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 25 to 48 of 61.
19:253 Comedians on 12-Step Programs (Marc Maron, Jimmy Carr, Maria Bamford)
Neal Brennan
18.2K views
43:00Maria Bamford | Marketable Mania | Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out Podcast
Mike Birbiglia
17K views
0:58Maria Bamford’s hot take on success | Breaking Bread with Tom Papa
Tom Papa
16.3K views
23:233 Comedians on OCD (Mark Normand, Howie Mandel, Maria Bamford)
Neal Brennan
14.6K views
17:014 Celebrities with Eating Disorders (Nikki Glaser, Jameela Jamil, Marc Maron, Maria Bamford)
Neal Brennan
13.1K views
0:47Maria Bamford on Phone Addiction
Neal Brennan
12.7K views
1:04:13TDF EP 172 – Janeane Garofalo and Maria Bamford
Jackie Kashian
10.3K views
5:25WTF Live - Maria Bamford Pt2
Marc Maron
8.8K views
2:29Schtick or Treat 2013 - Maria Bamford
Alice Wetterlund
8.6K views
5:06WTF Live - Maria Bamford Pt1
Marc Maron
8.4K views
1:07:04The Dork Forest VIDEO: Maria Bamford still talking money. – EP 754
Jackie Kashian
6.2K views
7:28Maria Bamford doesn't want you to bring friends to the show
Jimmy Pardo
6.2K views
4:51WTF Live - Maria Bamford Pt3
Marc Maron
5.1K views
13:04Maria Bamford, Alex Edelman, & Jak Knight On Their Worst Reviews - Moses & Friends | Team Coco LIVE
Conan O'Brien
3.9K views
0:34Pete Lee - Comedy Central Showdown - Maria Bamford Smear Campaign
Pete Lee
3.8K views
13:48The Downfall of the White House Correspondents' Dinner | Intro for Maria Bamford
W. Kamau Bell
3.8K views
2:11Maria Bamford, Melinda Hill, Oscar Nunez, Jerry Minor & George Basil in The Program Sizzle
Melinda Hill
3.6K views
1:36Maria Bamford on Being The Reluctant Subject of a Documentary
W. Kamau Bell
3.6K views
1:02:26The Dork Forest Video: Maria Bamford and The Artist’s Way - EP 864
Jackie Kashian
3K views
57:42Maria Bamford - RHLSTP 376
Richard Herring
3K views
1:18Maria Bamford on Doing Benefit Shows: "I'm Not a Good Time!"
W. Kamau Bell
2.9K views
2:22Maria Bamford on her stand-up style - from RHLSTP 376
Richard Herring
2.8K views
0:36Maria Bamford on Causes to Support
W. Kamau Bell
2.1K views
0:45Airport or noise band? There’s no difference. - Maria Bamford | Breaking Bread with Tom Papa
Tom Papa
2K viewsChannels on this page: Neal Brennan, Mike Birbiglia, Tom Papa, Jackie Kashian, Marc Maron, Alice Wetterlund, Jimmy Pardo, Conan O'Brien, Pete Lee, W. Kamau Bell, Melinda Hill, Richard Herring
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
