‘Big Mouth’ Season 4: Who Is Maria Bamford, the Actor Who Voices Tito the Anxiety Mosquito?
The return of the hit Netflix series Big Mouth brings with it many fan-favorite supporting characters, from the entirely incompetent Coach Steve to the ghost of Duke Ellington (voiced by Jordan Peele). In season 4, another new player enters the mix: Maria Bamford’s Tito the Anxiety Mosquito.
‘Big Mouth’ Season 4 introduced Tito the Mosquito
Big Mouth follows the lives of a handful of New York preteens as they navigate middle school and the horrors that accompany puberty. At first, this is limited to their hormone monsters, who encourage them to act on their desires. But later characters include Depression Kitty and Shame Wizard.
Season 4 introduces a new obstacle: Tito the Anxiety Mosquito. Audiences first encounter this creature when it preys on Nick’s fears at the place one might most expect to see a mosquito: summer camp. Tito interacts with the characters and fills their heads with worries and stress, sometimes leading to paralyzing effects.
Comedian Maria Bamford voices the ‘Big Mouth’ character
Bamford joins the rest of the star-studded cast, including main cast members such as John Mulaney and Maya Rudolph. (Other new guest characters include Seth Rogen’s young Seth Goldberg and John Oliver’s camp counselor Harry.) And like most of the other actors on Big Mouth, she comes from a comedy background.
Aside from a handful of films, most of Bamford’s known work is on the small screen. She held recurring roles on comedies Fresh Off the Boat, Benched, and Arrested Development. Bamford is also no stranger to voice acting, working on series such as BoJack Horseman and Adventure Time.
Bamford is known for discussing mental health
Tito the Anxiety Mosquito may as well be a role tailor-made for Bamford. Mental health has long played a part in her stand-up comedy. She talks about her diagnoses (including bipolar disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder) and even sings a tune she calls “the Anxiety Song” sometimes when on stage.
“I guess what I want to do is make mental illness feel more normal, more like a regular thing,” Bamford told the New York Times Magazine in 2016. “My experience is so embarrassing,” she added. “But I’ve learned that it’s O.K. to be yourself… It’s better than pretending that it’s not there.”
She starred in her own Netflix show, ‘Lady Dynamite’
In the New York Times interview, Bamford explained periods of her life, from her early days in comedy to her breakout about 10 years ago, during which she spent time in a psychiatric facility. Much of this was an influence for her Netflix series Lady Dynamite, a somewhat-biographical surreal comedy.
In the show, Bamford portrayed a version of herself, attempting to get her career back on track after her bipolar diagnosis. Lady Dynamite featured such stars as Fred Melamed, Ed Begley Jr., and Ana Gasteyer, along with guest appearances from comedians like Patton Oswalt and Sarah Silverman as themselves.
