The Business
Maria Bamford and Pam Brady on ‘Lady Dynamite’
In the new Netflix series Lady Dynamite, comedian Maria Bamford plays a version of herself, trying to regain her footing following a battle with mental illness. Bamford and show co-creator Pam Brady talk about how they developed the show and keep the real Bamford sane on set while she plays the semi-fictional Bamford on TV.
Comedian Maria Bamford knows her absurdist stand-up isn’t for everyone. But her fans include Mitch Hurwitz, creator of Arrested Development, who cast Bamford in a recurring role on that series. That was before she was diagnosed with bipolar II and had to take a break to seek treatment. When she was ready to work again, Hurwitz was back in her life, this time with an offer from Netflix. The struggle to work and stay sane became the subject of the new comedy series Lady Dynamite. Star Maria Bamford and show co-creator Pam Brady tell us how they brought a version of Bamford’s life story to the screen.
Photo: Maria Bamford in Lady Dynamite on Netflix. Credit: Doug Hyun