Bill Maher reveals he quit stand-up over fears he 'could get shot by the left or the right'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bill Maher has opened up about his decision to step away from touring as a stand-up comedian.
On his 'Club Random' podcast, on Monday, November 18, he revealed that a combination of safety concerns and other personal factors led him to quit live performances at the end of 2024.
Bill Maher’s candid confession about quitting stand-up
Bill Maher told guest Patton Oswalt that he made “a great choice” in stopping stand-up tours, admitting, “I don’t want to be out there in this country, in this political atmosphere. I could get shot by the left or the right.”
He said that, given his long history of controversial and contrarian commentary, the "risk felt too real." He added, “It’s a good time to not be out there.”
Beyond safety, Maher acknowledged more mundane but deeply felt reasons for quitting stand-up.
He confessed he was “tired of being twice as funny as people who were selling twice as many tickets as me.”
Maher explained that his regular television presence, especially on his weekly show 'Real Time with Bill Maher', may have worked against him in attracting large live audiences.
“I didn’t sell arenas … when the audience is 35 to 45, they don’t wanna see somebody 70,” he said.
Maher also said that he felt his stand-up specials represented a complete body of work. “I just did my 13th HBO special. I feel like that’s a good body of work,” he expressed. “I felt they all, they basically got better as it went along. I feel like the last one was the best one, which is a good way to get off.”
The late-night host also admitted to being “tired of the travel.”
Bill Maher has ruffled the feathers of both right and left
Bill Maher has also spoken about his political reputation, revealing in September that although he had praised President Donald Trump in the past, he did not vote for him and instead cast his vote for Kamala Harris in 2024.
In the months before this admission, he faced criticism from other comedians. Notably, Larry David compared Maher’s positive comments about his White House visit to having had "dinner with Adolf Hitler."
Maher also angered the left by criticizing “crazies” in the Democratic Party who he claims have become too “woke,” and simultaneously faced backlash from the right for speaking out against ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel last month.
After the tragic death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September, Maher told his audience that arguing over whether Democrats or Republicans are worse is futile because “both sides” are guilty of rampant toxicity.
In his closing remarks, Mahrer said that while he “didn’t need” stand-up anymore because he has his TV show and podcast, he does “miss it.”
