Bill Maher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Maher |
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Maher in 2010
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| Birth name | William Maher |
| Born | January 20, 1956 New York City, U.S. |
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| Education | Cornell University (BA) |
| Years active | 1979–present |
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William Maher (born January 20, 1956) is an American comedian, writer, and television host. He is famous for his political talk shows, especially Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO (which started in 2003) and Politically Incorrect (from 1993 to 2002). In 2022, Maher also launched a podcast called Club Random.
Maher is well-known for his funny and sharp comments about politics and society. He often talks about topics like religion, political correctness, and the news. He even made a documentary film in 2008 called Religulous, which explored his critical views on religion. Bill Maher also cares a lot about animal rights and has been a board member of PETA since 1997.
In 2005, Comedy Central named him one of the top 100 stand-up comedians of all time. He received a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010. Maher has been nominated for many awards, including 41 Primetime Emmy Awards. He won an Emmy in 2014 for his work as a producer on the TV series Vice. He has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards and a Tony Award.
Early Life and Education
Bill Maher was born in New York City. His father, William Aloysius Maher Jr., worked as 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 about thirteen, his father stopped taking the family to Catholic church services because he disagreed with some of the church's teachings. Bill didn't know until he was a teenager that his mother, whose family was from Hungary, was Jewish.
Maher grew up in River Vale, New Jersey. He graduated from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale in 1974. After high school, he went to Cornell University. He studied both English and history and graduated in 1978.
Career Highlights
Starting in Comedy
Bill Maher began his career as a comedian and actor in 1979. He hosted a comedy club in New York City called Catch a Rising Star. By 1982, he started appearing on popular talk shows hosted by Johnny Carson and David Letterman. He also had small roles in TV shows like Sara (1985) and Murder, She Wrote (1989). His first movie role was in D.C. Cab in 1983.
Television Shows
Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher
Bill Maher became the host of Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a late-night political talk show. It aired on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997 and then moved to ABC from 1997 to 2002. The show usually started with Maher giving a funny speech about current events. Then, he would introduce four guests from different backgrounds, like actors, politicians, or writers. They would all discuss important topics chosen by Maher.
Politically Incorrect won many awards, including an Emmy Award. Maher himself was nominated for many awards for hosting and producing the show. The show ended in 2002 after Maher made a controversial comment following the September 11 attacks. This led to some advertisers pulling their ads, which caused the show to lose money.
Real Time with Bill Maher
In 2003, Maher started hosting Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. This is a weekly, hour-long show that combines political comedy and talk. In 2016, HBO decided to keep the show going through 2018. Maher has said he prefers to have serious and well-informed guests on Real Time, unlike the mix of celebrities he had on Politically Incorrect.
Just like his earlier show, Real Time begins with Maher's funny opening speech about current events. After that, he has a one-on-one interview with a guest. Then, Maher sits with two or three experts, like politicians, journalists, or authors, to discuss the week's news.
Real Time has received a lot of praise. It has been nominated for more than ten Primetime Emmy Awards and several Writer's Guild awards. In 2007, Maher and his team won the Television Producer of the Year Award. Maher holds the record for the most Emmy nominations without a win, with 22 nominations in total for his shows and comedy specials.
Political Commentary
Maher often appears as a guest commentator on various news channels. These include CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and HLN. He has been a regular guest on shows like The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Hardball with Chris Matthews. He also hosted an episode of Larry King Live in 2006 and was a co-host for its final show in 2010.
Other Projects
In 2004, Maher performed in a show called "Hollywood Hell House." This show featured many celebrities who took turns performing.
On March 21, 2022, Bill Maher launched a podcast called Club Random. In this podcast, he has one-on-one conversations with guests in his home bar. The interesting thing about Club Random is that they talk about everything except politics. Guests have included famous people like Quentin Tarantino, Jimmy Kimmel, and Mike Tyson.
Influences
Bill Maher has mentioned that other comedians like Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and Johnny Carson have influenced his comedy style.
Some comedians who have said they were influenced by Maher include Chris Rock and Seth MacFarlane.
Awards and Nominations
Maher has received 41 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He won one Emmy for Outstanding Informational Series or Special for his work on Vice in 2015. He has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards and several awards from the Producers Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America.
Personal Life
Bill Maher has never married. He once said that he is the last of his male friends who hasn't gotten married.
In 2012, Maher bought a small part of the ownership of the New York Mets baseball team.
Selected Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | D.C. Cab | Baba | |
| 1986 | Ratboy | Party Guest | |
| 1987 | House II: The Second Story | John | |
| 1988 | Out of Time | Maxwell Taylor | TV movie |
| 1989 | ... Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death | Jim | |
| 1991 | Pizza Man | Elmo Bunn | |
| 1998 | Primary Colors | Himself | |
| 1999 | EDtv | Himself | |
| 2001 | Tomcats | Carlos | |
| 2002 | John Q. | Himself | Cameo |
| 2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Himself | |
| 2005 | The Aristocrats | Himself | Documentary |
| 2007 | Heckler | Himself | Documentary |
| 2008 | Swing Vote | Himself | Cameo |
| Religulous | Himself | Documentary; also producer and writer | |
| 2012 | The Campaign | Himself | Cameo |
| 2013 | Iron Man 3 | Himself | Cameo |
| Delivery Man | Himself | Cameo | |
| 2014 | A Million Ways to Die in the West | Comic | Uncredited |
| The Interview | Himself | Cameo | |
| 2015 | Ted 2 | Himself | Cameo |
| 2018 | Gringo | Himself | Cameo |
| 2019 | Late Night | Himself | Cameo |
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 |
| 1989–1992 | One Night ... | Himself | 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
