DATE OF BIRTH
April 23, 1977
BIOGRAPHY
John Oliver graduated from Christ’s College in Cambridge University; during his time there he was the vice president of the famed Cambridge Footlights, and participated in the group’s annual revue. He made his debut in the 2001 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and debuted his solo show in the same festival a year later.
Oliver has frequently collaborated with comedian Andy Zaltzman, working together as a duo and, later, co-hosting the Fringe show Political Animal. He moved to New York in 2006 when he joined The Daily Show — he later became a permanent resident of the United States — but the two still collaborate on a satirical news podcast, The Bugle, which they launched in 2007.
Oliver is best known for his work on The Daily Show, where he provides a “British perspective” on the day’s events; he mostly lampoons the absurdity of certain aspects of American culture, as well as the difficulty he encounters with acquiring American citizenship. He won an Emmy for his writing on the show in 2009; the following year he won a WGA Award.
Oliver has also appeared in several other TV shows, including Comedy Central production Important Things with Demetri Martin, and the NBC series Community, where he holds a recurring role. He is engaged with Iraq veteran Kate Norley, who he met while producing a segment for The Daily Show.
PLACE OF BIRTH
Birmingham, England
BIRTH NAME
John Oliver
GENDER
Male
FUN FACTS
– Oliver was vice president of the Cambridge Footlights from 1997 to 1998. The group is a starting ground for many successful British comedians, including Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson and John Cleese.
AWARDS
– Emmy Award, Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series, 2009 (for The Daily Show)
– Writers Guild of America Award, 2010 (for The Daily Show)
FILMOGRAPHY
FILM:
– The Love Guru (2008)
– The Smurfs (voice, 2011)
TELEVISION:
– The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (correspondent, 2006-present; writer, 2007-present)
– Community (recurring, 2009-present)
– John Oliver’s New York Stand-up Show (host, 2010)
