Bill Maher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Maher |
|
|---|---|
Maher in 2010
|
|
| Birth name | William Maher |
| Born | January 20, 1956 New York City, U.S. |
| Medium | |
| Education | Cornell University (BA) |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Genres |
|
| Subject(s) | |
William Maher (born January 20, 1956) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, and television host. He is known for his HBO political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher (2003–present) and a similar show called Politically Incorrect (1993–2002). In 2022, Maher started a podcast called Club Random.
Maher is famous for his political comedy and his thoughts on social issues. He often talks about topics like religion, politics, and the news media. His views on religion were the main subject of his 2008 documentary film Religulous. He is also a strong supporter of animal rights and has been on the board of PETA since 1997.
In 2005, Maher was named one of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time by Comedy Central. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. Over his career, he has been nominated for 41 Primetime Emmy Awards.
Early life and education
William Maher was born in New York City. His father, William Aloysius Maher Jr., was a news editor and radio announcer. His mother, Julie Maher, was a nurse. He was raised in his father's Roman Catholic faith. When he was a teenager, he learned that his mother's family was Jewish.
Maher grew up in River Vale, New Jersey. He graduated from Pascack Hills High School in 1974. He then went to Cornell University, where he studied English and history. He graduated in 1978. Maher has said that working different jobs helped him pay for college and get his start in comedy.
Career
Early career
Maher started his career as a stand-up comedian and actor. In 1979, he was the host at the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star. In 1982, he began appearing on television shows hosted by Johnny Carson and David Letterman.
He also had small roles in TV shows like Murder, She Wrote and in movies like D.C. Cab (1983) and House II: The Second Story (1987).
Television career
Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher
From 1993 to 2002, Maher hosted Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. The show first aired on Comedy Central and later moved to ABC. On the show, Maher would start with a monologue about current events. Then, he would introduce four guests.
The guests were often a mix of celebrities, writers, and political experts. They would discuss interesting topics chosen by Maher. The show was popular and won several awards, including an Emmy Award.
In 2002, ABC decided not to continue the show. This happened after Maher made comments about the September 11 attacks that many people found controversial. Some companies stopped advertising on the show, and it was canceled.
Real Time with Bill Maher
In 2003, Maher began hosting a new show on HBO called Real Time with Bill Maher. He is also a co-producer and co-writer for the show. Real Time is similar to his old show but has a different format.
Maher starts with a comedy monologue. Then, he usually has a one-on-one interview with a guest. After the interview, he sits with a panel of two or three guests to discuss the news of the week. The show has been nominated for many Emmy Awards.
Podcast career
Club Random
On March 21, 2022, Maher launched a podcast called Club Random. In each episode, he has a long, casual conversation with one guest. The show is recorded in his home bar. Guests have included famous people like Quentin Tarantino, Jimmy Kimmel, Mike Tyson, and William Shatner.
Political views
Maher does not like to use political labels for himself, often calling himself "practical." His views are generally seen as liberal. He is a strong critic of what he calls "political correctness," saying that it focuses too much on protecting feelings instead of people.
He supports animal rights and is an environmentalist. He has spoken in favor of treaties to fight global warming. He is a board member of PETA.
Candidates and elections
Maher often criticizes both the Republican and Democratic parties. In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, he supported Barack Obama. Later, he became critical of some of Obama's decisions.
In the 2016 U.S. presidential election, he first supported Senator Bernie Sanders. After Hillary Clinton won the Democratic nomination, he supported her.
Before the 2020 United States presidential election, Maher predicted that then-President Donald Trump would not accept the election results if he lost. He criticized politicians for not taking this threat seriously.
In 2024, he suggested that President Joe Biden should not run for re-election. He expressed support for Gavin Newsom to be the Democratic nominee instead.
Foreign policy
Maher believes the United States should have a strong military but has criticized the amount of money spent on it. He has also spoken out against the Iraq War.
On the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Maher has said he is "more on the side of the Israelis." He also says that Palestinians have valid complaints. He has defended Israel's military actions but has also been critical of U.S. financial aid to Israel.
Views on religion
Maher is a well-known critic of religion. He has described himself as an agnostic, which means he does not claim to know for sure whether God exists. He feels that religion is a "bureaucracy between man and God that I don't need."
In 2008, he starred in the movie Religulous. In the film, he traveled the world to interview people about their religious beliefs.
While he is critical of all organized religions, he has said that some are more "warlike" than others. He believes that some religions need to go through a period of reform, similar to what Christianity experienced during the Enlightenment.
Personal life
Maher has never been married. He has said, "I'm the last of my guy friends to have never gotten married."
His comedic influences include George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Steve Allen, and Johnny Carson. Comedian Chris Rock has said that Maher was an influence on him.
In 2012, Maher purchased a small ownership share of the New York Mets baseball team.
Awards and nominations
Maher has received 41 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He won an Emmy in 2015 as an executive producer for the show Vice. He has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards. In 2010, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Selected Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | D.C. Cab | Baba |
| 1986 | Ratboy | Party Guest |
| 1987 | House II: The Second Story | John |
| 1988 | Out of Time | Maxwell Taylor |
| 1991 | Pizza Man | Elmo Bunn |
| 1998 | Primary Colors | Himself |
| 1999 | EDtv | Himself |
| 2001 | Tomcats | Carlos |
| 2002 | John Q. | Himself |
| 2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Himself |
| 2005 | The Aristocrats | Himself |
| 2007 | Heckler | Himself |
| 2008 | Swing Vote | Himself |
| Religulous | Himself | |
| 2012 | The Campaign | Himself |
| 2013 | Iron Man 3 | Himself |
| Delivery Man | Himself | |
| 2014 | A Million Ways to Die in the West | Comic |
| The Interview | Himself | |
| 2015 | Ted 2 | Himself |
| 2018 | Gringo | Himself |
| 2019 | Late Night | Himself |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Alice | Officer Gary Conroy | Episode: "Vera's Anniversary Blues" |
| Sara | Marty Lang | 13 episodes | |
| 1987 | Rags to Riches | Freddie | Episode: "Pilot" |
| Hard Knocks | Gower | 3 episodes | |
| Max Headroom | Haskel | Episode: "Whacketts" | |
| 1988 | Newhart | Norm Murphy | Episode: "The Buck Stops Here" |
| 1989–90 | Murder, She Wrote | Rick Rivers/Frank Albertson | 2 episodes |
| 1991 | Charlie Hoover | Elliot | 4 episodes |
| 1993 | Married... with Children | Adam Gold | Episode: "You Can't Miss" |
| The Jackie Thomas Show | Mr. Lorre | Episode: "Strike" | |
| Roseanne | Photographer | Episode: "It Was Twenty Years Ago Today" | |
| 1993–2002 | Politically Incorrect | Himself (host) | 2,266 episodes; creator, writer and executive producer |
| 1997 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | Episode: "The Roast" |
| Dharma & Greg | Himself | Episode: "Mr. Montgomery Goes to Washington" | |
| 1998 | V.I.P. | Himself | Episode: "One Wedding and Val's Funeral" |
| 1999 | Spin City | Himself | Episode: "Politically Incorrect" |
| Brother's Keeper | Himself | Episode: "Politically Impolite" | |
| Snoops | Himself | Episode: "Higher Calling" | |
| 2000 | The Chris Rock Show | Himself | Episode: "5.8" |
| 2002 | Son of the Beach | Himself | Episode: "Penetration Island" |
| 2003–present | Real Time with Bill Maher | Himself (host) | Also creator, writer and executive producer |
| 2004 | MADtv | Himself | Episode: "10.6" |
| 2008 | True Blood | Himself | Episode: "Strange Love" |
| 2010 | The Sarah Silverman Program | Himself | Episode: "The Silverman and the Pillows" |
| The Boondocks | Himself (voice) | Episode: "It's a Black President, Huey Freeman" | |
| 2010–2017 | Family Guy | Himself (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 2012 | The Good Wife | Himself | Episode: "Anatomy of a Joke" |
| 2013 | House of Cards | Himself | Episode: "Chapter 6" |
| 2013–2018 | Vice | — | 113 episodes; executive producer |
| 2015 | Blackish | Himself | Episode: "Elephant in the Room" |
Specials
| Year | Title | Platform |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Bill Maher: Stuff that Struck Me Funny | HBO |
| 1997 | Bill Maher: The Golden Goose Special | |
| 2000 | Bill Maher: Be More Cynical | |
| 2003 | Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home | |
| 2005 | Bill Maher: I'm Swiss | |
| 2007 | Bill Maher: The Decider | |
| 2010 | Bill Maher... But I'm Not Wrong | |
| 2012 | Bill Maher: Crazy Stupid Politics | |
| 2014 | Bill Maher: Live from D.C. | |
| 2016 | Bill Maher: #WhinyLittleBitch | |
| 2018 | Bill Maher: Live from Oklahoma | |
| 2022 | Bill Maher: #Adulting | |
| 2025 | Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This? |
See also
In Spanish: Bill Maher para niños
- List of animal rights advocates
