{{short description|American actress (born 1975)}} {{Use American English|date=August 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Maria Thayer | image = Maria Thayer by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Maria Thayer at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con | birth_name = Maria Christina Thayer | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|10|30}} | birth_place = Portland, Oregon, U.S. | education = Juilliard School (BFA) | occupation = Actress, comedian | years_active = 1999–present }} '''Maria Christina Thayer''' (born October 30, 1975) is an American actress and comedian.<ref name="PopTower">{{cite web |url=http://web.poptower.com/maria-thayer.htm |title=Maria Thayer pictures, bio, movies |publisher=PopTower |access-date=June 12, 2013}}</ref> 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).<ref name="PopTower"/>
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.<ref name="PopTower"/><ref name="interview">{{cite web |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2016/02/maria_thayer_explains_how_to_g.html |work=The Oregonian |publisher=Oregon Live |title=TV's Maria Thayer: From a bee farm in Boring to the new sitcom, 'Those Who Can't' |author=Turnquist, Kristi |date=February 11, 2016 |access-date=December 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>In a 2016 interview with ''The Oregonian'', Thayer states that she was born "in the hospital"—there is no hospital in Boring, and the nearest hospitals are in Multnomah County, Portland. Additionally, in a 2014 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZOOWbzeV2Q interview] while on the set of ''Night of the Living Deb'', she states "I'm from Portland, Oregon."</ref> 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,<ref name = "AVForensics">{{cite web |url=http://avforensics.org/wordpress/?p=328 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212051843/http://avforensics.org/wordpress/?p=328 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 12, 2013 |access-date=June 12, 2013 |title=Alumni Spotlight - Maria Thayer |publisher=Apple Valley High School Forensics |quote=Actress Maria Thayer (''Accepted'', ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'') was honored at a Nationals Award banquet recognizing her success both during and beyond her NFL career.}}</ref> as well as 1993 Homecoming Queen.<ref name = "JordanJesseGo203">{{cite podcast |title=''Jordan, Jesse, Go!'' Episode 203: Bone Manor with Maria Thayer |url=http://www.maximumfun.org/jordan-jesse-go/jordan-jesse-go-episode-203-bone-manor-maria-thayer |publisher=Maximum Fun |access-date=June 12, 2013 |date=December 12, 2011 |minutes=45:45 |host=Jesse Thorn and Jordan Morris}}</ref> She studied acting at The Juilliard School in New York.<ref name="PopTower"/>
==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.<ref name="Paper2013">{{cite journal |title=Our Guide To All the Celebrity Cameos on Portlandia's Third Season |journal=Paper |url=http://newsle.com/article/0/54686931/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211133524/http://newsle.com/article/0/54686931/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |date=January 3, 2013 |author=Abby Schreiber |access-date=June 10, 2013 |quote=Mike O'Brien and actress Maria Thayer (who plays Susie on Adult Swim's ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' spoof ''Eagleheart'' and Jack McBrayer's amorous wife in ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'') will play a young couple who are prepared to go into debt in order to attend an outlandish birthday party}}</ref> Thayer and McBrayer reunited on an episode of ''30 Rock'' in which she portrays Kenneth Parcell's blind love interest (who may be a distant relative).<ref name="PopTower"/> She also played Grace and Leo's daughter, Lila, in the series finale of ''Will & Grace'' (2006).<ref name="PopTower"/> In 2009, she appeared in the film ''State of Play'' as Sonia Baker, the researcher and mistress of a congressman.<ref name="PopTower"/>
Thayer stars in the Adult Swim comedy series ''Eagleheart'',<ref name = "Paper2013"/> which began airing on February 3, 2011, on Cartoon Network.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adultswim.com/shows/eagleheart/index.html |title=Eagleheart |website=Adult Swim|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203052933/http://www.adultswim.com/shows/eagleheart/index.html|archive-date=February 3, 2011}}</ref> She appeared as Tracey Bluth in the fourth season of ''Arrested Development'' in flashback scenes.<ref name="ADviaEW">{{cite magazine |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/06/05/arrested-development-mitchell-hurwitz-george-clooney-mitt-romney-netflix/ |author=Snierson, Dan |title=''Arrested Development'': Mitchell Hurwitz on the movie -- and the Romney joke you never saw |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 10, 2013 |date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609153314/http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/06/05/arrested-development-mitchell-hurwitz-george-clooney-mitt-romney-netflix/|archive-date=June 9, 2013}}</ref> In 2012, she was featured in the music video "Sensitive Man" by Nick Lowe.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCeMiP2zgtM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211217/tCeMiP2zgtM |archive-date=December 17, 2021 |url-status=live |title=Nick Lowe - "Sensitive Man" |last=Yep Roc Records |date=March 2, 2012 |via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name = "HuffPost03022012">{{cite news |work=HuffPost |author=Ross Luippold |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/02/nick-lowes-sensitive-man-marc-maron-tim-heidecker_n_1316945.html |date=March 2, 2012 |title=Nick Lowe's ''Sensitive Man'' Music Video Features Marc Maron, Tim Heidecker, Other Surprise Guests |access-date=June 10, 2013}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.somamagazine.com/late-on-the-scene/ |title=SOMA Magazine » Archive » Late on the Scene |first=SOMA |last=Magazine |website=somamagazine.com}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1999 |''Kimberly'' |Louise | |- | rowspan="2" |2001 |''Storytelling'' |Amy |Segment: "Fiction" |- |''Scratch'' | |Short film<ref name="ColumbiaSpectator">{{cite news |url=http://www.blogs.columbiaspectator.com/2001/04/20/cannes-hudson |title=Cannes on the Hudson |author=Ciccone |date=April 20, 2001 |access-date=June 12, 2013 |quote=By contrast, the 16mm films on the opening Student Reel Awards night were varied and intriguing. Julia Solomonoff's Scratch, whose Maria Thayer won for lead actress, is stylistically somewhat muddled despite the story of a Kosovar immigrant in New York City that gradually emerges. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217222311/http://www.blogs.columbiaspectator.com/2001/04/20/cannes-hudson |archive-date=December 17, 2013|first=Patrick}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" |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=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1999–2000 |''Strangers with Candy'' |Tamela "Tammi" Littlenut |14 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |2001 |''Big Apple'' |Rosemary |3 episodes |- |''{{sortname|The|Education of Max Bickford}}'' |Tina |Episode: "Herding Cats" |- | rowspan="2" |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 |- | rowspan="4" |2006 |''Will & Grace'' |Laila |Episode: "The Finale" |- |''{{sortname|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 |- | rowspan="2" |2009 |''30 Rock'' |Jennifer Rogers |Episode: "St. Valentine's Day" |- |''House'' |Annie |Episode: "Both Sides Now" |- | rowspan="2" |2010 |''Important Things with Demetri Martin'' |Edith |Episode: "Strategy" |- |''Our Show'' | |Television film |- | rowspan="3" |2011 |''Traffic Light'' |Esme |Episode: "Credit Balance" |- |''Harry's Law'' |Julie Cassidy |Episode: "Purple Hearts" |- |''Annie Claus is Coming to Town'' |Annie |<ref name="Andersonvision">{{cite web |title=Annie Claus is Coming to Town |url=http://newsle.com/article/0/45610491/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211133258/http://newsle.com/article/0/45610491/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |date=November 7, 2012 |access-date=June 10, 2013 |author=Troy Anderson}}</ref> |- |2011–2014 |''Eagleheart'' |Susie Wagner |24 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |2012 |''Louie'' |Rental Car Lady |Episode: "Dad" |- |''New Girl'' |Amelia |Episode: "Halloween" |- | rowspan="5" |2013 |''Cougar Town'' |Lisa Riggs |3 episodes<ref name="EW03192013">{{cite magazine |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=March 9, 2013 |author=Ssndra Gonzalez |title=''Cougar Town'' sneak peek: Sparks fly for Bobby on the dodgeball court -- Exclusive Video |url=http://newsle.com/article/0/67978533/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211133756/http://newsle.com/article/0/67978533/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 11, 2013 |access-date=June 12, 2013}}</ref> |- |''Portlandia'' | |Episode: "Nina's Birthday"<ref name = "Paper2013"/> |- |''Family Tools'' |Wendy Doyle |Episode: "Now You See Me, Now You Don't"<ref name="ABC2013">{{cite web |url=http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=042213_10 |publisher=ABC |title=ABC Medianet |date=April 22, 2013 |access-date=June 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214083937/http://www.abcmedianet.com/Web/dnr/dispDNR.aspx?id=042213_10 |archive-date=December 14, 2013}}</ref> |- |''Maron'' |Megan |Episode: "Dominatrix"<ref name = "ScreenInvasion">{{cite web |url=http://screeninvasion.com/2013/05/maron-dominatrix-episode-recap/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213231315/http://screeninvasion.com/2013/05/maron-dominatrix-episode-recap/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=December 13, 2013 |title=MARON, "Dominatrix" episode recap |publisher=Screen Invasion |author=Nicholas DeLorenzo |date=May 28, 2013 |access-date=June 12, 2013}}</ref> |- |''Arrested Development'' |Tracey Bluth |Episode: "It Gets Better" |- | rowspan="4" |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 |- | rowspan="2" | 2014 | ''Mulaney'' | The Doula | Episode: "The Doula" |- | ''The League'' | Cheryl | 2 episodes |- | rowspan="5" | 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 |- | rowspan="2" | 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?" |- | rowspan="2" | 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=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Artist ! Title ! Role |- | 2011 | Hospitality | "Friends of Friends"<ref name="Hospitality">{{cite web |title=Hospitality - Friends of Friends |url=http://vimeo.com/35343791 |via=Vimeo |author=Merge Records |date=January 19, 2012 |access-date=June 10, 2013}}</ref> | Friend in Glasses |- | 2012 | Nick Lowe | "Sensitive Man"<ref name = "HuffPost03022012"/> | Girlfriend |}
==Stage== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | rowspan="2" |2002 |''Necessary Targets'' |Nuna |Variety Arts Theatre |- |''Endpapers'' |Sara Maynard |Variety Arts Theatre |- |2012 |''Unscreened'' |Stranger in the Park |Elephant Theatre Company<ref name="Playbill2012">{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/158788-American-Pie-Actor-Chris-Klein-Set-for-Unscreened-in-Los-Angeles |title=''American Pie'' Actor Chris Klein Set for Unscreened in Los Angeles |date=January 29, 2012 |author=Hetrick, Adam |website=Playbill |access-date=June 2, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212044500/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/158788-American-Pie-Actor-Chris-Klein-Set-for-Unscreened-in-Los-Angeles |archive-date=December 12, 2013}}</ref> |- |2013 |''Love's Labour's Lost'' |Rosaline |Delacorte Theater<ref name="Playbill.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/180085-Shakespeare-in-the-Park-Musical-Adaptation-of-Love39s-Labour39s-Lost-Premieres-July-23 |title=Shakespeare in the Park Musical Adaptation of ''Love's Labour's Lost'' Premieres July 23 |date=July 23, 2012 |author=Hetrick, Adam |website=Playbill |access-date=August 10, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130804201916/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/180085-Shakespeare-in-the-Park-Musical-Adaptation-of-Love39s-Labour39s-Lost-Premieres-July-23 |archive-date=August 4, 2013}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{sister project links|auto=1|d=y}} * {{IMDb name|0857215|Maria Thayer}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thayer, Maria}} Category:20th-century American actresses Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Actresses from Portland, Oregon Category:American film actresses Category:American stage actresses Category:American television actresses Category:American women comedians Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Living people Category:People from Boring, Oregon Category:20th-century American comedians Category:21st-century American comedians Category:Apple Valley High School (Minnesota) alumni Category:1975 births Category:Comedians from Portland, Oregon Category:Actresses from Clackamas County, Oregon