for: Bill Maher (rower)

William "Bill" Maher, Jr. ( ; born January 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, social and political commentator, and author. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect on Comedy Central and later on ABC.

Maher is known for his political satire and sociopolitical commentary. His commentaries target a wide swath of topics: religion, politics, bureaucracies of many kinds, political correctness, the mass media, and persons in positions of high political and social power, among many others. He supports the legalization of marijuana and gay marriage and serves on the board of PETA. He is also a critic of religion and is an advisory board member of The Reason Project. Maher is number 38 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-ups of all time.

Early life and career

Maher was born in New York City, the son of Julie (née Berman), a nurse, and William Maher, Sr., a network news editor and radio announcer. Maher was raised in his Irish American father's Catholic religion, and did not find out that his mother was Jewish until his teenage years; Maher's family stopped attending church when Maher was thirteen, because of Maher's father's disagreement with the Pope's position on birth control. Maher grew up in River Vale, New Jersey and graduated from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, New Jersey. He received his Bachelor of Arts in English and History from Cornell University in 1978.

Maher began his career as a stand-up comedian and actor, and he continues to act and tour occasionally. He was host of the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star in 1979. Thanks to Steve Allen, he began appearing on Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows in 1982. He made limited television appearances, including two separate appearances on Murder She Wrote -- notably, as Maher likes to point out, as two different characters. He has also appeared in several films, usually in a comic role. He was also a writer in the late '80s on the sitcom Roseanne. His feature film debut was in D.C. Cab (1983), and he has also appeared in Ratboy (1986), Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1988), and Pizza Man (1991).

Political views

thumb|Maher and Ingrid Newkirk, founder of PETA. Maher is on the board of directors of the animal rights group. Maher describes himself as a libertarian and believes that, "government is really there to do the things that people absolutely can't do for themselves" ;Halem, Dann. (2001-08-01.) "Is Bill Maher a libertarian?" Salon (news website). Retrieved on 2007-10-12. however, journalist Dann Halem has questioned Maher's libertarianism, describing him as a liberal.