Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Get excited, comedy fans. This week marks the premiere of arguably one of the most bizarre, innovative, and smartest comedies to come to TV in 2016 — Netflix’s Lady Dynamite. Mark your calendars for this Friday because that’s when this comedy gem makes its debut.
Lady Dynamite comes from the mind of stand-up comedian Maria Bamford, who’s adored in the comedy community. Bamford’s style is distinctive for its blending of depressive subject matter with light-hearted delivery. Bamford has referred to herself as “The Woman of a Thousand Voices,” and it’s not hard to see why. From manic Target shopper to bratty child to grumpy 70-year-old man, if you have a character, Bamford has the perfect voice for you. However, perhaps what Bamford is most known for is her fearless portrayal of mental health. Bamford’s comedy offers a smart, frank, and always interesting take on often-taboo topics such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and suicidal thoughts. Yet through all of this darkness, Bamford is one of the most genuinely fun and uplifting comedians out there.
This confusing yet intriguing exploration of the humor found beneath extreme sadness translates to Lady Dynamite. The series follows a fictionalized version of Bamford who has just been given her own show. There’s a meta-element to the whole series — with Bamford constantly interrupting the main narrative to obsess over some plot point or scene transition — that beautifully mirrors the comedian’s own stand-up. There’s a lot to love about this new series, but one of the best parts is Lady Dynamite’s high-level comedy cast. From more household names like Patton Oswalt to lesser known gems like Bridget Everett and the Lucas Brothers, Lady Dynamite is a stacked showcase for some of the best and most underrated comedians and creators. To get you prepared for the series, we’ve compiled a list of who you can expect to see on Netflix’s latest comedy. This is far from a complete list of the talent, but it should be more than enough to whet any comedy fan’s appetite.
Who Is She In the Show: She's Lady Dynamite!
Where You've Seen Her Before: The best way to describe Bamford is as a comedian's comedian. She's mostly known for her delightfully off-the-wall stand-up, but she's also known for playing DeBrie in Arrested Development Season Four.
Who Is He In the Show: Maria's manager
Where You've Seen Him Before: Melamed has popped up in several places, from the indie movie In a World and the Coen brothers' Hail, Caesar! to Casual and A Serious Man. He's less of a comedian and more of a comedy actor, but he's been around enough that you'll definitely recognize him.
Who Is She In the Show: Maria's agent
Where You've Seen Her Before: Gasteyer is probably best known for her time on Saturday Night Live. SHe was also Cady's mom in Mean Girls and Sheila on Suburgatory.
Who Is She In the Show: Maria's friend, Dagmar
Where You've Seen Her Before: Everett's stand up has achieved a kind of cult following, making her a fearless favorite in the comedy world. However, if you're a big fan of Amy Schumer, you've probably seen Everett on Inside Amy Schumer and in Trainwreck. Listen out for some of Everett's amazing songs in Lady Dynamite.
Who Is She In the Show: Maria's friend, Larissa
Where You've Seen Her Before: Parham comes from a UCB background and was the creator and co-star of NBC's Best Friends Forever. She was also in <Horrible Bosses 2, USA's Playing House, and has made appearances on Veep and Review.
Who Is He In the Show: Maria's dad, Joel
Where You've Seen Him Before: So many places. Begley has been in everything from This is Spinal Tap to Pinapple Express and Amazon's Alpha House. He even played the founder of Davis & Main in Better Call Saul.
Who Is She In the Show: Maria's childhood friend, Susan
Where You've Seen Her Before: Collins has been a staple in comedy movies for a while now, starring in everything from The 40-Year-Old Virgin to Dirty Grandpa. Collins even has some Netflix connections of her own as she voiced acted in F is for Family.
Who Is She In the Show: Maria's therapist
Where You've Seen Her Before: Weir is a MADtv alum, but you may recognize her as Hillary Clinton's anger translator from Key & Peele or as Debbie from Fun with Dick and Jane.
Who Is He In the Show: A cop sometimes, Maria's friend other times
Where You've Seen Him Before: Oswalt may be one of the most accomplished actors and comedians in this star-studded cast. The comedian is best known for his roles on The King of Queens and The United States of Tara as well as for voicing the best rat of all time in Ratatouille. His stand-up matches how versatile Oswalt is as a performer.
Who Is He In the Show: Maria's friend
Where You've Seen Him Before: Mulaney is predominantly known for his stand-up and his work as a writer on Saturday Night Live. Remember Bill Hader's manic club kid, Stefan? Mulaney was responsible for creating that iconic character. He also had a sitcom call Mulaney, which only lasted one season.
Who Are They In the Show: Maria's temporary co-stars
Where You've Seen Them Before: Once you see this duo's memorable glasses and cap combination, you'll remember who they are. The Lucas Brothers have appeared on 22 Jump Street and had their own animated sitcom for Fox, the engaging and bizarre Lucas Bros. Moving Company.
Who Is She In the Show: A real estate agent
Where You've Seen Her Before: Raphael has a bit of a cult following, stemming from her role as co-host on the comedy podcast, How Did This Get Made? She has also appeared in a number of different shows and movies, including <Grace and Frankie, <Bride Wars, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and even Zodiac.
Who Is She In the Show:The P.A. for Lady Dynamite's show within a show
Where You've Seen Her Before: Byer is relatively new to the mainstream comedy scene, appearing in Comedy Bang! Bang! and Angie Tribeca. However, she's currently starring in her own sketch show Party Over Here, which was created by The Lonely Island and Paul Scheer.
You can stream Lady Dynamite on Netflix starting Friday, May 20.
[Where to stream Lady Dynamite]
Photos: Getty Collection, Netflix, YouTube
