Bill Maher is one of the most politically astute comedians in America today. He was born in New York and raised in River Vale, New Jersey. A graduate from Cornell University with a B.A. in English, Maher began his career honing his act during the '80s on the New York club scene.

In 1993, Maher created "Politically Incorrect," a roundtable forum featuring politicians, entertainers, and journalists. Winners of four CableACE Awards combined, Maher and his program grew in popularity year to year, eventually moving to ABC in 1997 to the post-"Nightline" time slot. The show concluded its final run in July 2002, receiving received a total of 18 Emmy nominations.

Maher's stand-up credits include five HBO specials, including the critically acclaimed "Bill Maher: Be More Cynical" and most recently, the Emmy nominated "I'm Swiss." Maher has participated in sold-out comedy tours throughout the United States. He received a Tony nomination for the three-week run of his one-man Broadway Show, "Victory Begins at Home."

Bill also hosted "Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher," a 30-minute program featuring live performances by renowned musicians and thought-provoking interviews with authors, directors and actors featured on Amazon.com.

He now resides in Los Angeles where he hosts "Real Time With Bill Maher" on HBO.