organization defines burnout as "a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." It includes feelings of exhaustion or cynicism about one's job, as well as reduced professional efficacy.
Some ways to manage burnout include setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks effectively as well as communicating your needs to your manager.