Bill Maher is one of the most politically astute comedians in America today. His unflinching honesty and commitment to never pulling a punch have garnered him the respect and admiration of millions of fans. In 2003, Maher launched a new show, "Real Time with Bill Maher," on HBO, a network that's a perfect fit for his irreverent style. The hour-long show airs live at 10:00PM on Friday nights, with a replay at 11PM.
"Real Time with Bill Maher" has received multiple Emmy nominations as well as nominations from the Writer's Guild of America. Some of the outstanding guests who have appeared on the show include Howard Dean, Michael Moore, Robin Williams, Drew Barrymore, Bradley Whitford, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Gen. Wesley Clark, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Gary Hart, Pat Buchanan and George Carlin. Each week, Bill's hilarious opening monologue, incisive interviews and stimulating panel discussion, as well as his extremely popular "New Rules" segment, serve to wrap up the week's most important events in a way that makes you think, as well as laugh.
In 1993, Maher created "Politically Incorrect." On Comedy Central, Maher brought together some of the most interesting politicians, entertainers, and journalists to participate in some of the most controversial, topical and comical discussions. Winners of four CableACE Awards combined, Maher and his program grew in popularity year to year, eventually catching the attention in 1997 of ABC and capturing the post-"Nightline" time slot. A cutting edge contender of provocative late night television, "Politically Incorrect" survived for five years on ABC and concluded its final run in July 2002. "Politically Incorrect" received a total of 18 Emmy nominations since 1995.
Maher, inspired by the show's success, assembled some of "PI's" most memorable highlights in his book, Does Anybody Have a Problem With That? Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits.
Maher's latest book, When you ride ALONE you ride with bin Laden, was released in 2002. The book is a useful and hilarious guide for the many Americans who want to help the war effort, but are at a loss as to how. A combination of 33 new posters, as well as several classics from our government's archives, and text by Maher, help Americans make the connections between what we do and how it can help our troops and ourselves. In conjunction with the book's release, Maher went on a nationwide stand-up tour and drew standing ovations for his hilarious routine which utilized the posters from the book to illustrate his commentary.
Maher's credits include five HBO specials, including the critically acclaimed "Bill Maher: Be More Cynical." Maher has participated in comedy tours throughout the United States. Most recently, he received a Tony nomination for the three-week run of his one-man Broadway Show, "Victory Begins at Home."
An English major graduate from Cornell University, Maher began his career honing his act during the '80s on the New York club scene. He reflects upon this time in True Story, a novelization of his club life and a funny, revealing depiction of the comic.
Maher was born in New York and raised in River Vale, New Jersey. He now resides in Los Angeles.
