Maria Thayer
American actress (born 1975)
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Maria Christina Thayer (born October 30, 1975) is an American actress and comedian.[1] She first earned public recognition for her portrayal of Tammi Littlenut on the cult series Strangers with Candy in 1999. Thayer has also had supporting roles in the comedy films Hitch (2005), Accepted (2006), and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008).[1]
Maria Thayer | |
|---|---|
Maria Thayer at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con | |
| Born | Maria Christina Thayer October 30, 1975 |
| Education | Juilliard School (BFA) |
| Occupations | Actress, comedian |
| Years active | 1999–present |
She has appeared in numerous television series, including a lead role on the Adult Swim series Eagleheart (2011–2014), and a lead role as Abbey Logan on the comedy series Those Who Can't. She played the title role in the movie Night of the Living Deb.
Early life
Thayer was born in Portland, Oregon, and spent her early life in the small town of Boring, east of Portland, where her parents owned a bee farm.[1][2][3] During her childhood, the family relocated to Apple Valley, Minnesota, where she attended Apple Valley High School and was a member of the award-winning forensics program and the National Forensic League,[4] as well as 1993 Homecoming Queen.[5] She studied acting at The Juilliard School in New York.[1]
Career
In 2005, Thayer appeared in Hitch with Will Smith and Eva Mendes.
In Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Thayer plays a woman on holiday with a new husband, played by Jack McBrayer.[6] Thayer and McBrayer reunited on an episode of 30 Rock in which she portrays Kenneth Parcell's blind, shallow love interest.[1] She also played Grace and Leo's daughter, Lila, in the series finale of Will & Grace (2006).[1] In 2009, she appeared in the film State of Play as Sonia Baker, the researcher and mistress of a congressman.[1]
Thayer stars in the Adult Swim comedy series Eagleheart,[6] which began airing on February 3, 2011, on Cartoon Network.[7] She appeared as Tracey Bluth in the fourth season of Arrested Development in flashback scenes.[8] In 2012, she was featured in the music video "Sensitive Man" by Nick Lowe.[9][10]
In 2014, Thayer played the sudden wife of Forrest MacNeill (Andy Daly) on the Comedy Central show Review for the episode "Marry, Run, Party" of the first season.
Starting in 2015, she starred in the TruTV sitcom Those Who Can't as an incompetent teacher at a Denver high school, alongside Ben Roy, Adam Cayton-Holland and Andrew Orvedahl (The Grawlix).
Personal life
Thayer was previously engaged to actor David Harbour.[11]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Kimberly | Louise | |
| 2001 | Storytelling | Amy | Segment: "Fiction" |
| Scratch | Short film[12] | ||
| 2005 | Strangers with Candy | Tamela "Tammi" Littlenut | |
| Hitch | Lisa | ||
| 2006 | Accepted | Rory Thayer | |
| 2008 | Forgetting Sarah Marshall | Wyoma | |
| 2009 | State of Play | Sonia Baker | |
| 2011 | Let Go | Beth | |
| 2015 | Night of the Living Deb | Deborah Clarington | |
| 2017 | Table 19 | Infamous Kate Milner |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | Strangers with Candy | Tamela "Tammi" Littlenut | 14 episodes |
| 2001 | Big Apple | Rosemary | 3 episodes |
| The Education of Max Bickford | Tina | Episode: "Herding Cats" | |
| 2003 | Miss Match | Chelsea Greer | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Claire Brody | Episode: "A Murderer Among Us" | |
| 2004 | Comedy Lab | Jill | Episode: "12:21" |
| 2005 | Romancing the Bride | Kimmy | Television film |
| 2006 | Will & Grace | Laila | Episode: "The Finale" |
| The Colbert Report | Jenny (voice) | Episode: "Will Power" | |
| Nip/Tuck | Transplant Consultant | Episode: "Burt Landau" | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Hope | Episode: "Infiltrated" | |
| 2008 | Lipstick Jungle | Cassidy | 3 episodes |
| 2009 | 30 Rock | Jennifer Rogers | Episode: "St. Valentine's Day" |
| House | Annie | Episode: "Both Sides Now" | |
| 2010 | Important Things with Demetri Martin | Edith | Episode: "Strategy" |
| Our Show | Television film | ||
| 2011 | Traffic Light | Esme | Episode: "Credit Balance" |
| Harry's Law | Julie Cassidy | Episode: "Purple Hearts" | |
| Annie Claus is Coming to Town | Annie | [13] | |
| 2011–2014 | Eagleheart | Susie Wagner | 24 episodes |
| 2012 | Louie | Rental Car Lady | Episode: "Dad" |
| New Girl | Amelia | Episode: "Halloween" | |
| 2013 | Cougar Town | Lisa Riggs | 3 episodes[14] |
| Portlandia | Episode: "Nina's Birthday"[6] | ||
| Family Tools | Wendy Doyle | Episode: "Now You See Me, Now You Don't"[15] | |
| Maron | Megan | Episode: "Dominatrix"[16] | |
| Arrested Development | Tracey Bluth | Episode: "It Gets Better" | |
| 2014 | Review | Eliza | Episode: "Marry; Run; Party" |
| American Dad! | Nun (voice) | Episode: "Cock of the Sleepwalk" | |
| Dads | Maria | Episode: "Baby Face" | |
| Men at Work | Bridget | Episode: "Molly" | |
| 2014–2016 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Monica Dubinsky / Marissa Price | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | Mulaney | The Doula | Episode: "The Doula" |
| The League | Cheryl | 2 episodes | |
| 2015 | Man Seeking Woman | Maude | Episode: "Dram" |
| Kroll Show | Duchess Tina | Episode: "The Time of My Life" | |
| Difficult People | Nicole | Episode: "The Courage of a Soldier" | |
| Gotham | Scottie Mullen | 2 episodes | |
| Married | Kristi | Episode: "Gymnastics" | |
| 2016-2019 | Those Who Can't | Abbey Logan | 3 seasons |
| 2016 | The Mindy Project | Courtney | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | The Catch | Gretchen | Episode: "The Knock-Off" |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Jean Munhroe | Episode: "The Venue" | |
| 2018 | Robot Chicken | Julia Child, Helen, Woman (voice) | Episode: "Why Is It Wet?" |
| 2020 | Robot Chicken | Rita Repulsa, Jeffrey's Mom, Bird (voice) | Episode: "Sundancer Craig in: 30% of the Way to Crying" |
| A.P. Bio | Molly | Episode: "Get Hoppy” | |
| 2021 | Superstore | Hannah | 4 episodes |
| 2026 | St. Denis Medical | Carolyn | Episode: "You're in His Bubble Space" |
Music videos
| Year | Artist | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Hospitality | "Friends of Friends"[17] | Friend in Glasses |
| 2012 | Nick Lowe | "Sensitive Man"[10] | Girlfriend |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Necessary Targets | Nuna | Variety Arts Theatre |
| Endpapers | Sara Maynard | Variety Arts Theatre | |
| 2012 | Unscreened | Stranger in the Park | Elephant Theatre Company[18] |
| 2013 | Love's Labour's Lost | Rosaline | Delacorte Theater[19] |
