Maria Christina Thayer, born on October 30, 1975, in Portland, Oregon, is an American actress and comedian. She grew up in the small town of Boring, east of Portland, where her parents owned a bee farm, and later moved 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, as well as Homecoming Queen.

Maria Thayer studied acting at The Juilliard School in New York, graduating in 1999. She first earned public recognition for her portrayal of Tammi Littlenut on the cult series "Strangers with Candy" in 1999.

She has appeared in numerous films, including "Hitch" (2005), "Accepted" (2006), and "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (2008). She also starred in the Adult Swim series "Eagleheart" (2011-2014) and the TruTV sitcom "Those Who Can't" (2016), where she played an incompetent teacher at a Denver high school.

She has also lent her voice to animated series like "The Awesomes" and "The Simpsons." In 2015, she played the title role in the movie "Night of the Living Deb."

Maria Thayer is married to actor David Harbour, and they have one child together. She continues to be active in the entertainment industry, performing stand-up comedy and taking on new projects.