2000–2009: Breakout and Arrested Development premiere of
Green Room From 2001 to 2002, Shawkat played Hannah in
State of Grace. As
Maeby Fünke, Shawkat was a regular cast member of
Arrested Development for the entire run of the show from 2003 to 2019. The series received nearly universally positive reviews, with Shawkat's performance occasionally singled out for praise. Pop-culture commentator Brian M. Palmer remarked that she was "one of the brightest lights on a show populated solely by bright lights", and Scott Weinberg of eFilmCritic described her as "one
funny young lady". In an interview with
The A.V. Club in 2010, Shawkat remarked that many of her "formative moments" as an actress took place on the
Arrested Development set: "[Show creator]
Mitch Hurwitz was like a father figure to me. In a way, it was great to be around [the cast], because I feel that my understanding of comedy was able to grow really well during that time." In 2009, Shawkat appeared in
Whip It co-star
Har Mar Superstar's music video for "Tall Boy", which also featured
Eva Mendes and
Eric Wareheim. In October 2009, it was announced that Shawkat, Har Mar, and
Whip It co-star
Elliot Page would produce and write a show for
HBO called ''Stitch N' Bitch''.
2010–2015: Continued roles Shawkat, along with
State of Grace and
Arrested Development co-star and close friend
Mae Whitman, sang guest vocals on several tracks from indie-punk band
Fake Problems' 2010 album
Real Ghosts Caught on Tape. in 2025 Six years after the series was canceled by Fox, filming for a revived fourth season of
Arrested Development began on August 7, 2012, and Shawkat reprised her role as Maeby Fünke. The season consists of 15 new episodes, which debuted simultaneously on
Netflix on May 26, 2013. Each episode focuses on one particular character, with Shawkat's Maeby, now a high school senior, featured in episode 12, "Señoritis," and appearing in several other episodes of the season. Shawkat appears briefly in
Ryan Trecartin's 2013 art film,
Center Jenny. In 2015, Shawkat guest-starred on
Broad City, portraying the romantic interest and look-alike of
Ilana Glazer's character for one episode; the two were attracted to one another due only to their similar appearances. Leading up to the episode, many had remarked on the physical similarities Shawkat and Glazer bear to one another.
2016–present: Search Party and other work Shawkat starred in the lead role of Dory Sief on the
TBS comedy
Search Party, which premiered on November 21, 2016, and moved to
HBO Max in 2019 before concluding with its fifth and final season in January 2022. Alongside her acting role on this project, Shawkat produced 30 episodes and directed 1 from 2016 to 2021. In 2019, Shawkat starred in the film
Animals (directed by
Australian director
Sophie Hyde) as Tyler, a high-living American partier in Dublin. It is a film about a friendship that changes after Laura (played by
Holliday Grainger) gets engaged to her
teetotalling boyfriend. Shawkat said that she had never played a character like Tyler before, and found her previous characters more relatable. She was "excited to play someone who was so fun, but so damaged". In 2026, she made her stage debut in the revival of the
Clare Barron play
You Got Older starring opposite
Peter Friedman at the
Cherry Lane Theater Off-Broadway. ==Personal life==