Maria Bamford

Standup comedian and voice-over artist Maria Bamford first drew breath on a naval base in Port Hueneme, California, yet grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. She launched her standup career in Minneapolis at nineteen while holding daytime temp positions, one of which, at the Nickelodeon cable network, expanded into steady voice work on the animated series CatDog. National attention arrived in 1999 with an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and five years later she shared stages with Zach Galifianakis, Patton Oswalt, and Brian Posehn on the Comedians of Comedy tour. A documentary captured the trek the following year, coinciding with the release of her debut album, The Burning Bridges Tour. In 2007 she launched the web series The Maria Bamford Show, portraying every character herself, and issued her second album, How to Win. Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome arrived in 2009, the same year Target cast her in its holiday commercials as a frantic shopper determined to be first in line. The 2012 video release The Special Special Special documented a performance given solely for her parents, while the 2013 album Ask Me About My New God! presented identical material before a complete audience. Beyond the stage she accumulated recurring television parts on Word Girl, Fresh Off The Boat, and the 2013 season of Arrested Development, alongside voice roles in Bojack Horseman, Adventure Time, and Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness. Amid these commitments she maintained her standup schedule, issuing her fifth album, 20%, on Comedy Central Records in 2017.