Maria Bamford
About Maria Bamford
Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) 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, and her stand-up frequently takes the form of vignettes rather than the standard setup-and-punchline format. She grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, attended Bates College, transferred to the University of Edinburgh, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Minnesota, beginning stand-up in Minneapolis at age 19.
Her first comedy album and tour was The Burning Bridges Tour (2003), followed by eight more albums and specials. She has voiced characters on many animated shows, including Shriek on CatDog, and roles on American Dad!, Adventure Time and BoJack Horseman, as well as Tito the Anxiety Mosquito in Big Mouth and Human Resources. Her live-action television work includes Louie (2012), Arrested Development (2013-2019), where she played Debrie Bardeaux, and Lady Dynamite (2016), the Netflix series based on her life in which she plays the lead role. In 2014 she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic.
Bamford's father, Joel Bamford, served as a Navy doctor. She has spoken about being troubled with anxiety, depression and what she calls "Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome", a subset of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and was hospitalized three times for nervous breakdowns while working in Los Angeles. In 2023 she released a memoir titled Sure, I'll Join Your Cult, and the 2026 documentary Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story explores her life and career.
Videos (42)
Videos 1 to 24 of 42.
52:19Maria Bamford's One Hour Homemade Christmas Stand up Special
35.6K views
5:01The Maria Bamford Show - Dropping Out of Society - Season 1 Episode 1
19.9K views
0:20Thank You From Maria Bamford!
15.6K views
0:57Paula Deen's Recipes Read Like a Suicide Note.
12.3K views
4:23The Maria Bamford Show - Maria Gets a Job - Season 1 Episode 2
9.2K views
1:27Maria Bamford - Ask My Mom - Sex
8.7K views
1:20Maria Bamford - Ask My Mom - Sad Sack
8.1K views
1:46Maria Bamford - Ask My Mom - Religion
7.4K views
3:55The Maria Bamford Show - Search for Meaning - Season 1 Episode 4
6.8K views
3:54The Maria Bamford Show - Kicked Out - Season 1 Episode 3
6.7K views
0:33Thank You from Maria & Muffin!!
6.2K views
1:11Maria Bamford - Ask My Mom - Raising Kids
5.8K views
4:24The Maria Bamford Show - Ready for Love - Season 1 Episode 5
5.8K views
0:59Thank You from Marilyn Bamford
5.6K views
5:12The Maria Bamford Show - Show Time - Season 1 Episode 7
5.2K views
3:38The Maria Bamford Show - Dark - Season 1 Episode 10
5.1K views
3:29The Maria Bamford Show - Mother's Day - Season 1 Episode 6
4.9K views
0:57I am a raccoon.
4.9K views
1:27Maria Bamford - Ask My Mom - Abstract
4.8K views
4:05The Maria Bamford Show - Bread - Season 1 Episode 9
4.6K views
0:37I believe.
4.5K views
3:09The Maria Bamford Show - Crevasse - Season 1 Episode 8
4.3K views
0:35Maria Bamford Noooo-CD Clip
4.3K views
1:02Maria Bamford's "Noooo-CD" Comedy Series Kickstarter Pitch Video
4.2K viewsGuest appearances (61)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Maria Bamford.
Guest appearances 1 to 24 of 61.
11:30Judd Apatow on Mushrooms with Wife Leslie Mann & Documentaries About Norm Macdonald & Maria Bamford
Jimmy Kimmel
527.2K views
0:52Performative generosity | Maria Bamford | The Downside Podcast with Gianmarco Soresi
Gianmarco Vincent Soresi
475K views
4:13Maria Bamford Leaves Her Mom Voicemails From Baby Jesus | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
275K views
6:48Maria Bamford’s Former Psychiatrist Googled Her During A Session | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
259.9K views
1:30:47Maria Bamford | The Blocks Podcast w/ Neal Brennan | FULL EPISODE 36
Neal Brennan
168.4K views
0:46Atheism can be comforting | Maria Bamford | The Downside Podcast with Gianmarco Soresi
Gianmarco Vincent Soresi
150.7K views
8:48Maria Bamford & Conan Talk About Money | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
137.2K views
8:51Maria Bamford Was A Suzuki Violinist | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
132.6K views
0:28Maria Bamford AA in West Hollywood | You Made It Weird
Pete Holmes
123.5K views
24:523 Sex Addicts on Recovery (Terry Crews, Jim Norton, Maria Bamford)
Neal Brennan
106K views
3:56Maria Bamford Used Her Commencement Speech Earnings To Pay Off Students’ Loans | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
99.1K views
1:43:59Maria Bamford | You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes
Pete Holmes
86.3K views
5:48Maria Bamford Performed In A “Star Trek” Traveling Show | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend
Conan O'Brien
63.3K views
0:22Maria Bamford parks illegally
Neal Brennan
60.7K views
0:25Maria Bamford was a terrible waitress! | You Made It Weird
Pete Holmes
57.4K views
1:05Maria Bamford on Merch
Neal Brennan
52.6K views
1:40:49Comforting Atheism with Maria Bamford | The Downside with Gianmarco Soresi | Podcast
Gianmarco Vincent Soresi
48K views
1:30Maria Bamford’s Relationship Advice | CONAN on TBS
Conan O'Brien
41.6K views
1:03:56Maria Bamford - Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast
Richard Herring
37.2K views
1:06:01Maria Bamford Talks Living in Altadena Through the Fires, Lunch with Seinfeld, and Pug Life
Tom Papa
35.3K views
9:11Maria Bamford on Her New Documentary, and How She'll Never Forget Being Roasted
W. Kamau Bell
27.7K views
6:32How Maria Bamford & Jerry Seinfeld deal with hecklers
Neal Brennan
26.2K views
1:04:49Maria Bamford: Comedy, Mental Health, and Making Your Own Rules
W. Kamau Bell
25.9K views
13:03Maria Bamford on cults
Neal Brennan
18.5K viewsChannels on this page: Jimmy Kimmel, Gianmarco Vincent Soresi, Conan O'Brien, Neal Brennan, Pete Holmes, Richard Herring, Tom Papa, W. Kamau Bell
Frequently asked questions
Who is Maria Bamford?
Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian whose work often uses self-deprecating and dark topics such as mental illness, depression and anxiety.
What is Lady Dynamite?
Lady Dynamite is a 2016 Netflix original series based on Maria Bamford's life, in which she plays the lead role.
What is distinctive about Maria Bamford's stand-up?
Her stand-up often takes the form of vignettes rather than the standard setup-and-punchline format, and she frequently does impersonations, including of her mother.
What animated roles has Maria Bamford voiced?
She voiced Shriek on CatDog, characters on American Dad!, Adventure Time and BoJack Horseman, and Tito the Anxiety Mosquito in Big Mouth and Human Resources.
Did Maria Bamford write a memoir?
Yes, in 2023 she released a memoir titled Sure, I'll Join Your Cult.
Comedians similar to Maria Bamford
Same comedic style, across countries
