John Oliver facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Oliver
Oliver in 2016
Born	(1977-04-23) 23 April 1977 (age 48) Birmingham, England
Medium	Stand-up television film books
Nationality	United Kingdom (1977–present) United States (2019–present)
Education	Christ's College, Cambridge (BA)
Genres	Political/news satire observational comedy black comedy sarcasm cringe comedy surreal humour
Subject(s)	American politics British culture political punditry popular culture current events mass media/news media civil rights self-deprecation
Spouse	Kate Norley ​ (m. 2011)​
Children	2
Relative(s)	Stephen Oliver (uncle)

John William Oliver (born 23 April 1977) is a British and American comedian. He is famous for hosting Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO. He started his career doing stand-up comedy in the United Kingdom.

He became well-known in the United States as the senior British correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 2006 to 2013. Oliver won three Primetime Emmy Awards for his writing on The Daily Show. He even filled in as guest host for eight weeks in 2013. He also co-hosted a comedy podcast called The Bugle. From 2010 to 2013, he hosted John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show. He has also acted in TV shows like Community and voiced characters in films like The Smurfs and The Lion King.

Since 2014, Oliver has hosted Last Week Tonight. This show has won many awards, including 16 Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards. His show has influenced American culture and laws, leading to something called the "John Oliver effect." In 2015, Time 100 magazine called him a "comedic agent of change" for tackling important issues. He became an American citizen in 2019.

John Oliver's Early Life and Education

John William Oliver was born in Birmingham, England, on 23 April 1977. His mother, Carole, was a music teacher, and his father, Jim, was a school headmaster and social worker. He grew up in Bedford, where he learned to play the viola.

In the 1990s, he studied at Christ's College, Cambridge University. There, he was part of the Cambridge Footlights, a famous comedy group. Other comedians like David Mitchell and Richard Ayoade were also in the group. Oliver became the club's vice president in 1997. He earned a degree in English in 1998. Since he was a child, he has been a big fan of Liverpool F.C., a famous soccer team.

John Oliver's Career Journey

Starting Out: 1985–2005

Oliver's first time on screen was in 1985. He played a small part in a BBC show called Bleak House. He was only six years old. In 2001, he appeared in another show, People Like Us. One of his first paid jobs was writing for a British morning show called The Big Breakfast.

His first big stand-up comedy show was at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He often worked with other comedians like Daniel Kitson and Russell Howard. He performed his first solo show in 2002. In 2004 and 2005, he co-hosted a political radio show called Political Animal. From 2002 to 2003, Oliver worked on the BBC Three comedy series The State We're In. In 2004, he wrote and performed in a satirical radio show called The Department. In 2005, he started appearing on the satirical news show Mock the Week in Britain.

Becoming Famous: The Daily Show (2006–2013)

Oliver with Daily Show co-correspondent Wyatt Cenac at the launch of Earth

In July 2006, John Oliver joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He became the Senior British Correspondent. Comedian Ricky Gervais recommended him for the show. Just two weeks after his interview, he got the job. He flew from London to New York City and was on camera the very next day. Oliver won Emmy Awards for writing for The Daily Show in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

After moving to New York, Oliver also started doing stand-up comedy in clubs. From 2007 to 2015, he co-hosted The Bugle, a weekly comedy podcast. His first stand-up special, John Oliver: Terrifying Times, came out in 2008. From 2010 to 2013, he hosted John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show on Comedy Central. This show featured sets from him and other comedians. Oliver still performs stand-up comedy today.

Oliver and Stephen Colbert at the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey

Oliver had a repeating role on the NBC sitcom Community. He played a psychology professor named Dr. Ian Duncan. He also voiced Vanity Smurf in The Smurfs movie and its sequel.

In June 2013, Oliver was a guest host for The Daily Show for eight weeks. This happened while Jon Stewart was directing a film. Oliver's hosting was very popular. Many people thought he should get his own show. Three months later, HBO announced that Oliver would indeed get his own late-night show.

Current Success: Last Week Tonight (2014–Present)

Title card for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

In 2014, Oliver began hosting his current events talk show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The show is known for its in-depth segments on news topics. Oliver has said he has complete creative freedom on the show. This means he can criticize companies without worrying about ads. In 2015, Time 100 named him one of the most influential people of the year.

Last Week Tonight has won many awards. It received a Peabody Award in 2014 and another in 2017. The show has also won 26 Primetime Emmy Awards, five Writers Guild of America Awards, and many others.

Oliver has also made guest appearances in several TV shows. These include The Simpsons, Gravity Falls, Rick and Morty, and Bob's Burgers. In 2019, he voiced Steve the porcupine in Wonder Park. He also voiced Zazu the hornbill in the 2019 remake of Disney's The Lion King. In 2023, Oliver started co-hosting a comedy podcast called Strike Force Five. He hosts it with other famous comedians like Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert.

John Oliver's Comedy Influences

Oliver has mentioned that many comedians and shows influenced his style. These include Armando Iannucci, David Letterman, Monty Python, Peter Cook, Richard Pryor, and Jon Stewart. He said that watching Life of Brian in middle school really stuck with him. He describes his own accent as a mix of different British accents.

John Oliver's Personal Life

Oliver with Norley in 2016

Oliver met his wife, Kate Norley, in 2008. She is an Iraq War veteran who served as a medic in the U.S. Army. They met at the 2008 Republican National Convention. Oliver was reporting for The Daily Show, and Norley was campaigning. They got married in October 2011 and live in New York City. They have two sons. Oliver sometimes wears a pin from his wife's military division to honor her.

Oliver became a naturalized US citizen on 13 December 2019. Since moving to the United States, he has become a fan of the New York Mets baseball team. He says being a New York Yankees fan would be "morally wrong."

Oliver has also done some amazing charity work. In 2016, he gave away over $15 million in medical debt owed by more than 9,000 people. He bought the debt for $60,000 and then announced on his show that he was forgiving it.

John Oliver's Political Views

Oliver has shared his thoughts on various political topics. He was against Brexit, which was the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. He called it "painful" and "pointless." He has also been critical of the Conservative Party in the UK. He supports the idea of making Britain a republic, meaning it would not have a king or queen. He even turned down an award called the OBE. He said he didn't want his name linked to the "British Empire" and disliked the British class system.

In the United States, Oliver supported Joe Biden for president in the 2020 election. He celebrated Biden's win over Donald Trump. He has often criticized Trump and the Republican Party. He later endorsed Kamala Harris for president in the 2024 election.

John Oliver's Legacy and Impact

The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward

In May 2018, Australian actor Russell Crowe donated about $80,000 to a wildlife hospital in Australia. This money helped create "The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward." This happened after Oliver bought some movie props from Crowe in an auction. Oliver then sent a special prop, Crowe's jockstrap from the movie Cinderella Man, to the last Blockbuster Video store in Alaska for display. Crowe used the money from the auction to name the koala ward after Oliver. Oliver was very impressed, calling it "the greatest thing I've ever seen."

The John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant

Sign at the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant

In August 2020, the mayor of Danbury, Connecticut, Mark Boughton, joked about renaming the city's water treatment plant the "John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant." This was a funny response to Oliver making a joke about Danbury on his show. Oliver had humorously said, "If you're going to forget a town in Connecticut, why not forget Danbury?"

Oliver loved the idea and promised to donate $55,000 to Danbury's charities if they actually renamed the plant after him. The city council voted to do it. Oliver secretly visited Danbury on 8 October 2020 to attend the unveiling ceremony. He even wore a Hazmat suit for the occasion! He showed footage of his trip on Last Week Tonight the following week.

John Oliver's Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Awards and Nominations

John Oliver has won many awards for his work. For The Daily Show, he won three Primetime Emmy Awards, one WGA Award, and one Grammy Award. For Last Week Tonight, he has received sixteen Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, eight PGA Awards, and six WGA Awards. In 2021, he received the Great Immigrants Award.

Images for kids

• 

  Oliver in 2016

• 

  Oliver with Daily Show co-correspondent Wyatt Cenac at the launch of Earth

• 

  Oliver and Stephen Colbert at the Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey

• 

  Title card for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

• 

  Oliver with Norley in 2016

• 

  Sign at the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant

See also

In Spanish: John Oliver para niños