The 'Loot' actress spoke with ET at the TIME 100 Gala in New York City on Thursday.
Maya Rudolph is still wrapping her head around being on this year's TIME 100 list and the incredibly sweet op-ed tribute her longtime friend, Amy Poehler, wrote about her for the special recognition.
The Loot star attended the TIME 100 Gala on Thursday -- held at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City -- and she spoke with ET's Rachel Smith about being selected for the annual list of the 100 most influential people of the year.
"I kind of can't believe that I'm among so many great people, and I feel an enormous sense of pride," Rudolph marveled.
The comedian recalled that when she first learned she'd been selected for the list, it "instantly [made] me excited to tell my dad."
"The things that you get to celebrate in this life are better celebrated with people that you love," she shared. "So it's terribly exciting."
She also got to share the moment with Poehler, another person she loves, as her former Saturday Night Live co-star was tapped to pen a short essay about Rudolph and why she has a place on the prestigious list.
"It means a lot coming from my talented friend and someone who knows me well," Rudolph said. "I think the opportunities that we have in this lifetime, to hear how much we are loved, is very rare, and it just mean so much."
In her essay about Rudolph, Poehler wrote, in part, that she "is a super talent who is lit from within. A performing polymath, she is able to deliver big laughs and deep emotions at the same time."
"Those are all the things I would say about her," Rudolph said of Poehler's kind praise. "So it kind of just made me giddy and emotional and I feel very lucky. It's incredible."
"We've been through a lot together, and I think that's why it means so much," Rudolph continued. "She's my sister and she's known me for a long time. We've been through a lot together."
One of the many things they experienced together was the incomparable experience of being SNL cast members. Rudolph was a part of the cast from 2000 to 2007, while Poehler's tenure lasted from 2001 to 2008.
As the show approaches its incredible 50th anniversary, many are looking forward to whatever special event executive producer and creator Lorne Michaels has in store to commemorate the milestone.
"I've thought about it so much," Rudolph admitted. "It's such a big deal and I feel like it's my home, and I have a feeling it's going to be an enormous celebration."
When asked if she'd be interested in being a part of the 50th anniversary special -- whatever form it might take -- Rudolph said she "would love to."
Rudolph previously spoke with ET back in March and reflected on her time on SNL.
"I feel like I didn't realize how young we were and I didn't realize how much we got to play together," she said of looking back at her time on the comedy series. "And that's the nicest thing about that network of people. There's so many wonderful people that I'm lucky to have in my life because of that show."
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