He was born in New York City on Jan. 20, 1956 and was raised in River Vale, graduating from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale in 1974. He double majored in English and history at Cornell University, graduating in 1978.
His father, William Aloysius Maher Jr. was a network news editor and radio announcer, and his mother, Julie (Berman) Maher, was a nurse.
He is best known for the HBO political talk show "Real Time with Bill Maher" (2003–present), and is also a comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor and media critic.
Maher supports the legalization of cannabis and same-sex marriage and his critical views of religion were the basis for the 2008 documentary film “Religulous.” He is a supporter of animal rights, having served on the board of PETA since 1997.
He received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on September 14, 2010.
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