Maria Bamford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maria Bamford
Bamford in 2008
Born	(1970-09-03) September 3, 1970 (age 54)
Education	Bates College University of Edinburgh University of Minnesota (BA)
Occupation	Actress comedian
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Scott Marvel Cassidy ​ (m. 2015)​
Comedy career
Medium	Stand-up television film
Genres	Observational comedy character comedy surreal humor alternative comedy
Subject(s)	Pop culture personal life mental health

Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian. She is known for her unique comedy style. She often talks about her own life experiences and feelings, including her journey with mental health.

Maria has released many comedy albums and specials. Her first album was The Burning Bridges Tour in 2003. She has also voiced characters in many animated shows. These include Shriek on CatDog, and characters on American Dad!, Adventure Time, and BoJack Horseman. She also voiced Talking Ginger and Talking Becca in the Talking Tom & Friends web series.

She has appeared in live-action TV shows like Louie (2012) and Arrested Development (2013–2019). In 2014, she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic. In 2016, Netflix released Lady Dynamite, a show based on her life, where she played the main role. She also voiced Tito, the Anxiety Mosquito, in the show Big Mouth. In 2023, Maria released a book about her life called Sure, I'll Join Your Cult.

Early Life and Education

Maria Bamford grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. Her father, Joel Bamford, was a Navy doctor. She went to Chester Park Elementary and Duluth Marshall School. Maria has shared that she faced challenges with anxiety and depression when she was younger. She also experienced what she called "Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome," which is a type of obsessive–compulsive disorder.

After high school, she attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. In 1992, she studied abroad at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. There, she became the first female member of the college's comedy group, The Improverts. After a year, she returned to Minnesota and enrolled at the University of Minnesota. She earned a degree in English. Maria started doing stand-up comedy in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when she was 19 years old.

Comedy Career

Starting Her Comedy Career (1998–2008)

Maria Bamford has been in many movies and TV shows, including voicing cartoon characters. She was the voice of Shriek DuBois in Nickelodeon's CatDog. She also voiced many characters in Cartoon Network's Adventure Time. On the PBS educational series WordGirl, she voiced Mrs. Botsford, Violet, and Leslie. Maria is also known for doing funny impressions, like her mother and her agent. Her stand-up comedy often uses short, funny scenes instead of just jokes with a setup and punchline.

She was also featured in a documentary series called The Comedians of Comedy. This show was on Comedy Central and Showtime. She also appeared in short online videos called The Maria Bamford Show.

Becoming Well-Known (2008–2014)

In April 2009, Maria released her album Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome. It also came with a DVD of The Maria Bamford Show episodes. Around Christmas in 2009 and 2010, she was in a series of Target commercials. In these ads, she played a very eager shopper trying to be first in line. For Christmas 2009, she gave her fans a free stand-up special online.

In 2012, she released a special called The Special Special Special. It was unique because she recorded it at her own home in Los Angeles. Her only audience was her parents.

In 2013, Maria created and starred in a web series called Ask My Mom. In this show, she played both herself and her mother, who answered questions from fans. Also in 2013, she voiced Pema in the Nickelodeon cartoon The Legend of Korra.

From 2013 to 2019, she appeared in the show Arrested Development. She played Debrie Bardeaux, a character who was interested in Tobias Fünke. The show's creator called her a "genius" and praised her for talking about things in a real and open way.

Lady Dynamite and Recognition (2014–Present)

Maria appeared in the third season of Louis C.K.'s show Louie. In 2014, she helped create, write, and star in The Program with Melinda Hill. That same year, she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic. In January 2016, she was a guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The host, Stephen Colbert, called her his "favorite comedian on planet Earth."

In early 2016, Netflix announced a new show based on Maria's life called Lady Dynamite. Maria starred in the show, which was released in May 2016. She was involved in the writing process, sharing ideas and experiences. The writers were able to change her experiences for the show to make it more creative.

In May 2017, Maria gave a speech at the University of Minnesota's College of Liberal Arts graduation. During her speech, she gave a check for $5,000 to a graduate in the audience who had student loans. This money was her fee for speaking.

In April 2018, she appeared on season 13 of Worst Cooks in America. She was eliminated in the fourth episode.

On September 5, 2023, Maria released her book, Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere. This book became a best seller on the New York Times list.

Comedy Style

Maria Bamford's unique comedy style is highly praised. She is well-known for talking about her personal life and making jokes about depression and anxiety. Her comedy is often surreal and includes voice impressions of different characters. Critics have described her style as "comically erratic" with "seemingly unrelated tangents and constantly changing vocal tones." Film producer Judd Apatow has called her comedy "complex" and "bizarre," and even said she is "the funniest woman in the world."

Personal Life

Maria Bamford has shared that she has been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). She often talks about these experiences in her stand-up comedy.

On December 11, 2014, Maria announced that she was engaged to artist Scott Marvel Cassidy. They got married in a private ceremony in 2015. Maria has a sister, Sarah Seidelmann, who is a doctor and life coach. Maria lives in Los Angeles, California, and also has a home in Altadena, California. She loves pugs and usually has at least one older pug as a pet.

Filmography

Film

Television

Web series

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)

Podcasts

• Bonanas for Bonanza (2020)
• Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend (2023)
• Planet Money - Maria Bamford gets personal (about) finance (Oct 13, 2023)

See also

In Spanish: María Bamford para niños