Maya Rudolph 'Thrilled' to Star in M&M's Super Bowl Ad as the Brand Announces She'll Replace 'Spokescandies'

"I was already the person that likes to watch the Super Bowl for ads, so I feel like, 'Wow, now I get to be a part of that moment,'" Maya Rudolph tells PEOPLE

Photo: Courtesy of M&M'S

It turns out, Maya Rudolph has a big sweet tooth!

On Monday, M&M's announced that Rudolph, who also hosts Peacock's Baking It, will star in the candy brand's Super Bowl commercial, replacing the cartoon "spokescandies."

"I never really set out to be a 'sweets lady,' but I do think that there is a connection to something about comfort and joy that I really lean into," the Saturday Night Live alum tells PEOPLE.

According to a statement from M&M's, the Disenchanted actress will be acting as the brand's "Chief of Fun," and "will use her comedic talents and captivating personality to help M&M's build on its mission to create a world where everyone feels they belong."

For Rudolph, appearing on TV during the big game is hugely exciting.

"I was already the person that likes to watch the Super Bowl for ads, so I feel like, 'Wow, now I get to be a part of that moment!'" she tells PEOPLE.

The actress is particularly excited for her four children, Minnie, 9, Jack, 11, Lucille, 12, and Pearl, 17, whom she shares with longtime partner, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, to see the spot. "They were the first people I told," she says. "They're really looking forward to seeing what we've done."

In an announcement shared on the M&M's Instagram page, the brand specified that Rudolph will replace the cartoon candy characters, called "spokecandies."

"In the last year, we've made some changes to our beloved spokescandies. We weren't sure if anyone would even notice. And we definitely didn't think it would break the internet. But now we get it – even a candy's shoes can be polarizing. Which was the last thing M&M's wanted since we're all about bringing people together through colorful fun," the post read, referencing the surprising backlash the brand faced last year with slightly redesigned M&M's characters.

M&Ms

The announcement said there will be a "pause" from the candy characters: "In their place, we are proud to introduce a spokesperson America can agree on: the beloved Maya Rudolph."

The all-ages audience of the Super Bowl (and Super Bowl ads) is part of what is extra exciting about the collab for Rudolph who says, "it's genuinely very exciting for something to be a part of everyone's lives."

She continues, "I feel like this [ad] has so much of what I love to do, which is make people laugh obviously, but also, have an element of joy to it."

The M&M's commercial will drop during Super Bowl LVII, which takes place on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.