History of Bill Maher in Timeline
Bill Maher is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the political talk shows *Real Time with Bill Maher* on HBO and *Politically Incorrect*, which aired on Comedy Central and ABC. In 2022, he launched the podcast *Club Random*.
January 20, 1956: Bill Maher Born
On January 20, 1956, William "Bill" Maher was born. He is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host.
1974: High School Graduation
In 1974, Maher graduated from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale.
1978: College Graduation
In 1978, Maher graduated from Cornell University with degrees in English and history.
1979: Host of Catch a Rising Star
In 1979, Maher became the host of the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star.
1982: TV Appearances
In 1982, Maher began appearing on Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows.
1983: Feature Film Debut
In 1983, Maher made his feature film debut in D.C. Cab.
1985: Sara Appearance
In 1985, Maher made a television appearance on Sara.
1987: Max Headroom and House II Appearances
In 1987, Maher appeared in Max Headroom and House II: The Second Story.
1988: Cannibal Women and Newhart Appearances
In 1988, Maher appeared in Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death and Newhart.
1989: Murder, She Wrote Appearance
In 1989, Maher appeared on Murder, She Wrote.
1990: Midnight Hour and Murder, She Wrote Appearances
In 1990, Maher hosted the talk show Midnight Hour on CBS and appeared on Murder, She Wrote.
1991: Charlie Hoover and Pizza Man Appearances
In 1991, Maher appeared on Charlie Hoover and Pizza Man.
1993: Politically Incorrect on Comedy Central
In 1993, Bill Maher assumed the host role on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a late-night political talk show that ran on Comedy Central from 1993.
1993: Politically Incorrect Debut
In 1993, Bill Maher's late-night show Politically Incorrect premiered on Comedy Central.
1997: Joins PETA Board
In 1997, Maher joined the board of PETA, supporting animal rights.
1997: Politically Incorrect on 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 canceled. Several months earlier, the Sinclair Broadcast Group had dropped the show from its ABC-affiliated stations.
June 22, 2002: Los Angeles Press Club Award
On June 22, 2002, six days after the cancellation of Politically Incorrect, Maher received the Los Angeles Press Club president's award for "championing free speech".
2002: End of Politically Incorrect
In 2002, ABC decided against renewing Bill Maher's contract for Politically Incorrect.
2002: Politically Incorrect Cancellation
In 2002, ABC decided against renewing Maher's contract for Politically Incorrect after a controversial on-air remark following the September 11 attacks.
2002: Rejection of Atheist Label
In 2002, Bill Maher stated, "I'm not an atheist. There's a really big difference between an atheist and someone who just doesn't believe in religion. Religion to me is a bureaucracy between man and God that I don't need, but I'm not an atheist, no."
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 show host Bill Press.
2003: Maher Begins Dating Coco Johnsen
In 2003, Bill Maher began dating flight attendant Coco Johnsen.
2003: Maher Nominated for Tony Award
In 2003, Bill Maher was nominated at the 57th Tony Awards for Best Special Theatrical Event for Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home.
2003: Real Time with Bill Maher Debut
In 2003, Maher became the host, co-producer, and co-writer of Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO.
November 2004: Johnsen Sues Maher
In November 2004, Coco Johnsen sued Bill Maher for US$9 million, alleging racial comments and a broken promise of marriage, financial support, and a house in Beverly Hills after their 17-month relationship ended.
November 23, 2004: Maher Responds to Johnsen's Lawsuit
On November 23, 2004, Bill Maher's lawyers responded to Coco Johnsen's lawsuit, stating that Maher is a "confirmed bachelor" who never promised marriage or children and accusing Johnsen of extortion.
2004: Appearance in Hollywood Hell House
In 2004, Maher appeared on stage as Satan in The Steve Allen Theater production of "Hollywood Hell House".
May 2, 2005: Johnsen's Lawsuit Dismissed
On May 2, 2005, Coco Johnsen's lawsuit against Bill Maher was dismissed.
2005: Maher Dates Karrine Steffans
In 2005, Bill Maher began dating Karrine Steffans, an author and former hip hop model. Maher responded to comments about a pattern in his dating by saying he is into women who are real, and they happen to be black.
2005: Comedy Central Ranking
In 2005, Maher was ranked No. 38 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time.
January 13, 2006: Hosted Larry King Live
On January 13, 2006, Maher hosted an edition of Larry King Live.
2006: Maher Honored by High Times
In 2006, High Times honored Bill Maher as "Top Pot Comic" and Real Time won a Stony Award for "Best Cable News Show".
October 19, 2007: Maher Confronts 9/11 Truthers
On October 19, 2007, Bill Maher confronted and had 9/11 truthers ejected from his show audience after they disrupted the live broadcast. The incident received significant media attention.
2007: Television Producer of the Year Award
In 2007, Maher and his co-producers were awarded the Television Producer of the Year Award in Variety Television by the Producers Guild of America.
October 3, 2008: Religulous Release
On October 3, 2008, Maher's movie Religulous, which he made with director Larry Charles, was released.
2008: Maher on Health Plans and Nutrition
In 2008, Bill Maher stated that poor nutrition is a primary cause of illness and that the answer isn't another pill, during an episode of his show discussing the presidential candidates' health plans.
2008: Religulous Release
In 2008, Religulous, Bill Maher's documentary film exploring his critical views on religion, was released.
2008: Self-Identification as Agnostic in Religulous
In his 2008 feature film Religulous, Bill Maher refers to himself as agnostic.
2008: Support for Barack Obama
In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Maher announced his support for U.S. Senator Barack Obama.
2009: Maher Dates Cara Santa Maria
From 2009, Bill Maher dated Cara Santa Maria, a former adjunct professor, science educator, and current Skeptics' Guide to the Universe co-host.
2009: Maher Receives Richard Dawkins Award
In 2009, Bill Maher received the Richard Dawkins Award from Atheist Alliance International. He was also an advisory board member of Sam Harris's Project Reason, promoting scientific knowledge and secular values.
2009: Maher on the Affordable Care Act
In 2009, Bill Maher stated that Obama should pass the Affordable Care Act with just 51 votes, dismissing the need for 60 votes and referring to those who disagree with evolution as "stupid."
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-Emceed Final Larry King Live
On December 16, 2010, Maher co-emceed the final show of Larry King Live with Ryan Seacrest.
2010: Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
In 2010, Maher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2011: Maher and Cara Santa Maria End Relationship
In 2011, Bill Maher and Cara Santa Maria ended their relationship.
2011: Maher Supports Medicare-for-All
In 2011, Bill Maher consistently agreed with the proposal of Medicare-for-All, a universal single-payer health care system.
2011: Maher Declares Apatheism
In 2011, Bill Maher referred to himself as an apatheist, stating he doesn't know or care what happens after death. He clarified that on a scale of certainty about God's non-existence, he ranked himself at 6.9, emphasizing doubt as the most appropriate human response.
February 23, 2012: Contribution to Obama SuperPAC
On February 23, 2012, after his "Crazy Stupid Politics" special streamed on Yahoo! Screen, Maher announced that he was contributing $1 million to Priorities USA, the Obama SuperPAC.
2012: Maher Purchases Interest in New York Mets
In 2012, Bill Maher purchased a minority ownership interest in the New York Mets.
2012: Maher on Atheism
In 2012, Bill Maher stated on his HBO show that atheism is not a religion and doesn't require much time, reiterating his stance against the certitude of both the existence and non-existence of deities.
2012: "9/11 liberals" Panel Discussion
In a 2012 panel discussion with Salman Rushdie, Maher counted himself, Rushdie, and others such as Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris as "9/11 liberals", noting that they differentiate themselves from many mainstream liberals in saying that not all religions are alike and that they are not bigoted in criticizing a particular religion.
February 12, 2013: Appearance on Conan and Gun Ownership
On February 12, 2013, Bill Maher explained on the late-night TV talk show Conan that he owns guns for personal home protection. However, he does not identify himself as a "proud" gun owner.
June 7, 2013: Expression of 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 for him. While he trusted the Obama administration to employ the program responsibly, he described the NSA's access to private data as a "slippery slope".
2013: Executive Producer for Vice and challenge to Trump
In 2013, Maher became one of the executive producers for the HBO newsmagazine series Vice. Also in 2013, Maher appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and offered to pay $5 million to a charity if Donald Trump would produce his birth certificate.
2014: Endorsement of Maine Referendum to Ban Bear Hunting Practices
In 2014, Bill Maher endorsed a Maine referendum to ban the use of bait, traps, and dogs to hunt bears in Maine, criticizing the use of bait as "nothing but an execution".
2014: Emmy Win for Vice
In 2014, Maher won a Primetime Emmy Award for his work as executive producer for Vice.
2014: Defense of Israel's Military Actions
In 2014, during the Gaza war, Bill Maher defended Israel's military actions against Palestinians amid criticism over civilian deaths and disproportionate casualty count between Israelis and Palestinians. He argued that Israel is still showing restraint and criticized those who questioned Israel's self-defense.
2014: "Flip a District" Contest
In the lead-up to the 2014 midterm elections, Maher conducted a "Flip a District" contest on his HBO show, aiming to remove a "terrible, entrenched" member of Congress from office, ultimately selecting Republican Representative John Kline from Minnesota's 2nd congressional district.
2014: Maher Dates Anjulie Persaud
Since 2014, Bill Maher has been dating Canadian singer Anjulie Persaud.
November 2015: Opposition to Accepting Syrian Refugees
In November 2015, Bill Maher expressed opposition to the United States accepting Syrian refugees, arguing that they have different values at odds with American values, citing cases in the UK where Muslim immigrants had carried out female genital mutilation and honor killings.
2015: Maher Calls for Marijuana Pardons
In 2015, Bill Maher called on then President Barack Obama to pardon people incarcerated for marijuana offenses.
2015: Criticism of Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia
In 2015, Bill Maher criticized Barack Obama's visit to Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. ally, saying: "Stop respecting their medieval bullshit under the guise of, 'It's their culture.'"
2015: Maher Wins Emmy for Vice
In 2015, Bill Maher won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series or Special for Vice.
February 5, 2016: Endorsement of Bernie Sanders
On February 5, 2016, Bill Maher initially endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders for the U.S. presidential election.
June 2016: Support for Hillary Clinton
In June 2016, after Hillary Clinton won the nomination from the Democratic Party primary elections, Bill Maher announced his support for her in the U.S. presidential election.
October 2016: Criticism of Julian Assange
In October 2016, Bill Maher criticized WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for publishing leaks from the DNC's emails, stating that he felt Assange had "lost his way a little" and that Assange hated Hillary Clinton.
2016: Real Time Renewal
In 2016, HBO renewed Real Time through 2018, for its 15th and 16th seasons.
2016: Vice Nominated for Peabody Award
In 2016, Vice was nominated for the Peabody Award for their segment on Student debt.
March 31, 2017: Response to Hillary Clinton's Defeat
On March 31, 2017, following Hillary Clinton's defeat, Bill Maher responded on air to suggestions that Clinton was ready to end her low profile and speak out by saying, "Hillary, stay in the woods... You had your shot. You fucked it up."
June 2017: Controversy Over "House Nigger" Joke
In June 2017, Bill Maher faced criticism for saying in an off-the-cuff joke "I'm a house nigger" in response to guest Senator Ben Sasse offering Maher to work on the fields in his home state on Real Time. HBO called Maher's remarks "inexcusable and tasteless", and Maher apologized for the remarks.
2017: Maher on Western Values and Islam
In 2017, Bill Maher defended his criticisms of Islam and Muslim culture, stating his belief in Western values such as separation of church and state, equality of the sexes, and free speech. Maher also agreed with Sam Harris that the left has allied itself with Islamists, and liberals have failed to stand up to Islamic extremism.
February 2018: Maher Criticizes #MeToo Movement
In February 2018, Bill Maher described the #MeToo movement as McCarthyism.
April 13, 2018: Prediction of Trump's Refusal to Concede
On April 13, 2018, Bill Maher began predicting that Donald Trump would refuse to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election during an episode of Real Time with Bill Maher.
2018: Real Time Renewal
In 2016, HBO renewed Real Time through 2018, for its 15th and 16th seasons.
March 14, 2019: Maher highlights Trump's assertion
On March 14, 2019, Bill Maher highlighted Donald 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: Denouncement of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement
In August 2019, Bill Maher denounced the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, criticizing the notion that the conflict is solely based on race, with Israelis being mostly white and Palestinians mostly brown. He also responded to Rep. Rashida Tlaib's call to boycott his talk show, questioning if she would boycott 93% of her own party, which had voted to condemn the BDS movement.
August 2019: Statement on Economic Recession and Donald 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, saying, "We have survived many recessions. We can't survive another Donald Trump term."
2019: Criticism for Maher's Claims About Vaccines
In 2019, Surgical Oncologist David Gorski again criticized Bill Maher for his HBO interview with Dr. Jay Gordon and Maher's claims about vaccines, including the speculation about a link between vaccines and autism.
January 25, 2020: 'New Rules' segment on Trump's Refusal to Leave
On January 25, 2020, Bill Maher dedicated a 'New Rules' end segment on Real Time with Bill Maher to the subject of Donald Trump's predicted refusal to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election.
April 2020: Criticism of Equating "Wuhan Virus" with Racism
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, citing examples such as Zika, Ebola, and Spanish flu.
August 7, 2020: Prediction of Trump's Refusal to Concede
On August 7, 2020, Bill Maher continued predicting that Donald Trump would refuse to concede any loss in the 2020 United States presidential election during an episode of Real Time with Bill Maher.
August 15, 2020: Comment on Trump's Refusal to Leave
In an August 15, 2020, interview with Vanity Fair, Bill Maher stated, "we've baked it into the cake that he's not going to leave," referring to Donald Trump.
September 25, 2020: Criticism of Media Coverage of Trump's Threats
On September 25, 2020, during an edition of Real Time, Bill Maher criticized the framing of a New York Times story about Donald Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, asserting that the media "should have amplified" the severity of Trump's threats.
2020: Maher Supports Chris Matthews
In 2020, Bill Maher supported Chris Matthews against allegations of sexual harassment.
January 2021: Maher Promotes COVID-19 Lab Leak Theory
In January 2021, Bill Maher promoted the COVID-19 lab leak theory.
March 2021: Criticism of China's Treatment of Uyghurs and US 'Woke' Culture
In March 2021, Bill Maher criticized China's treatment of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang and claimed the United States has "lost" to China in the "battle for the 21st century." He also stated that the United States is wasting time in a "never-ending woke competition".
April 16, 2021: Maher Calls COVID-19 Coverage 'Panic Porn'
On April 16, 2021, Bill Maher criticized media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it "panic porn" and stating that the population is badly misinformed due to biased sources.
2021: Opposition to NFL's "Black National Anthem"
In 2021, Bill Maher opposed the NFL's decision to play the "Black national anthem" before games, considering it a form of segregation. He argued for one national anthem and rejected separate ceremonies and dorms based on race, which drew some criticism.
2021: Urging 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: Declining to Run in the 2024 Election
In January 2022, Bill Maher declined to run in the 2024 United States presidential election following speculation by Dana Perino that he might be called on to do so.
March 2022: Maher Defends Republicans on Florida Education Bill
In March 2022, Bill Maher rebuked liberals for opposing the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act and defended Republicans for supporting the bill.
March 21, 2022: Club Random Podcast Launched
On March 21, 2022, Maher launched a podcast titled Club Random, a series hosting one-on-one interviews with guests, recorded in his bar at home, where he discusses everything except politics.
May 2022: Maher on LGBT Identification and Transgender Healthcare
In May 2022, Bill Maher said that the rise in LGBT numbers is partly due to people feeling free to identify, but also because it's trendy. Maher also referred to puberty blockers and other transgender health care for trans youth as "literally experimenting on children".
2022: Blaming Mass Shootings on Hollywood Romanticization of Gun Violence
In 2022, Bill Maher blamed mass shootings in part on Hollywood's romanticization of gun violence in movies, although he also said he is glad that guns exist saying it "levels the playing field".
2022: Criticism of 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: Criticism of Democratic Party's Diversity Practices
In 2022, Bill Maher criticized the Democratic Party for "checking boxes" in regard to candidates of different identity groups, including race. He stated that Democrats prioritize diversity over merit.
2022: Club Random Podcast Launch
In 2022, Maher launched the podcast Club Random.
September 13, 2023: Maher Announces Return of 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 WGA Strike
In September 2023, Bill Maher criticized the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike on his Club Random podcast, stating that writers are not owed a living and some demands are "kooky." He clarified that he supports the strike but disagrees with certain demands, such as mandating a set number of writers on each show. Maher expressed his wish to have Governor Gavin Newsom help end the strike.
2023: Maher Discusses Spirituality with Deepak Chopra
In 2023, while still critical of religion, Bill Maher discussed spiritual queries with Deepak Chopra.
February 2024: Unreleased Kanye West Interview
In February 2024, Maher revealed that he decided not to release a two-hour interview with Kanye West recorded for Club Random because of the rapper's recent antisemitic comments.
March 2024: Club Random Studios Announced
In March 2024, Maher announced that he was starting a podcast network with Chris Casey and Chuck LaBella called Club Random Studios.
May 2024: Plans to Stop Stand-Up
In May 2024, Maher told Jerry Seinfeld on the Club Random podcast that "after this year, I'm going to stop doing [stand-up]".
July 2024: Call for Biden to Decline Nomination
In July 2024, Bill Maher called on Joe Biden to decline the Democratic party's nomination in order to have an open convention at the Democratic Convention, expressing his support for Gavin Newsom to replace Biden as the party's nominee.
February 2025: Endorsement of John Fetterman
In February 2025, Bill Maher endorsed Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman for the 2028 Democratic Party presidential primaries, praising his strong support of Israel and stance against "woke".
March 2025: Criticism of NPR
After NPR CEO Katherine Maher defended NPR's journalism as "completely unbiased" at a congressional hearing in March 2025, Bill Maher characterized the radio network as "crazy far-left" and called for defunding public media outlets, arguing that the country is "past the age" of subsidizing them.
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