This article will answer every question you have about Bill Maher. Below are some of the frequently asked questions about him.
- What does Bill Maher do for a living?
- Who are Bill Maher’s parents and siblings?
- What are Bill Maher’s interests and hobbies?
- Is Bill Maher married or does he have a girlfriend?
- Does Bill Maher have any children?
- Where is Bill Maher now?
- How tall is Bill Maher?
- How much money does Bill Maher earn?
- What is Bill Maher’s net worth?
N/B: Please read the entire post to have all your questions answered.
Who is Bill Maher?
William Maher is an American comedian, political commentator, and television host. He is known for the HBO political talk to show Real Time with Bill Maher (2003–present) and the similar late-night show called Politically Incorrect (1993–2002), originally on Comedy Central and later on ABC.
Maher is known for his political satire and sociopolitical commentary. He targets many topics including religion, political correctness, and the mass media. His critical views of religion were the basis for the 2008 documentary film Religulous. He is a supporter of animal rights, having served on the board of PETA since 1997, and is an advisory board member of Project Reason. Maher supports the legalization of cannabis, serving on the advisory board of NORML.
In 2005, Maher ranked at number 38 on Comedy Central’s 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time. He received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on September 14, 2010. In 2014, Maher won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as executive producer for Vice.
Bill Maher’s Career
Early career
Maher began his career as a comedian and actor. He was the host of the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star in 1979. Maher began appearing on Johnny Carson’s and David Letterman’s shows in 1982. He made limited television appearances including on Sara (1985), Max Headroom (1987), Murder, She Wrote (1989, 1990), and Charlie Hoover (1991). His feature film debut was in D.C. Cab (1983). He later appeared in Ratboy (1986), House II: The Second Story (1987), Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1988), Newhart (1988), hosted the talk show Midnight Hour on CBS (1990), and Pizza Man (1991).
Television career
Maher assumed the host role on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a late-night political talk show that ran on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997 and on ABC from 1997 to 2002. The show regularly began with a topical monologue by Maher preceding the introduction of four guests, usually a diverse group of individuals, such as show business, popular culture, political pundits, political consultants, authors, and occasionally news figures. The group would discuss topical issues selected by Maher, who also participated in the discussions. Jerry Seinfeld, a regular guest on the show, stated that Politically Incorrect reminded him of talk shows from the 1950s and ’60s “when guests interacted with each other as much as with the host”.
Politically Incorrect won an array of awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, two CableACE awards for Best Talk Show Series, and a Genesis Award for Best Television Talk Show. Maher earned numerous award nominations for his producing, writing, and hosting of Politically Incorrect, including ten Emmy nominations, two TV Guide nominations, and two Writers Guild nominations. ABC decided against renewing Maher’s contract for Politically Incorrect in 2002 after he made a controversial on-air remark six days after the September 11 attacks. He agreed with his guest, conservative pundit Dinesh D’Souza, that the 9/11 terrorists did not act in a cowardly manner (in rebuttal to President Bush’s statement calling them cowards).
Notable responses to Real-Time episodes
In late May 2005, Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus sent a letter to Time Warner’s board of directors requesting Real-Time be canceled after remarks Maher made after noting the military had missed its recruiting goals by 42 percent. Bachus said he felt the comments were demeaning to the military and treasonous. Maher stated his highest regard and support for the troops and asked why the congressman criticized him instead of doing something about the recruitment problem.
On September 17, 2010, Maher aired a clip of Delaware Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O’Donnell from the October 29, 1999 episode of his old show Politically Incorrect on his current show Real Time with Bill Maher, where she mentioned that she had “dabbled in witchcraft”. This was one of the most notable of numerous controversial statements by O’Donnell that made her the most covered candidate in the 2010 mid-term election cycle.
In February 2017, Maher invited Milo Yiannopoulos to be interviewed in Real-Time. Yiannopoulos accepted, despite protests from some commentators and fans. The appearance on Maher’s show harmed Yiannopoulos’s career due to comments in the interview in which he seemed to express sympathy toward perpetrators of child sexual abuse. In the days following the interview, Yiannopoulos had his invitation to speak before the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference, as well as a book deal with Simon & Schuster, canceled.
Political commentator
Maher is a frequent commentator on various cable news networks, including CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and HLN. Additionally, he has regularly appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and has also been a frequent guest on MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews, The Rachel Maddow Show, and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Maher has also appeared as a guest on HLN’s The Joy Behar Show. He wrote the foreword for the 2002 book, Spin This!: All the Ways We Don’t Tell the Truth by show host Bill Press.
Maher hosted the January 13, 2006 edition of Larry King Live, on which he was a frequent guest. He also appeared as a special guest on the June 29, 2010 edition of the show, on which CNN anchor Larry King announced his retirement. Maher co-emceed the final show of Larry King Life on December 16, 2010, with Ryan Seacrest.
How Old is Bill Maher?
Maher was born on January 20, 1956, in New York City, New York. He is currently 65 years old.
Bill Maher‘s Family
Who are Bill Maher’s parents?
Maher’s parents are William Aloysius Maher Jr. who was a network news editor and radio announcer, and his mother, Julie Maher who was a nurse.
Does Bill Maher have siblings?
Maher does not have any siblings we know of but we will surely update any news here as soon as possible.
Bill Maher‘s Education
Maher attended Pascack Hills High School in Montvale where he graduated in 1974. He then attended Cornell University, where he double-majored in English and History, and graduated in 1978.
Bill Maher‘s Personal Love Life
Maher has never married.
In 2003, he began dating former Playboy Cyber Girl Coco Johnsen. In November 2004, at the end of their 17-month relationship, Johnsen sued Maher for US$9 million for “pain and suffering” for alleged “insulting, humiliating and degrading racial comments”. Her suit stated that Maher promised to marry her and father her children, support her financially and buy a house in Beverly Hills. In 2005, Maher began dating Karrine Steffans, best-selling author, and former hip hop model.
When commentators suggested there was a pattern to his dating because both his girlfriend and former girlfriend were black, Maher said, “People say I’m into black women. Robert De Niro is into black women. I’m just into women who are real, and they happen to be black.” From 2009 to 2011, Maher dated former adjunct professor, science educator, and current Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe co-host Cara Santa Maria. In 2014, Maher was dating Ontario-born singer Anjulie Persaud.
Bill Maher‘s Children – Kids
Maher does not have any kids currently.
Bill Maher’s Net Worth
Maher has an estimated net worth of $140 million.
Height/Measurements
Maher stands at 5 ft 8 inches tall.