Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Bill Maher
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Bill Maher made an impact.
Bill Maher is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He's best known for hosting the political talk show Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO (2003-present) and Politically Incorrect (1993-2002) on Comedy Central and ABC. In 2022, he launched the podcast Club Random.
1979: Catch a Rising Star Host
In 1979, Maher began his career as host of the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star.
1982: Late Night Show Appearances
In 1982, Maher started appearing on Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows.
1983: Film Debut in D.C. Cab
In 1983, Maher made his feature film debut in D.C. Cab.
1985: Appearance on Sara
In 1985, Maher made a television appearance on Sara.
1987: Appearance on Max Headroom
In 1987, Maher appeared on Max Headroom.
1988: Appearances in House II, Cannibal Women and Newhart
In 1988, Maher appeared in House II: The Second Story, Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death, and Newhart.
1989: Murder, She Wrote Appearance
In 1989, Maher appeared on Murder, She Wrote.
1990: Appearances on Murder, She Wrote and Hosting Midnight Hour
In 1990, Maher appeared on Murder, She Wrote and hosted the talk show Midnight Hour on CBS.
1991: Appearance on Charlie Hoover and Pizza Man
In 1991, Maher appeared on Charlie Hoover and in the film Pizza Man.
1993: Politically Incorrect Debut on Comedy Central
In 1993, Bill Maher began hosting Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher on Comedy Central.
1993: Politically Incorrect Premiere
In 1993, Bill Maher began hosting Politically Incorrect, a late-night show on Comedy Central.
1997: Politically Incorrect Move to ABC
In 1997, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher moved from Comedy Central to ABC.
June 16, 2002: Cancellation of Politically Incorrect
On June 16, 2002, Politically Incorrect was officially canceled.
2002: Cancellation of Politically Incorrect
In 2002, ABC decided not to renew Maher's contract for Politically Incorrect following controversial remarks made after the September 11 attacks. Maher's comments sparked significant backlash and advertising revenue loss.
2002: Foreword for Spin This!
In 2002, Maher wrote the foreword for the book Spin This!: All the Ways We Don't Tell the Truth by Bill Press.
2002: Politically Incorrect End Date
In 2002, Politically Incorrect concluded its run, having aired on Comedy Central and later on ABC.
2003: Real Time with Bill Maher Debut
In 2003, Bill Maher started hosting the HBO political talk show, Real Time with Bill Maher.
2004: Appearance in "Hollywood Hell House"
In 2004, Maher appeared on stage as Satan in The Steve Allen Theater production of "Hollywood Hell House".
January 13, 2006: Hosting Larry King Live
On January 13, 2006, Maher hosted an edition of Larry King Live.
October 3, 2008: Release of Religulous
On October 3, 2008, Religulous, a movie made by Maher and director Larry Charles, was released.
2008: Release of Religulous
In 2008, Maher's documentary film, Religulous, which is based on his critical views of religion, was released.
2008: Maher Refers to Himself as Agnostic
In his 2008 feature film Religulous, Bill Maher refers to himself as agnostic.
2009: Maher receives Richard Dawkins Award
In 2009, Bill Maher was awarded the Richard Dawkins Award from Atheist Alliance International. He also became an advisory board member of Sam Harris's Project Reason.
June 29, 2010: Special Guest on Larry King Live
On June 29, 2010, Maher appeared as a special guest on Larry King Live, during which Larry King announced his retirement.
December 16, 2010: Co-Emceeing Larry King's Final Show
On December 16, 2010, Maher co-emceed the final show of Larry King Live with Ryan Seacrest.
2012: Maher purchases a minority stake in the New York Mets
In 2012, Bill Maher purchased a minority ownership interest in the New York Mets.
February 12, 2013: Maher on Gun Ownership
On February 12, 2013, Bill Maher explained on Conan that he owns guns for home protection but does not identify as a "proud" gun owner.
June 7, 2013: Maher Expresses Limited Support for NSA's PRISM Program
On June 7, 2013, Bill Maher expressed limited support on his show for the NSA's PRISM intelligence data collection from private phone calls and the Internet, citing the threat of terrorists obtaining and using nuclear weapons as the tipping point.
2013: Executive Producer for Vice
In 2013, Maher became one of the executive producers for the HBO newsmagazine series Vice.
2014: Maher Defends Israel's Military Actions
During the 2014 Gaza war, Bill Maher defended Israel's military actions against Palestinians amid criticism over civilian deaths and disproportionate casualty counts, arguing that Israel is still showing restraint.
2014: Maher Endorses Maine Referendum on Bear Hunting
In 2014, Bill Maher endorsed a Maine referendum to ban the use of bait, traps, and dogs to hunt bears.
November 2015: Maher Opposes Accepting Syrian Refugees
In November 2015, Bill Maher expressed opposition to the United States accepting Syrian refugees, citing differing values and potential risks.
2015: Maher Criticizes Obama's Visit to Saudi Arabia
In 2015, Bill Maher criticized Barack Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia, saying: "Stop respecting their medieval bullshit under the guise of, 'It's their culture.'"
February 5, 2016: Maher Endorses Bernie Sanders
On February 5, 2016, Bill Maher initially endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for the U.S. presidential election.
May 13, 2016: Announcement of "The Kings of Atheism"
On May 13, 2016, Maher and Michael Moore announced they were making a movie called The Kings of Atheism.
June 2016: Maher Supports Hillary Clinton
In June 2016, Bill Maher announced his support for Hillary Clinton after she won the nomination from the Democratic Party primary elections.
October 2016: Maher Criticizes Julian Assange
In October 2016, Bill Maher criticized WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing leaks from the DNC's emails, stating that Assange had "lost his way" and "hates Hillary."
2016: Real Time Renewal
In 2016, HBO renewed Real Time with Bill Maher through 2018 for its 15th and 16th seasons.
March 31, 2017: Maher's Response to Clinton's Defeat
On March 31, 2017, Bill Maher responded on air to suggestions that Hillary Clinton was ready to end her low profile and speak out, telling her to stay in the woods, saying "You had your shot. You fucked it up."
June 2017: Maher's Controversial 'House Nigger' Comment
In June 2017, Bill Maher came under criticism for saying "I'm a house nigger" in response to Senator Ben Sasse on Real Time. HBO removed the segment, and Maher apologized for his offensive remark.
April 13, 2018: Maher Predicts Trump Will Refuse to Concede
On April 13, 2018, Bill Maher began predicting that Trump would refuse to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election.
2018: Real Time Renewal
In 2016, HBO renewed Real Time with Bill Maher through 2018 for its 15th and 16th seasons.
March 14, 2019: Maher Cites Trump's Assertion
On March 14, 2019, Maher quoted Trump's assertion, "I have the support of the police, the military, the bikers [for Trump]" and "the tough people", citing this as evidence that Trump would seek to remain in office by force.
August 2019: Maher Denounces BDS Movement
In August 2019, Bill Maher denounced the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, saying it's based on shallow thinking regarding race. He also responded to Rep. Rashida Tlaib's call to boycott his talk show.
August 2019: Maher on Recession and Trump
In August 2019, Bill Maher stated that an economic recession would be "worth it" if Donald Trump did not get re-elected in 2020, prioritizing avoiding another Trump term.
January 25, 2020: Maher Dedicates 'New Rules' Segment to Trump's Refusal to Leave
On January 25, 2020, Bill Maher dedicated a 'New Rules' end segment on Real Time to the subject of Trump refusing to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election.
April 2020: Maher on 'Wuhan Virus' Terminology
In April 2020, Bill Maher criticized those who equated using the term "Wuhan virus" with racism, stating that scientists have historically named diseases after their place of origin.
August 7, 2020: Maher's Prediction of Violence by Trump Supporters
By August 7, 2020, Bill Maher predicted violence by armed Trump supporters attempting to keep Trump in power and criticized Democratic Party politicians for not taking the threat seriously.
August 15, 2020: Maher on Trump Not Leaving Office
In an August 15, 2020, interview with Vanity Fair, Bill Maher stated that "we've baked it into the cake that he's not going to leave," referring to Donald Trump.
September 25, 2020: Maher Criticizes Media Coverage of Trump's Peaceful Transfer of Power
On September 25, 2020, during Real Time, Bill Maher criticized the framing of a New York Times story by Michael Crowley headlined "Trump Won't Commit to Peaceful Transfer of Power", asserting that the media should have amplified the severity of Trump's threats to refuse a peaceful transition.
March 2021: Maher Criticizes China's Treatment of Uyghurs
In March 2021, Bill Maher criticized China's treatment of Uyghur minority in Xinjiang. He also said the United States has "lost" to China in the "battle for the 21st century."
2021: Maher Opposes NFL's 'Black National Anthem'
In 2021, Bill Maher opposed the NFL's decision to play the "Black national anthem" before games, calling it a form of segregation.
2021: Maher Urges America to Take in Afghan Refugees
In 2021, after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Bill Maher urged America to take in Afghan refugees.
January 2022: Maher Declines to Run for President
In January 2022, Bill Maher declined to run in the 2024 United States presidential election, following speculation by Dana Perino.
March 21, 2022: Launch of Club Random Podcast
On March 21, 2022, Maher launched Club Random, a podcast featuring interviews recorded in his home bar, discussing topics except politics.
2022: Maher Blames Hollywood for Mass Shootings
In 2022, Bill Maher blamed mass shootings in part on Hollywood romanticization of gun violence in movies. He has said that despite him not liking guns he is glad that they exist saying it "levels the playing field".
2022: Maher Criticizes Disinformation Governance Board
In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Biden administration's Disinformation Governance Board and agreed with the comparison that the board was similar to the Ministry of Truth from George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.
2022: Maher Criticizes Democratic Party's Diversity Practices
In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Democratic Party for prioritizing diversity over merit, particularly in candidate selection.
2022: Club Random Podcast Launch
In 2022, Maher launched his podcast, Club Random.
September 13, 2023: Maher announces plans to restart his HBO show
On September 13, 2023, Bill Maher announced on Twitter his plans to restart a version of his HBO show.
September 2023: Maher criticizes the Writers Guild of America strike
In September 2023, Bill Maher criticized the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, stating that writers are not 'owed a living'. He expressed disagreement with some of the WGA's demands, particularly the mandate for a specific number of writers on each show.
2023: Maher on the 2023 Israel-Hamas War
In 2023, Condemning the October 7 attacks by Hamas militants on Israel, Maher spoke about it as Israel's 9/11, and cautioned Israel not to "lose the moral high ground" in the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. Maher expressed disappointment with former President Barack Obama over his comments on the war.
February 2024: Unreleased Kanye West Interview
In February 2024, Maher chose not to release a Club Random interview with Kanye West due to the rapper's antisemitic comments.
March 15, 2024: Ending CAA Affiliation
On March 15, 2024, Maher ended his affiliation with the CAA talent agency after not being invited to Bryan Lourd's Oscar party.
March 2024: Starting Club Random Studios
In March 2024, Maher announced the start of a podcast network called Club Random Studios with Chris Casey and Chuck LaBella.
May 2024: Retirement Announcement from Stand-Up
In May 2024, Maher said on the Club Random podcast with Jerry Seinfeld that he would stop doing stand-up after this year.
July 2024: Maher Calls on Biden to Decline Nomination
In July 2024, Bill Maher called on Joe Biden to decline the Democratic party's nomination and expressed his support for Gavin Newsom to replace Biden as the party's nominee.
July 19, 2024: Representation by WME
On July 19, 2024, it was confirmed that Maher would be represented by WME in all areas of entertainment.
February 2025: Maher Endorses John Fetterman for President
In February 2025, Bill Maher endorsed Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman for the 2028 Democratic Party presidential primaries.
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