# Maria Thayer
**Maria Thayer** (born 1975) is an American actress and comedian best known for playing Tammi Littlenut on the cult comedy series *Strangers with Candy* (1999) and for lead television roles as Susie Wagner on [Adult Swim](https://www.edgepedia.org/adult-swim)'s *Eagleheart* (2011–2014) and Abbey Logan on TruTV's *Those Who Can't* (2016–2019).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) Her supporting film work includes *Hitch* (2005), *[Accepted](https://www.edgepedia.org/accepted)* (2006), and *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* (2008).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Maria Christina Thayer[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) |
| Born | 1975, Boring, Oregon, United States[2](https://www.fandango.com/people/maria-thayer-667531/film-credits) |
| Training | Acting at The Juilliard School in New York[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) |
| Breakout role | Tammi Littlenut on *Strangers with Candy* (1999)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) |
| Lead TV roles | Susie Wagner on *Eagleheart* (2011–2014); Abbey Logan on *Those Who Can't* (2016–2019)[3](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-119779/filmografia/) |
| Known films | *Hitch* (2005), *Accepted* (2006), *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* (2008), *State of Play* (2009), *Table 19* (2017)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) • [4](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/maria-thayer) |
| Producing and writing | Co-executive producer on *ted* (2024), *Mulligan* (2023), and *Liza on Demand* (2018)[4](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/maria-thayer) |
| Height | 5 ft 4¼ in (1.63 m)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) |
## Early life and education
A native of [Portland, Oregon](https://www.edgepedia.org/portland-oregon), Thayer grew up in nearby Boring, a small community east of the city, where her parents kept a bee farm; despite this family enterprise, her mother had a severe allergy to bees.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) During her childhood the family relocated to Minnesota, where she attended Apple Valley High School in Apple Valley, Minnesota, was a member of the award-winning forensics program and the National Forensic League, and served as homecoming queen.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) She then studied acting at The Juilliard School in New York.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/)
## Television work
Thayer first earned public recognition playing Tammi Littlenut on *Strangers with Candy*, a cult series that began in 1999, opposite [Amy Sedaris](https://www.edgepedia.org/amy-sedaris).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) • [5](https://www.avclub.com/the-true-crime-docs-that-show-maria-thayer-s-dark-side-1798245231) Her comedic persona in the role played endearing naïveté, making her the straight woman to Sedaris's 40-year-old high school dropout.[5](https://www.avclub.com/the-true-crime-docs-that-show-maria-thayer-s-dark-side-1798245231)
**Adult Swim and guest roles.** From 2011 to 2014 she starred as Susie Wagner on the Adult Swim comedy *Eagleheart*, which premiered on [Cartoon Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/cartoon-network) on February 3, 2011.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) Between and after her lead roles she built a long list of guest appearances, including episodes of *Will & Grace*, *Nip/Tuck*, *30 Rock*, *House*, *New Girl*, *Portlandia*, *Arrested Development*, *Brooklyn Nine-Nine*, *[Review](https://www.edgepedia.org/review-tv-series)*, and *You're the Worst*.[4](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/maria-thayer)
**Those Who Can't.** Starting in 2016, Thayer starred as Abbey Logan, an incompetent school librarian at a Denver high school, on the TruTV sitcom *Those Who Can't*, working alongside the comedy group The Grawlix: Ben Roy, Adam Cayton-Holland, and Andrew Orveda.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) The A.V. Club noted that the show gave her signature comedy a strong showcase, in a character who spends her days erasing penises out of books.[5](https://www.avclub.com/the-true-crime-docs-that-show-maria-thayer-s-dark-side-1798245231) She appeared as Abbey Logan across three seasons, from 2016 through 2019.[3](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-119779/filmografia/)
More recent television work includes a guest role as Carolyn in *St. Denis Medical* and voice credits in the animated series *Mulligan*.[6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/7885/maria-thayer)
## Film work
Thayer's film career began in the late 1990s with *Kimberly* (1999) and [Todd Solondz](https://www.edgepedia.org/todd-solondz)'s *Storytelling* (2001), in which she played Amy in the segment "Fiction".[4](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/maria-thayer) • [7](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/maria-thayer) She then took supporting parts in mainstream comedies: *Hitch* (2005) as Lisa, alongside [Will Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-smith) and [Eva Mendes](https://www.edgepedia.org/eva-mendes), and *Accepted* (2006) as Rory Thayer.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) In *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* (2008) she played Wyoma, a woman on holiday with a new husband played by Jack McBrayer; the two reunited in a *30 Rock* episode in which she played a blind, shallow girlfriend of Kenneth Parcell.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/)
In 2009 she appeared in the political drama *[State of Play](https://www.edgepedia.org/state-of-play-film)* as Sonia Baker, the researcher and mistress of a congressman.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) She later played the title role of Deb Clarington in the horror comedy *Night of the Living Deb* (2015) and appeared as Infamous Kate Millner in *[Table 19](https://www.edgepedia.org/table-19)* (2017).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/) • [4](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/maria-thayer) A 2016 A.V. Club profile observed that her career had come full circle, from playing a high school student in *Strangers with Candy* to a college freshman in *Accepted* to a teacher in *Those Who Can't*.[5](https://www.avclub.com/the-true-crime-docs-that-show-maria-thayer-s-dark-side-1798245231)
## Producing and writing
Thayer has moved into work behind the camera. She was a co-executive producer on *[Liza on Demand](https://www.edgepedia.org/liza-on-demand)* (2018), the animated series *Mulligan* (2023), for which she also wrote two episodes, and *ted* (2024).[4](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/maria-thayer) • [6](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/7885/maria-thayer)
## References
1. [Maria Thayer – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857215/bio/)
2. [Maria Thayer Filmography and Movies, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/maria-thayer-667531/film-credits)
3. [Maria Thayer – Filmografía, SensaCine](https://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor-119779/filmografia/)
4. [Maria Thayer Movies and TV Shows, Plex](https://watch.plex.tv/en-GB/person/maria-thayer)
5. [The true-crime docs that show Maria Thayer's dark side, The A.V. Club (March 12, 2016)](https://www.avclub.com/the-true-crime-docs-that-show-maria-thayer-s-dark-side-1798245231)
6. [Maria Thayer, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/people/7885/maria-thayer)
7. [Maria Thayer Movies on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/maria-thayer)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames T*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license