Bill Maher

William Maher (born January 20, 1956) is an American television host, comedian, actor and political commentator. Known for his political satire, he is the host of the HBO political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher (2003-present) and the podcast Club Random (2022-present). He previously hosted the late-night show Politically Incorrect (1993-2002) on Comedy Central and ABC. Often described as a moderate liberal, Maher targets topics including religion, political correctness and the mass media; his critical views of religion formed the basis for his 2008 documentary film Religulous.

Born in New York City, Maher was raised in River Vale, New Jersey, and graduated from Pascack Hills High School in 1974. He then attended Cornell University, double-majoring in English literature and history, and graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts. He began his career as a comedian and actor, hosting the New York comedy club Catch a Rising Star in 1979 and appearing on Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows from 1982. His feature film debut was in D.C. Cab (1983).

In 2005, Maher ranked No. 38 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time, and he received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010. Politically Incorrect won numerous awards, including an Emmy for Outstanding Technical Direction. ABC declined to renew his contract in 2002 after a controversial on-air remark made six days after the September 11 attacks. He has earned 41 Primetime Emmy nominations and a win as executive producer for Vice in 2014.