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Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970)[1] is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Her work often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depression, anxiety, suicide and mental illness.
Maria Bamford | |
|---|---|
 Bamford in 2008 | |
| Born | September 3, 1970 |
| Education | Bates College University of Edinburgh University of Minnesota (BA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse |
Scott Marvel Cassidy
(m. 2015) |
| Comedy career | |
| Medium | |
| Genres | |
| Subject(s) | |
| Website | mariabamford |
Her first comedy album and tour was The Burning Bridges Tour (2003), followed by eight more albums and specials. One of her first feature films is Lucky Numbers (2000), and she voiced characters on many animated shows, including Shriek on CatDog, and many more on American Dad!, Ugly Americans, Adventure Time, and BoJack Horseman. Her film work includes Stuart Little 2 (2002), Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure (2003), Barnyard (2006), Heckler (2007), and Hell and Back (2015). She voiced Talking Ginger and Talking Becca in the Talking Tom & Friends web series. Her live television work began in Louie (2012), Arrested Development (2013–2019), WordGirl (2007–2015), Big Mouth (2017–present), Flatbush Misdemeanors (2021-2022), and Human Resources (2022–2023). In 2014, she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic.[2]
The 2016 Netflix original series Lady Dynamite, in which she plays the lead role, is based on her life. She voiced Tito, the Anxiety Mosquito, in Big Mouth.
In 2023 she released a memoir, Sure, I'll Join Your Cult.[3]
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Bamford's father, Joel Bamford, served as a Navy doctor. She grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, attending Chester Park Elementary and Duluth Marshall School. She has stated that when she was younger, she was often troubled with her anxiety, depression, and what she has called "Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome", a subset of obsessive–compulsive disorder.[4]
Upon graduating from high school, she attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. In 1992, she transferred to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland at the start of her junior year. She became the first female member of the college's improvised comedy group, The Improverts. After a year in Scotland, she transferred back to her home state and enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. She began stand-up comedy in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at age 19, at Stevie Ray's Comedy Cabaret.[citation needed]
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1998–2008: Comedy beginnings
Bamford has been in many movies and television shows, including cartoon voices. She was the voice of Shriek DuBois in Nickelodeon's CatDog, a wide selection of secondary characters in Cartoon Network's Adventure Time, and Mrs. Botsford, Violet, and Leslie on the PBS educational series WordGirl. She does impersonations, including her mother and her agent. Her stand-up comedy often takes the form of vignettes rather than the standard setup-and-punchline format.[citation needed]
Bamford was featured in the documentary series The Comedians of Comedy on Comedy Central and Showtime, and appears in short skits titled The Maria Bamford Show, broadcast on the website Super Deluxe. She appears on the comedy compilation CD Comedy Death-Ray.[citation needed]
2008–2014: Rise to prominence
Her album Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome, produced by Comedy Central Records, was released in April 2009 and includes a DVD containing The Maria Bamford Show episodes. During the Christmas 2009–2010 shopping seasons, she was featured in a series of Target commercials, portraying an overachieving shopper determined to be first in line.[5] For Christmas 2009, she released a free stand-up special online as a gift to her fans.
While working in voice-over shows and advertisements in Los Angeles, she was hospitalized three times over the course of 18 months for nervous breakdowns. She commented on the hospital visits by saying "it was the responsible thing to do" after she felt "suicidal" and "dispirited".[4]
In 2012 she released The Special Special Special for download through Chill.com. The special was recorded at her own home in Los Angeles with only her parents present as the audience.[6][4]
In 2013, she created and starred in a web series called Ask My Mom. She plays both herself and her mother, who answers questions sent in by fans.[7] Also in 2013, she appeared as herself in one episode of the interview web series All Growz Up with Melinda Hill.[8] She voiced Pema in the Nickelodeon cartoon The Legend of Korra.
In 2013, she appeared in season four of Arrested Development as Debrie Bardeaux, Tobias Fünke's love interest.[9] The series creator noted her as a comical "genius" and said that "real artists [like Maria] talk about things that nobody else talks about, and talk about them candidly."[4] She remained on the series until it concluded in 2019.
2014–present: Lady Dynamite and critical acclaim
She appeared in the third season of Louis C.K.'s Louie.[10] In 2014, she co-created, wrote, and starred in The Program with Melinda Hill, produced by Funny or Die.[11][12] In 2014, she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic.[2] In January 2016, she was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where host Stephen Colbert called her his "favorite comedian on planet Earth".[13]
In early 2016, Netflix announced an original series based on her life, called Lady Dynamite, starring her,[14][15] released in May 2016. She was invited to the writing process. She did not write any episodes, but was often in the writers' room, discussing ideas and "hanging out". The writers had freedom to modify her experiences for creative purposes.[16]
In May 2017, she was the commencement speaker for the University of Minnesota's College of Liberal Arts.[17] During the speech, she gave a check made out to Sallie Mae for $5,000, her net speaking fee, to a graduate in the audience who had student loans.[18]
In April 2018, she appeared on season 13 of Worst Cooks in America.[19] She was eliminated in the fourth episode.
On September 5, 2023, her book, Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere, was released by Gallery Books.[20] On September 24, 2023, the book entered the New York Times Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction best seller list at #11.[21]
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Maria Bamford is the most unique, bizarre, imaginative comedian out there right now.
Bamford's unique comedic style has drawn praise from many in the comedy world. She is best known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and self-deprecating comedy involving jokes about depression and anxiety.[4] Her comedy style is surreal and incorporates voice impressions of various character types. Zach Freeman of the Chicago Tribune has noted her content and comedic style as "comically erratic" with "seemingly unrelated tangents and constantly varying vocal inflections".[22] David Sims of The Atlantic noted her roles and voice work as having themes of "serial passivity" stemming from her "polite upbringing and own internal anxieties".[23] Film producer Judd Apatow has described her comedic style as "complex" and "bizarre", later calling her "the funniest woman in the world".[4][24] Variety described Bamford's performance in Lady Dynamite, saying that "the actress and comedian, whose presence has rarely been used as well as it is here, manages the neat trick of being both believably guileless and winningly sharp."[25] A 2014 New York Times profile of Bamford noted her comedic style by saying:
Much of Bamford's work examines the relationship between "people" — generally well-intentioned friends and family — and those who grapple with depression or anxiety or any other challenge to the psyche. Her act is a series of monologues and mini skits performed rapid fire and often without regard for transition. Deploying a range of deadpan voices, she mimics the faux enlightened who hover around the afflicted, offering toothless platitudes, bootstrapping pep talks, or concern warped by self-interest. The humor of any given moment relies not so much on punch lines as it does on the impeccably timed swerves of her tone, the interplay between Bamford's persona and those of all the people who don't get her.[4]
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Bamford stated in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune that she has been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder,[26] and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).[23] In stand-up, she describes bipolar as "the new gladiator sandal".[4]
On December 11, 2014, during her show at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, she announced that she was engaged to artist Scott Marvel Cassidy.[27] They were married at a private ceremony in 2015.[28][29][30] She has one sister, Sarah Seidelmann, who is a physician, life coach and Shamanic healer.[31] She has a private residence in Los Angeles, California,[4] and a home in Altadena, California. She loves pugs, and typically owns at least one senior pug at any given time.[32]
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Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Denial | Newscaster | |
| 2000 | Lucky Numbers | Wendy | |
| 2002 | Stuart Little 2 | Teacher | |
| 2003 | Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure | Aranea / Button / additional voices | Voice |
| 2005 | The Comedians of Comedy | Herself | |
| 2006 | Barnyard | Mrs. Beady | Voice |
| 2007 | Heckler | Herself | |
| 2014 | Muffin Top: A Love Story | Angelique | |
| 2015 | Hell and Back | Gloria | Voice |
| 2015 | Misery Loves Comedy | Herself | |
| 2018 | An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn | Elegant Woman | |
| 2018 | Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss | Cultist | |
| 2021 | Extinct | Bo's Mom | Voice |
| 2022 | The Bubble | Carol's Mom | |
| 2022 | The People's Joker | Lorne Michaels | Voice |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Mystery Science Theater 3000 | Fiddler | Episode: "Bloodlust!" |
| 1998 | The Tom Show | Christy | Episode: "The Band" |
| 1998–1999 | Hey Arnold! | Mayor Dixie / various | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 1998–2005 | CatDog | Shriek DuBois | Voice, 58 episodes |
| 1999 | Dharma & Greg | Sandy | Episode: "Death & Violins" |
| 1999–2004 | Home Movies | Additional voices | 3 episodes |
| 2000 | Men in Black: The Series | Voice, episode: "The Back to School Syndrome" | |
| 2000–2001 | The Trouble with Normal | Dora | 2 episodes |
| 2001 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2001–2002 | Late Friday | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2001–2007 | Comedy Central Presents | Herself | 2 episodes; also writer |
| 2002 | Comic Remix | Herself | |
| 2002 | Premium Blend | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2003 | Hey Monie! | Sex Education Teacher | Voice, episode: "For Pet's Sake" |
| 2003 | The World Comedy Tour: Melbourne 2003 | Herself | TV special |
| 2004–2016 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Herself | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Tom Goes to the Mayor | Home Shopping Woman / Sandy | Voice, episode: "Porcelain Birds" |
| 2005 | Rove Live | Herself | Episode: "#6.7" |
| 2005–2015 | The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson | Herself | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | Shorty McShorts' Shorts | Additional voices | 3 episodes |
| 2007 | American Dad! | Randy's Mother | Voice, episode: "The 42-Year-Old Virgin" |
| 2007–2008 | Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Various | 3 episodes |
| 2007–2011 | Back at the Barnyard | Mrs. Beady | Voice, 30 episodes |
| 2007–2015 | WordGirl | Violet / Sally Botsford | Voice, 87 episodes |
| 2009 | Sit Down, Shut Up | Various voices | 9 episodes |
| 2010 | The Sarah Silverman Program | Mae Kadoodie | Episode: "Nightmayor" |
| 2010 | Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule | Cynthia Driscoll | Episode: "Health" |
| 2010 | Ugly Americans | Various voices | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | The Cartoonstitute | Captain, Zack | 2 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show | Herself | 3 episodes |
| 2010–2012 | Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil | "Wacky" Jackie Wackerman | Voice, 7 episodes |
| 2010–2018 | Adventure Time | Various voices | 69 episodes |
| 2011 | Nick Swardson's Pretend Time | Linda Martin | Episode: "Flying Stripper" |
| 2011 | Conan | Herself | Episode: "Happy One Year Anniversary to Us, and to Lisa and Greg Drucker of Wayne, New Jersey" |
| 2011 | Adam Hills in Gordon Street Tonight | Herself | Episode: "#1.8" |
| 2011–2016 | Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness | Chen | Voice, 8 episodes |
| 2012 | Louie | Maria | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Unsupervised | Various voices | 7 episodes |
| 2012–2014 | The Legend of Korra | Pema | Voice, 19 episodes |
| 2013 | Comedy.tv | Herself | Episode #1 |
| 2013 | Kroll Show | Denise Ryan | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Tales of Metropolis | Lois Lane | Voice, 2 episodes |
| 2013 | The Nerdist | Herself | Episode: "Space!" |
| 2013–2015 | Golan the Insatiable | Carole Beekler | Voice, 12 episodes |
| 2013–2019 | Arrested Development | Debrie Bardeaux | 15 episodes |
| 2014 | Chozen | Voice, episode: "Pilot" | |
| 2014 | The Program | Peace | 2 episodes; also writer and executive producer |
| 2014 | Benched | Cheryl | 8 episodes |
| 2014 | Mixels | Scorpi | Voice |
| 2014–2016 | TripTank | Various voices | 6 episodes |
| 2014–2017 | @midnight | Herself | 4 episodes |
| 2014–2019 | BoJack Horseman | Kelsey Jannings / various | Voice, 9 episodes |
| 2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Claire Coulter | Episode: "Maya Rudolph Wears a Black Skirt & Strappy Sandals" |
| 2015 | Clarence | Dillis | Voice, episode: "Hurricane Dillis" |
| 2015 | Maron | Herself | Episode: "Mad Marc" |
| 2015 | Axe Cop | Various voices | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell | The Thin Twins | Voice, episode: "Psyklone and the Thin Twins" |
| 2015 | Pickle and Peanut | Kandy | Voice, episode: "PAL-SCAN/America's Sweetboy" |
| 2015–2016 | Fresh Off the Boat | Principal Thomas | 4 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | Pig Goat Banana Cricket | Various voices | 4 episodes |
| 2015–2017 | Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero | Various voices | 12 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | The Adventures of Puss in Boots | The Duchess | Voice, 12 episodes |
| 2016 | Take My Wife | Maria | Episode: "Punchline" |
| 2016 | Flophouse | Herself | Episode: "Haircuts at Babe Island" |
| 2016 | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | Herself | Episode: "Scott Kelly/Abby Wambach/Maria Bamford" |
| 2016–2017 | Lady Dynamite | Maria Bamford | 20 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2016–2019 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Various voices | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Portlandia | Humane Society Volunteer | Episode: "Misunderstood Miracles" |
| 2017 | We Bare Bears | Miss Chriss | Voice, episode: "Panda's Art" |
| 2017 | Ginger Snaps | Vivian | Voice, 10 episodes |
| 2017 | Downward Dog | Pepper | Voice, 4 episodes |
| 2017 | Mighty Magiswords | Tara Byte 11.0 | Voice, episode: "The Saga of Robopiggeh!" |
| 2017 | Bob's Burgers | Kendra / Catherine | Voice, episode: "Sit Me Baby One More Time" |
| 2017 | Harvey Beaks | Grada | Voice, episode: "The End and the Beginning" |
| 2018 | Liverspots and Astronots | Various voices | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | Stan Against Evil | Nurse Pickles | Episode: "Intensive Scare Unit" |
| 2018 | The Shivering Truth | Lover / Elderly Woman | Voice, episode: "Tow and Shell" |
| 2018 | Worst Cooks in America | Herself | 4 episodes |
| 2018 | Dream Corp LLC | Norf Norf | 2 episodes |
| 2019 | SuperMansion | Teach | Voice, episode: "Teacher and the Goof" |
| 2019 | Victor and Valentino | Guandelupe | Voice, episode: "Los Cadejos" |
| 2019 | SpongeBob SquarePants | Macadamia / Hazelnut / Pistachio | Voice, episode: "Sandy's Nutty Nieces" |
| 2019 | Ask the StoryBots | Dr. Pat the Mad Scientist | Voice, episode: "How Do Eyes See?" |
| 2019–2020 | The Rocketeer | Laura | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2019–2020 | Tigtone | Spaceress | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2020 | The Midnight Gospel | Various voices | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Butterbean's Café | Queen Batilda | Voice, episode: "The Legend of the Shadow Bean!" |
| 2020–2021 | Adventure Time: Distant Lands | Various voices | 2 episodes |
| 2020–2021 | Animaniacs | Julia / Tammy | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2020–present | Big Mouth | Tito the Anxiety Mosquito | Voice, recurring role |
| 2021 | Everything's Gonna Be Okay | Suze | 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Kenan | Glory | Episode: "Wednesday's Gal" |
| 2021 | Flatbush Misdemeanors | Maria | Episode: "retrograde" |
| 2021 | Tuca & Bertie | Patricia Ramsey | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2021 | I Heart Arlo | Various voices | 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Summer Camp Island | The Royal Mush / Foghorn / Polly / Sandy | Voice, 6 episodes |
| 2021 | Santa Inc. | Mrs. Claus / Big Candy | Voice, 8 episodes |
| 2021 | Centaurworld | Malangella / Maitre D / Opposumtaur | Voice, 3 episodes |
| 2021–present | HouseBroken | Jill / Big Cookie | Voice, recurring role |
| 2021–present | Teenage Euthanasia | Trophy Fantasy | Voice, main role |
| 2022 | Mr. Mayor | Leaf | Episode: "The Illusion of Choice" |
| 2022 | Wolfboy and the Everything Factory | Sky Ancient | Episode: "We Search Above" |
| 2022–2023 | Human Resources | Tito the Anxiety Mosquito | Voice |
| 2023 | Rick and Morty | Churry | Voice, episode: "Rickfending Your Mort" |
| 2023 | Night Court | The Ghost of Christmas Present | Episode: "The Night Court Before Christmas" |
| 2024 | After Midnight | Herself | 2 episodes |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Maria Bamford Show | Herself, her mother, her father, her sister, others | |
| 2012 | SuperF*ckers | Princess Sunshine, Computer Fist | Voice |
| 2012–2018 | Bravest Warriors | Pixel, Gayle, Elves, others | Voice |
| 2013 | Ask My Mom | Herself, her mother Marilyn Bamford | |
| 2014–present | Talking Tom and Friends | Talking Ginger, Talking Becca, Flo, Autumn Summers (Season 3), Pilar | |
| 2017 | Ave Maria Bamford | Herself[33] | Also writer |
| 2019–present | What's Your Ailment?! | Herself[34] | Also executive producer |
Discography
- The Burning Bridges Tour (2003) [CD]
- How to WIN! (2007) [CD]
- Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome (2009) [CD]
- Plan B (2010) [DVD]
- The Special Special Special! (2012) [video download]
- Ask Me About My New God! (2013) [CD]
- 20% (2016) [CD]
- Maria Bamford: Old Baby (2017) [Netflix]
- Weakness Is the Brand (2020) [album/video]
- CROWD-PLEASER! (2023) [album]
- Local Act (2023) [video download]
Biography
- Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere (2023)[35]
Podcasts
- Bonanas for Bonanza (2020)
- Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend (2023)
- Planet Money - Maria Bamford gets personal (about) finance (Oct 13, 2023)
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