William 'Bill' Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, he hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect, originally on Comedy Central and later on ABC. He's known for his political satire and sociopolitical commentary, which targets a wide swath of topics. He supports the legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage, and serves on the board of PETA. He is also a critic of religion and is an advisory board member of Project Reason, a foundation to promote scientific knowledge and secular values within society. He currently ranks number 38 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-ups of all time. He got a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on September 14, 2010.

Filmography

• 2026Once Upon a Time in Jersey
• 2025Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This? — Self, Writer, Executive Producer
• The Failed Experiment — Executive Producer
• 2022Bill Maher: #Adulting — Self, Executive Producer, Writer
• 2019Late Night — Bill Maher
• 2019Race Against Time
• 2018Bill Maher: Live From Oklahoma — Self, Screenplay
• 2014A Million Ways to Die in the West — Barn Dance Comedian (uncredited)
• 2014Bill Maher: Live from D.C. — Self, Writer
• black-ish — Bill Maher
• 2013Iron Man 3 — Bill Maher
• VICE — Executive Producer
• 2012Bill Maher: CrazyStupidPolitics — Himself, Writer
• 2012Bright Day — Bill Maher
• 2012The Campaign — Bill Maher
• 2010Bill Maher: But I'm Not Wrong — Self, Writer
• 2008Religulous — Self - Host/Narrator, Writer, Producer
• 2008Swing Vote — Bill Maher
• True Blood — Bill Maher
• 2007Bill Maher: The Decider — Himself, Writer
• The Sarah Silverman Program — Bill Maher
• 2005Bill Maher: I'm Swiss — Bill Maher, Writer
• The Boondocks — Bill Maher (voice)
• The Showbiz Show with David Spade
• 2003Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home — Bill Maher, Writer
• 2003Pauly Shore Is Dead — Bill Maher
• 2003Playboy's 50th Anniversary Celebration
• Real Time with Bill Maher — Self - Host, Executive Producer, Writer
• 2002John Q — Bill Maher
• Primetime Glick — Bill Maher
• 2001Tomcats — Carlos (uncredited)
• 2000Bill Maher: Be More Cynical — Bill Maher, Writer
• Son of the Beach
• 1999EDtv — Bill Maher
• Family Guy — Bill Maher (voice)
• Snoops — Bill Maher
• Brother's Keeper — Bill Maher
• Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular
• V.I.P. — Bill Maher
• 1997Bill Maher: The Golden Goose Special — Himself, Writer
• 1997Bimbo Movie Bash — Jim (archive footage)
• Dharma & Greg — Bill Maher
• The Chris Rock Show
• Spin City — Bill Maher
• 1996The Weinerville Election Special: From Washington B.C.
• 1995Bill Maher: Stuff That Struck Me Funny — Himself, Writer
• Politically Incorrect — Self - Host, Writer, Executive Producer
• The Jackie Thomas Show
• The Larry Sanders Show — Bill Maher
• Charlie Hoover — Elliot Weedle
• Hot Country Nights
• 1991Pizza Man — Elmo Bunn
• 1989Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death — Jim
• One Night Stand
• 1989One-Night Stand: Bill Maher
• 1988Out of Time — Maxwell Taylor
• Roseanne
• 1987Funny, You Don't Look 200: A Constitutional Vaudeville — Writer
• 1987House II: The Second Story — John
• Married... with Children — Adam Gold
• Max Headroom — Haskel
• 1987Rags to Riches — Freddie
• Rags to Riches
• 1986Club Med — Rick
• 1986Ratboy — Party Guest
• Sara — Marty Lang
• Murder, She Wrote — Rick Rivers, Frank Albertson
• 1983D.C. Cab — Baba
• 1983The 8th Annual Young Comedians Show
• Newhart
• Alice

Appearances as themselves (71)

• Hollywood Squares — Self
• 2023Reality — Self (archive footage)
• 2023TMZ's Merry Elfin' Christmas — Self
• Cuomo — Self - Guest
• 2020Fat Fiction — Self - Comedian (archive footage)
• History 101 — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Gaza Fights for Freedom — Self (archive footage)
• Miracle Workers — Himself (archive footage)
• 2019Still Laugh-In: The Stars Celebrate — Self
• 2019The El Duce Tapes — Self
• 2018Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. — Self (archive footage)
• 2018Trump @War — Self (archive footage)
• 2017Get Me Roger Stone — Self (archive footage)
• I Love You, America — Self
• 2016Bill Maher - Whiny Little Bitch Live — Himself
• 2016The Comedy Club — Self
• StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson — Self
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Self
• 2014All About Ann: Governor Richards of the Lone Star State — Self (archive footage)
• 2014Eat Drink Laugh: The Story of The Comic Strip — Self
• 2014Mystical Traveler: The Life and Times of Dr. John-Roger — Self (archive footage)
• 2014The Interview — Self (uncredited)
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self
• 2013Delivery Man — Self
• Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee — Self
• Finding Your Roots — Self
• Inside Comedy — Self
• 2011The Undefeated — Self (archive footage)
• America: The Story of Us — Self
• Conan — Self
• 2010Gavin McInnes is a Fucking Asshole — Self (archive footage)
• 2010Sex, Drugs & Religion — Self
• The Marriage Ref — Self - Panelist
• The Jay Leno Show — Self - Guest
• 2008Lord, Save Us from Your Followers — Self
• 2008The Hempire Strikes Back — Self
• 2007Everything's Cool — Self (archive footage)
• 2007Heckler — Self
• 2007I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA — Himself
• 2007Sicko — Self
• 2006AKA Tommy Chong — Himself
• 2006Bill Maher: New Rules — Himself
• 2006Comedy Club Shoot-out: Vol. 1 — Self
• 2006Fuck — Self
• 2005Earth to America — Self
• 2005Inside Deep Throat — Self
• 2005The Aristocrats — Self
• The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson — Self
• America's Next Top Model — Self - Guest
• Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self, Self - Guest
• 2003Stupidity — Self
• 2002Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour — Self
• 2002The Ultimate Collection starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 70s and 80s — Self (archive footage)
• 2001Last Party 2000 — Self
• The Secret Rulers of the World — Self (archive footage)
• Mark Twain Prize — Self
• The Early Show — Self
• Hollywood Squares — Self - Panelist
• 1998Primary Colors — Himself
• The View — Self
• The Daily Show — Self
• 1995A Night to Die For — Self
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Self, Self - Guest
• Larry King Live — Self
• Jeopardy! — Self
• Late Night with David Letterman — Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors — Self
• Great Performances — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self
• Tony Awards — Self - Nominee