Bill Maher Quits Stand-Up Comedy: 'I Could Get Shot by the Left or the Right'

Bill Maher is stepping away from stand-up comedy, citing safety concerns amid an increasingly polarized political climate.

The host of Real Time shared his decision during a candid discussion with comedian Patton Oswalt on his podcast, “Club Random.”

"I feel like it was a great choice, because I don't want to be out there in this country in this political atmosphere," Maher explained. "I could get shot by the left or the right. I mean, it's just, it's a good time to not be out there."

Maher reflected on his extensive body of work, having released his 13th HBO special, Bill Maher: Is Anyone Else Seeing This?, earlier this year.

"I feel like that's a good body of work," he asserted.

He went on to state that his comedy specials improved over time, noting, “I felt they basically got better as they went along, and I feel like the last one was the best one, which is a good way to get off.”

The comedian revealed that several factors influenced his decision, including fatigue from constant travel and frustration with ticket sales.

"I’m tired of being twice as funny as people who were selling twice as many tickets as me," he admitted. "Part of that is because I'm on TV every week," he noted of his long-running HBO program, which he has hosted since 2003.

In a previous conversation with Jerry Seinfeld in May 2024, Maher first expressed his intention to stop stand-up.

"After this year, I'm going to stop doing [standup]," he shared. While he plans to film a special at the end of the year, he refrained from making a definitive announcement on his retirement from the stage. "I might change my mind. It might be like cutting off a limb, and I have to go back to it," he said.

With 40 years in the business, Maher's stand-up career has been significant, and he's not ruling out the possibility of a return. However, for now, his focus remains on directing his efforts elsewhere amid a climate that feels increasingly risky.