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 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 best known for hosting Last Week Tonight with John Oliver on HBO, a show that looks at news and important topics in a funny way.

Before Last Week Tonight, he was a popular part of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as a special reporter. He won several Primetime Emmy Awards for his writing on that show. John Oliver also co-hosted a comedy podcast called The Bugle. He has acted in TV shows like Community and voiced characters in movies such as The Smurfs and The Lion King.

Since 2014, Last Week Tonight has become very popular and has won many awards, including sixteen Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards. His show has even influenced culture and laws in the United States, a trend sometimes called the "John Oliver effect". He became an American citizen in 2019.

Early Life and Education

John William Oliver was born in Erdington, a part of 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 and learned to play the viola.

In the late 1990s, he studied at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he was part of a famous comedy group called the Cambridge Footlights. Many well-known comedians were also in this group. John Oliver graduated in 1998 with a degree in English. Since he was a child, he has been a big fan of the Liverpool F.C. football team.

Comedy Career

Starting Out (1985–2005)

Oliver performing stand-up comedy in 2007

John Oliver first appeared on TV in 1985, playing a small role in the BBC drama Bleak House when he was six years old. In 2001, he started his stand-up comedy career at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He often worked with other comedians in a group called the Chocolate Milk Gang.

He also worked on radio shows like Political Animal and The Department with fellow comedian Andy Zaltzman. From 2005, he was a frequent guest on the satirical news show Mock the Week in the UK.

The Daily Show Years (2006–2013)

Oliver with Daily Show co-correspondent Wyatt Cenac in 2008

In July 2006, John Oliver joined The Daily Show with Jon Stewart as its Senior British Correspondent. He quickly became well-known for his funny reports. He won Emmy Awards for his writing on The Daily Show in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

In 2013, he filled in as the guest host of The Daily Show for eight weeks while Jon Stewart was away. His performance was highly praised, and many people thought he should have his own show.

During this time, he also co-hosted The Bugle, a weekly comedy podcast, with Andy Zaltzman. From 2010 to 2013, he hosted John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show on Comedy Central, which featured his own comedy and other comedians.

Oliver also had a recurring role as Professor Ian Duncan in the NBC sitcom Community. He voiced characters in animated films like The Smurfs (2011) and The Smurfs 2 (2013).

Last Week Tonight (2014–Present)

Title card for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

In 2014, John Oliver began hosting his own late-night news satire show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, on HBO. The show is known for its in-depth segments that explore important news topics and events. He has full creative freedom on the show, meaning he can talk about anything he wants.

Last Week Tonight has won many awards, including 26 Primetime Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and several others. In 2015, Time 100 magazine named him one of the most influential people of the year because of his work on the show.

Oliver has also made guest appearances in other TV shows, lending his voice to characters in The Simpsons, Gravity Falls, Rick and Morty, Big Mouth, and Bob's Burgers. In 2019, he voiced the character Zazu in the live-action remake of Disney's The Lion King.

In August 2023, Oliver started co-hosting a comedy podcast called Strike Force Five with other famous late-night hosts like Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert. This podcast helped support their staff during a writers' strike.

Influences and Style

John Oliver has mentioned that comedians like Armando Iannucci, David Letterman, and Monty Python have influenced his comedy style. He enjoys using exaggerated humor, different accents, and unique mannerisms in his performances. His own accent is a mix of different British accents from where he grew up.

Political Views

John Oliver has often shared his views on politics. 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 and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He believes the Royal Family should not be exempt from taxes and supports making Britain a republic instead of a monarchy. He even turned down an award from the British Empire because he didn't want his name linked to the term "British Empire".

In American politics, he supported Joe Biden in the 2020 election and celebrated Biden's victory. He has been very critical of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. He has also endorsed Kamala Harris for president in the 2024 election.

Impact of His Work

The "John Oliver Effect"

Oliver speaking at the 2014 Crunchies event

John Oliver's comedy has been recognized for influencing laws, rules, and culture in the United States. This influence is often called the "John Oliver effect". A famous example happened in 2014 when his show discussed net neutrality, which is about how internet service providers should treat all internet traffic equally.

Oliver encouraged viewers to send comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government agency that makes rules for communication. So many people visited the FCC's website that it crashed! The FCC received millions of comments on net neutrality, which was far more than for any other issue in its history. This led to the FCC making stronger rules to protect net neutrality.

His show has also helped with other issues. For example, a judge in a US court cited a Last Week Tonight segment in a ruling about the rights of people living in US territories. Members of Congress also said Oliver's show helped them win a vote to protect chicken farmers. A study in 2022 found that calls to action on Last Week Tonight raised over $5 million for charities.

Even though his work often involves deep research, John Oliver says he is not a journalist. However, the Peabody Awards, which honor excellent stories, praised his show for its "investigative reports that 'real' news programs would do well to copy". For instance, his team investigated the Miss America organization and found that it gave out much less scholarship money than it claimed.

Oliver also created a church called Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption to show how easy it is for organizations to get tax-exempt status in the United States. This was part of a segment about televangelists who receive large donations and live luxurious lives without paying taxes. The money donated to his church was later given to Doctors Without Borders.

Koala Chlamydia Ward

In May 2018, actor Russell Crowe donated about $80,000 to the Australia Zoo wildlife hospital. This money helped create "The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward". This happened after Oliver bought some of Crowe's movie props at an auction, including a jockstrap, and sent them to a Blockbuster Video store in Alaska for display. Crowe then used the money from the auction to name the ward after Oliver as a funny tribute.

John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant

Sign at the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant

In August 2020, the mayor of Danbury, Connecticut, Mark Boughton, jokingly announced he would rename the city's Water Pollution Control Plant the "John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant". This was a funny response to Oliver making a joke about Danbury on his show.

John Oliver loved the idea and promised to donate $55,000 to Danbury charities if they actually renamed the plant after him. The city council voted to do it, and Oliver visited Danbury in October 2020 to attend the unveiling ceremony in person, wearing a special hazmat suit.

Film and Television Roles

Film

Television

Awards and Achievements

John Oliver has won many awards for his work. For The Daily Show, he won three Primetime Emmy Awards, a WGA Award, and a 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 from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Personal Life

Oliver with his wife, Kate Norley, in 2016

John Oliver met his wife, Kate Norley, at the 2008 Republican National Convention. She was a veteran who served as a medic in the U.S. Army. They got married in October 2011 and live in New York City. They have two sons, born in 2015 and 2018. Oliver sometimes wears a pin from his wife's army division to honor her.

When he first joined The Daily Show in 2006, John Oliver was in the U.S. on a special visa. He later received his US green card in 2009. He became a US citizen on 13 December 2019. Since moving to the United States, he has become a fan of the New York Mets baseball team.

In 2016, John Oliver did something amazing on his show: he forgave over $15 million in medical debt for more than 9,000 people. He bought the debt for $60,000 and announced on his show that it was all cleared.

Images for kids

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

See also

In Spanish: John Oliver para niños