Maria Bamford

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Maria Bamford
File:Mariba.JPG
Bamford in 2008.
Birth name Maria Elizabeth Sheldon Bamford
Born (1970-09-03) September 3, 1970 (age 54)
Port Hueneme, California, United States
Medium Stand-up, television, film
Nationality American
Years active 1989–present
Genres Observational comedy, character comedy, surreal humor, alternative comedy
Subject(s) Pop culture, personal life, mental health
Spouse Scott Marvel Cassidy
Website mariabamford.com

Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and voice actress. She is best known for her portrayal of her dysfunctional family and self-deprecating comedy involving jokes about depression and anxiety. Her comedy style is surreal, and incorporates voice impressions of various character types.

Early life

Bamford was born at the naval base in Port Hueneme, California, where her father Joel was serving as a Navy doctor. She grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, where she attended Chester Park Elementary and The Marshall School. She went on to attend Bates College, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Minnesota, where she earned a degree in Creative Writing. She started doing stand-up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at age 19, at Stevie Ray's Comedy Cabaret. Bamford then joined Edinburgh's improvised comedy show The Improverts. Maria has one sister, Sarah Bamford Seidelmann.

Career

Bamford has been in a number of movies and television shows, including voice appearances in cartoons. Most notably, she was the voice of Shriek in CatDog, a huge selection of secondary characters in Cartoon Network's Adventure Time and Mrs. Botsford, Violet, and Leslie on the long running PBS educational series WordGirl. The best-known aspect of her act is her various impersonations (including her mother and her agent). Her stand-up comedy often takes the form of vignettes rather than the standard setup/punchline format.

Bamford was featured in the documentary series The Comedians of Comedy on Comedy Central and Showtime, and appeared in short skits titled "The Maria Bamford Show" broadcast on the now defunct website Super Deluxe. She also appears on the comedy compilation CD Comedy Death-Ray.

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, Bamford was featured in a series of Target commercials, portraying an overachieving shopper determined to be first in line.[1]

For Christmas 2009, she released a free stand-up special online as a gift to her fans.[2]

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 Bamford's parents present as the audience and is now available on Netflix.[3][4]

In 2013, Maria created and stars in a web series called 'Ask My Mom.' Maria plays both herself and her mom, who answers questions sent in by fans.[5]

Also in 2013, Bamford appeared as herself in one episode of the interview web series All Growz Up with Melinda Hill.[6]

She provides the voice of Pema in Nickelodeon cartoon The Legend of Korra. In 2013, she appeared in season four of Arrested Development as DeBrie Bardeaux, Tobias Funke's love interest.[7]

She appeared in Season 3 of Louis CK's Louie.[8] And in 2014, she co-created, wrote and starred in "The Program" with Melinda Hill, produced by Funny or Die.[9][10]

In 2014, she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic.[11]

Personal life

Bamford has stated publicly that she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder,[12] "the new gladiator sandal," as she puts it in her comic performances.[4]

On stage during her stand up show at the Neptune theater in Seattle on December 11th 2014, Maria announced she is engaged to be married.[13] It was also announced on her Twitter.[14] Bamford announced in 2015 her marriage to artist Scott Marvel Cassidy.

Discography

Compilation features

Filmography

Film

Television

Web series

References

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External links

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  2. ↑ Maria Bamford's One-Hour Homemade Christmas Special! on Vimeo
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