In September 2009, following the cancellation of Breakroom Live, Maron began hosting the twice-weekly podcastWTF with Marc Maron, interviewing comedians, authors, musicians, and celebrities in his garage in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Highlights include a 2010 episode with Louis C.K. that was rated the No. 1 podcast episode of all time by Slate magazine,[7] a 2012 interview with comedian Todd Glass in which Glass publicly revealed that he was gay,[8] and a 2015 interview with PresidentBarack Obama.[2]
From 2013 to 2016, he starred in his own IFC television comedy series, Maron, for which he also served as executive producer and an occasional writer. From 2017 to 2019, he co-starred in the Netflix comedy series GLOW. He also had a minor role in 2019's Joker and provided the voice of Mr. Snake in the DreamWorks Animation film The Bad Guys (2022).
Maron first performed stand-up in 1987 when he was 24 years old.[21] His professional comedy career began at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles, where he became an associate of Sam Kinison.[22][23] He later moved to New York City and became part of the New York alternative comedy scene. During the summer of 1994, he appeared several times on Monday open-mic night, coordinated by Tracey Metzger, at the now-closed Greenwich Village location of the Boston Comedy Club. He auditioned unsuccessfully for the 1995 Saturday Night Live cast overhaul and attributes being passed over to being high during a meeting with show creator and producer Lorne Michaels.[2][24][25]
His first one-man show, Jerusalem Syndrome, had an extended off-Broadway run in 2000 and was released in book form in 2001. In 2009, he began workshopping another one-man show, Scorching the Earth. According to Maron (in Scorching The Earth), these two shows "bookend" his relationship with his second wife, comic Mishna Wolff, which ended in a bitter divorce.[28][29]
Maron performing in 2010
In May 2008, he toured with Eugene Mirman and Andy Kindler in Stand Uppity: Comedy That Makes You Feel Better About Yourself and Superior to Others. In January 2009, a collaboration with Sam Seder, which had begun in September 2007 as a weekly hour-long video webcast became Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder, produced by Air America.[30] Until its cancellation in July 2009, the show was webcast live weekdays at 3 p.m. Eastern, with episodes archived for later viewing. In its final incarnation, the show was informal, taking place in the actual break room of Air America Media, with the cafeteria vending machines just off-camera. This meant occasional distractions when Air America staff and management alike would occasionally come in for food and drink. Maron and Seder held court in an online "post-show chat" with viewers, in an even less formal continuation of each webcast, after the credits had rolled.
Maron's stand-up act is marked by his commitment to self-revelation and cultural analysis. He is particularly known for relentless on-stage exploration of his own relationships with family, girlfriends, and other stand-up comedians whom he has known and befriended over his years in the business.[31] In October 2013, Maron released his first hour-long special through Netflix, Marc Maron: Thinky Pain.[32] Maron would follow this with another special, More Later, which was released in December 2015 through Epix.[33]
Kliph Nesteroff's 2015 book The Comedians: Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy is dedicated to Maron.[34]
His 2023 special From Bleak to Dark was named New York magazine's "No. 1 Best Comedy Special of 2023."[35]
Radio
From almost the first day of the liberal talk radio network Air America's broadcasts in 2004, Maron co-hosted Morning Sedition, a three-hour early-morning radio show with Mark Riley that aired weekdays from 6a.m. to 9a.m. Eastern time.[36] The show was unique in the Air America lineup in its heavy reliance on both live and pre-produced sketch comedy, utilizing the talents of staff writers as well as the on-air hosts. The format was a left-leaning near-satire of typical morning "Buddy" radio programs, including recurring characters, interviews and listener call-in segments, and it attracted a loyal fan base.[37]
As 2005 came to an end, it became known that Maron's contract would not be renewed on its December 1, 2005, end date because of problems with then Air America executive Danny Goldberg. Goldberg reportedly did not "get" the comedy or agree with the satiric and often angry tone set by Maron and other writers (Jim Earl and Kent Jones) for a morning drive-time show. On November 28, 2005, it was officially announced that Maron's contract had not been renewed. His last Morning Sedition broadcast was on December 16, 2005, and the show was discontinued shortly thereafter.[36]
On February 28, 2006, Maron began hosting a nighttime radio program with Jim Earl as a sidekick for KTLK Progressive Talk 1150AM in Los Angeles called The Marc Maron Show from 10:00pm until midnight PST. The program was frequently delayed (sometimes for over an hour) owing to KTLK's contractual agreement to broadcast local sports events that would often go into overtime. The Marc Maron Show was never nationally syndicated by Air America despite reported contractual clauses promising such. The show was streamed online live, but the show was not publicized, and the existence of the stream was not well promoted. [citation needed]
On July 5, it was announced that Maron's final episode would be on July 14. A few days before that date, Maron bluntly discussed his long struggle with Air America Radio's executives on-air. In 2008, Marc and Sam Seder expanded their prior collaboration on a weekly hour-long video webcast (streamed at The Sam Seder Show website) into a daily show (and "post-show chat") produced by Air America Media[38] called Maron v. Seder.[39] The show became Breakroom Live with Maron & Seder starting in 2009 and could be viewed on Air America Media's website.[40] On July 15, 2009, after less than one year, Air America Media canceled Breakroom Live. According to the show's hosts, the cancellation was for financial reasons.[41] Ironically, the day before the cancellation, the show got some of the first real publicity it had ever received when MaximumFun.org posted its podcast of an interview with Maron on The Sound of Young America.[42]
On the final Breakroom Live webcast, Maron said that this marked the third time since 2005 he'd been told by an executive at the network that his services would not be required in the immediate future. Co-host Sam Seder pointed out that this would be the end of his fourth show at Air America since the troubled network's inception.[43]
Due to a precarious state in his comedic career, on September 1, 2009, Maron began a twice-weekly podcast called WTF with Marc Maron in what Maron would later describe in a 2015 interview as a "Hail Mary pass"; his first-ever guest was fellow stand-up Jeff Ross.[44][45] In a free-form discussion, Maron and his guests touch on topics like the arc of the interviewees' careers, their shared past experiences, and stories from the road.[38] As of 2024, Maron has released more than 1,500 episodes of the show, garnering critical acclaim and more than 600 million downloads;[46][47][48] notable guests include President Barack Obama, Sir Paul McCartney, Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Lorne Michaels, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt. The show has been noted for its influence on other long-form interview podcasts that emerged after its debut.[49][50][51] In April 2021, it was announced that Maron and his producer Brendan McDonald would be the recipients of the first-ever Governors Award by the Podcast Academy for Excellence in Audio (The Ambies) for their work on WTF.[52] The success of Maron's podcast opened up numerous other avenues on film and TV as well as giving him a massive boost to audience attendance at his stand-up shows.
Film and television
His only major film credit for many years was a small part credited as "angry promoter" in the 2000 Cameron Crowe film Almost Famous, in which he is first seen fighting with Noah Taylor's character and then yelling at and chasing after the main characters as they drive away on a bus, at which point he yells, "Lock the gates!" which is now used in the intro to his podcasts.[53] He was also featured at the Luna Lounge in the 1997 mockumentary Who's the Caboose? starring Sarah Silverman and Sam Seder.[54] In 2019, Maron starred in a Lynn Shelton–directed comedy film titled Sword of Trust.[55] In 2020, Maron played publicist Ron Oberman opposite Johnny Flynn's young David Bowie in the movie Stardust.[56]
In 2012, he provided the voice of Magnus Hammersmith in three episodes of Metalocalypse. Maron has made two guest appearances as himself on his longtime friend Louis C.K.'s show Louie, first in the third-season episode "Ikea/Piano Lesson"[57] and then again in the fourth season episode "Pamela: Part 3".[58]
Maron, a television series created by and starring Maron for a 10-episode first season, premiered on IFC on May 3, 2013.[59] The show is loosely autobiographical, revolving around Maron's life as a twice-divorced sober comedian running a comedy podcast out of his garage but establishing many differences between the real-life Maron and the version of him on TV. As the executive producer and star of Maron, Maron appeared in all 51 episodes of the show from 2013 to 2016, portraying a fictionalized version of himself.[60] The show ended in 2016 after four seasons on IFC.[61] Maron directed two episodes of the show, "The Joke" and "Ex-Pod."
In addition to his own show, Maron was the voice of the raccoon Randl on 12 episodes of the Nickelodeon show Harvey Beaks in 2015 and 2016.[62] He appeared in the Netflix series Easy, playing a graphic novelist, Jacob Malco.[63][64][65] Maron also appeared on two episodes of Girls in season four in 2015, playing New York City councilman Ed Duffield.
From 2017 to 2019, Maron co-starred in the Netflix comedy GLOW, for which he was nominated for multiple awards.[66]
In an interview with KCRW, Maron stated, "I have no idea why they asked me to play guitar on the track. I'm only good at one thing on the guitar. It just so happens it was exactly the thing they needed."[71]
Reviews for the solo were positive. IFC's Melissa Locker said "Marc Maron plays a mean guitar."[72]Spin's Chris Martins called the guitar solo a "shredfest" as well as "angular."[73]The Stranger called it "a frequency-fraying guitar solo that's better than you'd expect, although it won't make J Mascis jealous."[74]
Maron lived in Astoria, Queens, through the 1990s and most of the 2000s, but moved back to Los Angeles in late 2009.[76] Maron also speaks openly of his caring for numerous stray cats that he takes into his home. This has led to him to refer to his home, on the WTF podcast, as the "Cat Ranch".[77] After his cat Boomer went missing, Maron began incorporating the catchphrase "Boomer lives!" to the end of each podcast. Since then, he has one addition to the "Cat Ranch" by the name of Buster Kitten. LaFonda died in December 2019. After she passed, Maron briefly replaced "Boomer lives!" with "LaFonda lives!" for a few episodes of his podcast. Monkey died in August 2020. He now usually concludes his podcast with some guitar playing and the phrase "Boomer lives... LaFonda... Monkey... Cat angels everywhere!" Maron currently lives in Glendale, Los Angeles, with his two cats, Buster and Sammy.[78]
Maron has spoken openly, both in his act and on his podcast, about his alcohol and drug abuse during the 1990s. Maron has been sober since August 9, 1999, but says he has struggled with an eating disorder he developed during childhood.[21][79] Maron had a turbulent long-time friendship with fellow standup comic Louis CK but publicly disavowed CK after the November 2017 confirmation of CK's sexual misconduct, stating that CK had lied to him about the allegations in the past.
Maron has been married twice, once to Kimberly Reiss and once to Mishna Wolff, a former stand-up comedian. Both relationships have figured prominently in his act at various times. During numerous appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2007, Maron riffed on his then-recent separation and divorce from Wolff.
On the October 14, 2013, episode of his podcast, Maron announced that he had broken up with his former fiancée, Jessica Sanchez.[80] He then had a five-month relationship with Moon Zappa.[81] More recently, he dated visual artist Sarah Cain for several years, breaking up with her in early 2019.
Starting in late 2019, he began making reference to his relationship with director Lynn Shelton. She was a guest on his podcast in both 2015 and 2018, and she directed the 2019 film Sword of Trust, which stars Maron and Michaela Watkins. Maron and Shelton were together until Shelton's unexpected death in May 2020.[82]
Samuel Lincoln Seder is an American actor, left-leaning political commentator, and media host. His works include the film Who's the Caboose? (1997) as well as the television shows Beat Cops (2001) and Pilot Season (2004). He also appeared in Next Stop Wonderland (1998) and made guest appearances on Spin City (1997), Sex and the City (2000), America Undercover (2005), and Maron (2015). Since 2010, he has hosted a daily political talk show, The Majority Report with Sam Seder. He also voices Hugo, a recurring character on the animated comedy series Bob's Burgers.
Harry Jon Benjamin is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer and musician. He is known for his voice roles in adult animated series, including Sterling Archer in Archer; Bob Belcher in Bob's Burgers; Ben in Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist; Kevin in O'Grady; Satan in Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil; and Coach McGuirk and Jason Penopolis in Home Movies. Benjamin was named 2014's male comedy performer of the year at Vulture's TV Awards for his work in Bob's Burgers and Archer. He also appeared in the 2001 satirical comedy film Wet Hot American Summer; its subsequent 2015 television series, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp; and the final installment of the franchise, the 2017 mini series Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later.
Paul Provenza is an American television presenter, actor, radio panelist, stand-up comedian, filmmaker, and skeptic based in Los Angeles. He has appeared on several podcasts and in recent years has interviewed other stand-up comedians. In 2005 he became a director, in 2010 an author and in 2011 he started producing for comedy festivals and television.
Benjamin Jacob Fogelnest, known professionally as Jake Fogelnest, is an Emmy and WGA Award nominated writer, comedian, former radio personality, and satirist.
Andy David Kindler is an American comedian and actor from Queens, New York. He played the character "Andy", a fellow sportswriter and friend of sportswriter "Ray Barone" on the TV show Everybody Loves Raymond, was a regular guest on Late Show with David Letterman, a contributor to The Daily Show, and has performed on HBO. Kindler frequently performs as a voice actor in animated television series from producer Loren Bouchard, including roles on Dr. Katz, Home Movies, and the recurring character of Mort the mortician on Bob's Burgers.
Mike Binder is an American filmmaker, stand-up comedian, and actor.
Morgan Murphy is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and actress. She has performed in the Comedians of Comedy tour and appeared in the Comedians of Comedy: Live at the Troubador DVD. Bobcat Goldthwait cast her in the films Sleeping Dogs Lie and World's Greatest Dad. She has also been a featured performer for all three years of Aimee Mann's "Christmas Spectacular" tours and appeared in the video for Mann's song "31 Today". Morgan has made numerous appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, for which she also worked as a writer.
Todd Steven Glass is an American stand-up comedian.
Wyatt John Foster Cenac Jr. is an American comedian, actor, producer, and writer. He was a correspondent and writer for The Daily Show from 2008 to 2012. He starred in the TBS series People of Earth and in Barry Jenkins's first feature Medicine for Melancholy. He also hosted and produced the HBO series Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas.
Uhh Yeah Dude is a comedy podcast hosted by Seth Romatelli and Jonathan Larroquette. Episodes have generally aired once a week since 2006, and run about an hour long. The podcast is described as "A weekly roundup of America through the eyes of two American-Americans".
Paul Rust is an American actor, comedian and writer. He starred in the 2009 film I Love You, Beth Cooper and in the Netflix series Love.
Anthony Jeselnik is an American comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is known for his dark comedy style, which emphasizes ironic misdirection, non sequiturs, biting insults, an arrogant demeanor, and a stage persona that frequently takes amoral or psychopathic stances.
WTF with Marc Maron is a weekly podcast and radio show hosted by stand-up comedian Marc Maron. The show was launched in September 2009. The show is produced by Maron's former Air America co-worker Brendan McDonald.
Brendon Michael Walsh is an American stand-up comedian and podcaster originally from Philadelphia.
Charles Demers, sometimes credited as Charlie Demers, is a Canadian comedian, political activist, voice actor, and writer. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, and self-identifies as Québécois based on his family descent.
Maron is an American sitcom created by and starring Marc Maron as a fictionalized version of himself. The series premiered on the American cable television network IFC on May 3, 2013. Maron, Denis Leary, Jim Serpico, Olivia Wingate, Sivert Glarum, Michael Jamin and Duncan Birmingham served as the show's executive producers. Glarum and Jamin were the showrunners. Maron's second season premiered on May 8, 2014, and its thirteen-episode third season premiered on May 14, 2015. In November 2015, the series was renewed for a thirteen-episode fourth season. In 2016 the show was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Television: Episodic Comedy. On July 11, 2016, Maron announced on his WTF podcast that the series would not have a fifth season, with the season four finale serving as the series finale. The series finale aired on July 13, 2016.
Michael Patrick Lawrence is an American comedian and writer from Davie, Florida. He formerly lived in New York City and currently lives in Los Angeles.
Rory J. Scovel is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He released his first stand-up comedy album Dilation in 2011. He has since released the stand-up specials The Charleston Special (2015), Rory Scovel Tries Stand-Up for the First Time (2017), Live Without Fear (2021), and Religion, Sex, and a Few Things in Between (2024).
Steve Treviño is an American stand-up comedian, writer, and producer. He has released four stand-up specials, the first of which was filmed for Showtime, the second released on Netflix, and the third is now available on Amazon Prime Video, the fourth released on Netflix. He also worked as a writer for Carlos Mencia's Comedy Central show, Mind of Mencia and Pitbull's La Esquina.
Amber Preston is a stand-up comedian originally from North Dakota and Minnesota and now living in Los Angeles.
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