Much of Bamford’s work examines the relationship between “people” — generally well-intentioned friends and family — and those who grapple with depression or anxiety or any other challenge to the psyche. Her act is a series of monologues and mini-skits performed rapid fire and often without regard for transition. Deploying a range of deadpan voices, she mimics the faux-enlightened who hover around the afflicted, offering toothless platitudes, bootstrapping pep talks or concern warped by self-interest. The humor of any given moment relies not so much on punch lines as it does on the impeccably timed swerves of her tone, the interplay between Bamford’s persona and those of all the people who don’t get her.
Maria Bamford was born on September 3, 1970 at the Port Hueneme Naval Base in Port Hueneme, California. At the time, her father, Joel Bamford, was serving as a Navy Doctor. She grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, where she attended Chester Park Elementary and Duluth Marshall School. Bamford has stated that when she was younger she was often troubled with her anxiety, depression, and bouts of what she has called "Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome", a subset of obsessive–compulsive disorder.
In 1992, Bamford transferred to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland at the start of her junior year. While at the university she became the first female member of the college's improvised comedy group, The Improverts. After a year in Scotland, she transferred back to her home state and enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in creative writing. She started doing stand-up in Minneapolis, Minnesota at age 19, at Stevie Ray's Comedy Cabaret.
Her first comedy album and tour was The Burning Bridges Tour (2003), followed by her second album, How to WIN! (2007), and her third, Unwanted Thoughts Syndrome (2009). She starred in her first feature film, Lucky Numbers (2000), before lending her voice to characters on CatDog, American Dad!, Ugly Americans, Adventure Time, and BoJack Horseman. Bamford's film work includes Stuart Little 2 (2002), Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure (2003), Barnyard (2006), Heckler (2007), and her most recent film, Hell & Back (2015). She transitioned into television by starring in Louie (2012), Arrested Development (2012), and WordGirl (2014). In 2014, she won the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic.
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. For Christmas 2009, she released a free stand-up special online as a gift to her fans.
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.
Bamford stated in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune that she has been diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, as well as obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), "the new gladiator sandal", as she puts it in her comic performances.
On December 11, 2014, during her show at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, Bamford announced that she was engaged to Artist Scott Marvel Cassidy. They were married at a private ceremony in 2015. Bamford has one sister, Sarah Seidelmann; who is a life coach and shaman. She has a private residence in Los Angeles, California. She is also a fan of Pugs, and had two pugs, Blossom and Bert, the former whom passed away in 2011 after an incident for which Bamford blamed herself.
In May 2017, Bamford was the commencement speaker for the University of Minnesota's College of Liberal Arts.
