A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus after his defeat of Spartacus) whose victories did not quite meet the requirements of a triumph but which were still praiseworthy were celebrated with an ovation instead, from the Latin ''ovo'', "I rejoice". The word's use in English to refer to sustained applause dates from at least 1831.

Standing ovations are considered to be a special honor. Often it is used at the entrance or departure of a speaker or performer, where the audience members will continue the ovation until the ovated person leaves or begins their speech. Usually, when a critical mass of a small fraction of the audience stands up (perhaps one-fifth), the entire audience becomes compelled to stand as well.

Some have observed that the standing ovation has come to be devalued, such as in the field of politics, in which on some occasions standing ovations may be given to political leaders as a matter of course, rather than as a special honour in unusual circumstances. Americans are much more given to standing ovations than people from other countries. In certain contexts, almost every performance is given as a matter of course. Examples include party conferences in many countries, where the speech of the party leader is rewarded with a "stage managed" standing ovation as a matter of course, and the State of the Union Address of the President of the United States (see ovations at 6:15 and 7:00 here). It is routine, rather than exceptional, for this address to be introduced, interrupted and followed by standing ovations, both from the President's own party and his political opponents. However, by tradition all ovations that occur before the speech begins, as opposed to those that interrupt it, are given in praise of the office itself, rather than the individual office-holder, and the President is never introduced by name.

Standing ovations are also often given in a sporting context to reflect an outstanding individual performance, for example in cricket standing ovations are given to a batsman who has been dismissed having played a definitive innings in the match (either making a century or batting for such a long time it saved the match) or even when a bowler walks off the pitch having taken 5 wickets or having performed exceptionally well. Similarly, baseball pitchers will often receive a standing ovation after pitching a perfect game or for pitching a potentially perfect game until being taken out due to signs of fatigue.

References

Category:Human communication Category:Show business terms

da:Ovation fr:Standing ovation it:Standing ovation he:קימת כבוד ja:スタンディングオベーション

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
Name	Derek Fisher
Team	Los Angeles Lakers
Height ft	6
Height in	1
Weight lb	210
Number	2
Position	Point guard
Birth date	August 09, 1974
High school	Parkview Arts and Science Magnet
Birth place	Little Rock, Arkansas
College	Arkansas-Little Rock (1992–1996)
Nationality	American
Draft round	1
Draft pick	24
Draft team	Los Angeles Lakers
Draft year	1996
Career start	1996
Team1	Los Angeles Lakers
Years1	1996–2004
Team2	Golden State Warriors
Years2	–2006
Team3	Utah Jazz
Years3	2006–2007
Team4	Los Angeles Lakers
Years4	2007–present
Highlights	5× NBA Champion (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010) }}

Derek Lamar Fisher (born August 9, 1974) is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His NBA career has spanned more than 14 years, during which he has won 5 NBA Championships. He currently serves as the president of the National Basketball Players Association.

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Fisher started out his basketball career at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Selected with the twenty-fourth draft pick by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1996 NBA Draft, Fisher spent his first eight seasons with the franchise. During this time, he played a role in the Lakers' "three-peat", and was the third-leading scorer on the team behind Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. After his success with Los Angeles, Fisher signed with the Golden State Warriors, but was later traded to the Utah Jazz, where he helped lead the team to the Western Conference Finals. Due to his daughter's health, he asked to be released from his contract and rejoined the Lakers in 2007. In 2010, he won his fifth NBA Championship with the Lakers. Only he and Kobe Bryant have played in all five of the Lakers' most recent championships.

As of 2010, Fisher had played in 199 career playoff games, the fifth highest total in NBA history. He ranks second all time in NBA Finals three-pointers made (43), behind former teammate Robert Horry. He has the highest three-point field goal percentage in NBA Finals history (42.6%). The NBA listed his "0.4 Shot" as the 18th-greatest playoff moment of all time.

Early life

The younger brother of former NBA player Duane Washington, Fisher attended the Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School in Little Rock, where he was a letterman in basketball.

He went on to attend the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for four years, with a major in communications. Fisher concluded his collegiate career at Arkansas-Little Rock second on the school’s all-time lists in points (1,393), assists (472) and steals (189). He averaged 12.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 112 games and led the team in assists and steals every year. Fisher also set a school record for free throws made in a career (399) and ranked third among all-time UALR leaders in three-point field goals made (125). As a senior, he earned Sunbelt Conference Player of the Year honors after averaging 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

In 2005, Fisher pledged $700,000 to UALR towards the construction of its Jack Stephens Center auxiliary gym, since named in his honor, and the establishment of the Fisher Fellows Life Skills program, a mentoring series for UALR student-athletes.

NBA career

Los Angeles Lakers (1996–2004)

Fisher was selected 24th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, and spent his first eight seasons with them.

He made his NBA debut in an early season game against the Phoenix Suns, tallying 12 points and five assists. Over the course of his rookie season, Fisher appeared in 80 games, averaging 3.9 points, 1.5 assists and 1.2 rebounds. He was selected to the Schick Rookie Game during the All-Star Weekend in Cleveland and had 16 points and six assists.

Due to a stress fracture in his right foot, Fisher missed 62 games out of the 2000–01 season. By the 2002–03 season, Fisher had firmly established himself as the Lakers' primary point guard, starting in all 82 games. But after the team was eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals by the eventual champion Spurs that spring, followed by the signing of veteran point guard Gary Payton in the summer, Fisher was demoted back to the bench for the 2003–04 season.

The 0.4 shot

One of Fisher's finest playoff moments came in Game 5 (May 13, 2004) of the 2004 Western Conference semi-finals between the Lakers and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. The series was tied 2–2, and Game 5 was a closely contested affair. With 11 seconds remaining, Kobe Bryant hit a jump shot to put the Lakers up 72–71. Tim Duncan then made an 18-foot shot in double coverage despite falling away from the basket to give the Spurs a 73–72 lead with 0.4 seconds on the clock.

To devise strategies, three consecutive time-outs were called: the first by the Lakers, the second by San Antonio to set up the defense, and the last by the Lakers to re-set up the offense. When the game resumed, Gary Payton inbounded the ball to Fisher, who managed to catch, turn, and shoot the game-winning basket all in 0.4 seconds. Fisher sprinted off the court, as he later admitted he was uncertain he beat the buzzer and wanted to exit before the play could be reviewed. The Spurs immediately filed a dispute regarding the shot and after reviewing video footage of the play, the referees concluded that the ball had indeed left Fisher's hands before the clock expired. The "0.4" shot counted and the Lakers won the game by a final score of 74–73.

The Lakers went on to close out the Spurs in Game 6. They proceeded to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves to clinch the Western Conference championship, but were upset in the NBA Finals by the Detroit Pistons 4 games to 1.

Golden State Warriors (2004–2006)

After the 2003–04 season, Fisher became a free agent. Although he was popular, the Lakers viewed him as a role player, and with the additions of veterans Gary Payton and Karl Malone the previous summer, Fisher had been removed from the starting lineup and saw his playing time reduced to 18–20 minutes a game. In addition, the Lakers team that Fisher was familiar with had disintegrated after the 2003–04 season. Head coach Phil Jackson retired and center Shaquille O'Neal had been traded to the Miami Heat, while Kobe Bryant threatened to opt out of his contract and most of the remaining Lakers squad was traded away in the opening phases of a rebuilding effort. During contract negotiations, the Lakers offered Fisher $15 million over three years. In contrast, the Golden State Warriors offered Fisher $37 million over six years and guaranteed him a role as the team's starting point guard.

On July 16, 2004, Fisher signed with the Golden State Warriors as a free agent. Fisher's two-season term with Golden State proved to be somewhat of a disappointment. While he was a reliable spot-up shooter, Fisher saw limited openings without a star player such as Bryant or O'Neal to command a double-team. The team as a whole continued to struggle mightily and languished near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

Fisher had stated that his primary reason for joining the Warriors was the chance to run his own team as its starting point guard. However, Speedy Claxton started more games than he had in 2004–05 season, and then newly-acquired star Baron Davis soon replaced him in that capacity. Fisher came off the bench for the remainder of his time in Golden State. In the 2005–06 season, he was productive in his back-up role, averaging 13.3 points a game, the highest season scoring average of his career.

Utah Jazz (2006–2007)

Fisher was acquired by the Utah Jazz on July 12, 2006 in a trade that sent Keith McLeod, Andre Owens, and Devin Brown to the Golden State Warriors. He appeared in all 82 games of the 2006–07 season, averaging 10.1 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.01 steals while scoring in double figures 40 times.

In November 2006, Fisher was voted President of the NBA Players Association, succeeding Antonio Davis. Fisher had previously served as vice president. He has also been the color commentator for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA since July 1, 2008.

2007 Playoffs

Several days before the Western Conference Semifinals between the Jazz and the Golden State Warriors began, Fisher stated that one of his four children was ill, avoiding going into further detail other than to say he needed to be with his family and his playing status was uncertain.

Fisher had asked head coach Jerry Sloan to leave him on the active list for Game 2, but could not guarantee he would make it in time to play. But with permission from their doctors, he and his family flew from New York after his daughter's surgery and landed in Salt Lake City with the game in progress. When they landed, Fisher found out starting point guard Deron Williams was in foul trouble and his backup Dee Brown had been injured. The Jazz had been using Andrei Kirilenko as a point guard and desperately needed Fisher. Given a police escort, Fisher arrived at the arena, suited up, and was given a standing ovation as he walked onto the floor. Not even given a chance to sit down, Fisher was put in the game in the middle of the third quarter. Late in the fourth, Fisher made a key defensive stop on Baron Davis that helped send the game into overtime. In the closing minutes, the Jazz held a three-point lead when Deron Williams found an open Fisher for a three-pointer that sealed the victory. After the game, a tearful Fisher was interviewed, where he revealed the situation involving his then-11-month-old daughter, Tatum. She had been diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a degenerative and rare form of eye cancer, which required an emergency three-hour surgery and chemotherapy at a New York hospital.

The Jazz eventually defeated the Warriors 4 games to 1, but fell to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals in 5 games. Fisher's dramatic Game 2 entrance and performance against the Warriors was nominated for Best Moment in the 2007 ESPY Awards.

On July 2, 2007, Fisher asked the Jazz to release him from his contract so he could relocate to a team and city that would have the "right combination" of specialists that could help fight his daughter's retinoblastoma. The Jazz honored his request, but Jazz fans have taunted him while suspecting that he simply wanted to return to the Lakers.

Second run with Lakers (2007–present)

After much speculation, on July 19, 2007, Fisher officially rejoined the Los Angeles Lakers by signing a three-year contract worth roughly $14 million. He had given up roughly $8 million over three years, as he was due about $22 million over the next three years in his prior contract with the Jazz. When the 2007–08 season began, Fisher resumed his role as the Lakers' starting point guard. He contributed a solid season, shooting 40% from the three point range and 88% from the free throw line, the highest percentage of his career. He made a controversial defensive play in Game 4 of the Lakers-Spurs Western Conference Finals, when late in the game Fisher jumped into Brent Barry's path without a foul called, causing Barry to miss a potential game winning shot. The Lakers eventually ousted the Spurs 4–1, but lost the NBA Finals to Boston.

Throughout the 2009 NBA Playoffs, Fisher faced criticism about his age and lackluster defensive performances against younger, quicker opposing point guards. However, Fisher helped the Lakers win Game 4 over the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals, hitting a three pointer over Jameer Nelson with 4.6 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, and a tie-breaking three pointer with 31.3 seconds remaining in overtime to help send the Lakers to a 3–1 series lead and soon after, the franchise's 15th NBA title. Bill Plaschke of the ''Los Angeles Times'' described these shots by stating, "After his two jaw-flooring three-pointers led the Lakers to a 99–91 overtime victory against the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, you'll now officially be seeing him forever." Fisher's 11.0 points per game, 50% shooting average, and 44% three-point percentage over the course of the Finals were an improvement over his regular season numbers and a departure from his post-season struggles to that point. He had shot 23.5% from behind the three point line and 35.6% from the field in the three prior playoff series. This was Fisher's fourth NBA championship.

On September 8, 2009, Fisher released a book, ''Character Driven: Life, Lessons, and Basketball''. He is credited as the author of the book with Gary Brozek contributing. On February 3, 2010, Fisher made the 1,000th 3-pointer of his career against the Charlotte Bobcats. On February 10, 2010, Fisher played his 1,000th career game against his former team, the Utah Jazz, beating Kobe Bryant to the milestone by one game. On February 23, 2010, Fisher made the 9,000th point of his NBA career against the Memphis Grizzlies.

On June 8, 2010, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, Fisher played a pivotal role down the stretch to help the Lakers take a 2–1 series lead. In the 4th quarter, he scored 11 of his 16 points, including a 3-point-play lay-up that helped the Lakers wrap up a 91–84 road victory. In Game 7, the Lakers came all the way back from a 13-point 3rd-quarter deficit when Fisher hit a critical 3-pointer to tie the game with 6:11 remaining. The Lakers ultimately defeated the Celtics 83–79, and Fisher went on to win his fifth NBA championship.

After his fifth Championship win, Fisher became a free agent, fielding offers from several teams, including the Miami Heat. On July 12, 2010, he announced he would continue to play with the Lakers, though their contract offer was considered less than lucrative by many news outlets and even Fisher himself, saying that playing for the Lakers was ultimately "the most valuable" option.

Player profile

Jackson said Fisher was "definitely the spokesman for [the Lakers] as far as leadership goes."

In a 2011 poll of NBA players by ''Sports Illustrated'', Fisher received the fourth most votes, six percent, for being the best flopper in the game. "Fish takes the contact. He does draw and sell offensive fouls," Jackson said. "We're happy he does what he does."

NBA career statistics

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1996–97 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 80 || 3 || 11.5 || .397 || .301 || .658 || 1.2 || 1.5 || .5 || .1 || 3.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1997–98 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 82 || 36 || 21.5 || .434 || .383 || .757 || 2.4 || 4.1 || .9 || .1 || 5.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1998–99 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 50 || 21 || 22.6 || .376 || .392 || .759 || 1.8 || 3.9 || 1.2 || .0 || 5.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1999–00 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 78 || 22 || 23.1 || .346 || .313 || .724 || 1.8 || 2.8 || 1.0 || .0 || 6.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2000–01 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 20 || 20 || 35.5 || .412 || .397 || .806 || 3.0 || 4.4 || 2.0 || .1 || 11.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2001–02 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 70 || 35 || 28.2 || .411 || .413 || .847 || 2.1 || 2.6 || .9 || .1 || 11.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2002–03 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 82 || 82 || 34.5 || .437 || .401 || .800 || 2.9 || 3.6 || 1.1 || .2 || 10.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2003–04 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 82 || 3 || 21.6 || .352 || .291 || .797 || 1.9 || 2.3 || 1.3 || .1 || 7.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2004–05 | style="text-align:left;"| Golden State | 74 || 32 || 30.0 || .393 || .371 || .862 || 2.9 || 4.1 || 1.0 || .1 || 11.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| Golden State | 82 || 36 || 31.6 || .410 || .397 || .833 || 2.6 || 4.3 || 1.5 || .1 || 13.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07 | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 82 || 61 || 27.9 || .382 || .308 || .853 || 1.8 || 3.3 || 1.0 || .1 || 10.1 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2007–08 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 82 || 82 || 27.4 || .436 || .406 || .883 || 2.1 || 2.9 || 1.0 || .0 || 11.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2008–09 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 82 || 82 || 29.8 || .424 || .397 || .846 || 2.3 || 3.2 || 1.2 || .1 || 9.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009–10 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 82 || 82 || 27.2 || .380 || .348 || .856 || 2.1 || 2.5 || 1.1 || .1 || 7.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010–11 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 82 || 82 || 28.0 || .389 || .396 || .806 || 1.9 || 2.7 || 1.2 || .1 || 6.8 |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 1110 || 678 || 26.3 || .401 || .375 || .815 || 2.1 || 3.1 || 1.1 || .1 || 8.8

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1997 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 6 || 0 || 5.7 || .273 || .000 || 0.667 || .5 || 1.0 || 0.2 || .0 || 1.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1998 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 13 || 13 || 21.4 || .397 || .300 || .621 || 1.9 || 3.8 || 1.3 || .0 || 6.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 1999 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 8 || 8 || 29.8 || .418 || .345 || .800 || 3.6 || 4.9 || 1.0 || .0 || 9.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2000 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 21 || 0 || 15.3 || .430 || .414 || .760 || 1.0 || 2.0 || .5 || .0 || 4.7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2001 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 16 || 16 || 36.0 || .484 || .515 || .765 || 3.8 || 3.0 || 1.3 || .1 || 13.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2002 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 19 || 19 || 34.2 || .357 || .358 || .786 || 3.3 || 2.7 || 1.0 || .0 || 10.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2003 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 12 || 12 || 35.3 || .520 || .617 || .818 || 3.0 || 1.8 || 1.5 || .1 || 12.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2004 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 22 || 0 || 23.0 || .405 || .418 || .657 || 2.5 || 2.2 || .8 || .0 || 7.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2007 | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 16 || 14 || 27.8 || .405 || .375 || .933 || 1.6 || 2.6 || 1.0 || .1 || 9.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2008 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 21 || 21 || 31.6 || .452 || .440 || .836 || 2.2 || 2.5 || 2.0 || .1 || 10.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 22 || 22 || 28.9 || .394 || .284 || .861 || 2.0 || 2.2 || .9 || .0 || 8.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 23 || 23 || 32.8 || .448 || .360 || .821 || 2.5 || 2.8 || 1.2 || .0 || 10.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2011 | style="text-align:left;"| L.A. Lakers | 10 || 10 || 32.5 || .433 || .412 || .810 || 2.7 || 2.6 || 1.4 || .2 || 8.2 |-class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 209 || 158 || 28.0 || .427 || .402 || .798 || 2.4 || 2.6 || 1.1 || .1 || 8.9

See also

List of National Basketball Association career 3-point scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders

List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders

List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played

References

Further reading

External links

Official Web Site of Derek Fisher

NBA.com Profile

Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:African American basketball players Category:Arkansas–Little Rock Trojans men's basketball players Category:Golden State Warriors players Category:Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Category:Los Angeles Lakers players Category:People from Little Rock, Arkansas Category:Utah Jazz players Category:Point guards Category:Basketball players from Arkansas Category:American labor leaders

ca:Derek Fisher de:Derek Fisher es:Derek Fisher fa:درک فیشر fr:Derek Fisher gl:Derek Fisher hr:Derek Fisher it:Derek Fisher he:דרק פישר lv:Dereks Fišers mn:Дерек Фишер ja:デレック・フィッシャー pl:Derek Fisher pt:Derek Fisher ru:Фишер, Дерек sr:Дерек Фишер sh:Derek Fisher tr:Derek Fisher zh:德里克·费舍尔

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
birth date	August 11, 1965
birth place	St. Matthews, South Carolina, United States
occupation	Actress
yearsactive	1996–present
spouse	Julius Tennon (2003–present) }}

Viola Davis (born August 11, 1965) is an American actress. Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in ''King Hedley II'' (2001). She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the 2010 production of ''Fences''. She won a second Drama Desk Award for ''Intimate Apparel'' (2004).

Her films include ''Traffic'' (2000), ''Antwone Fisher'' (2002), and ''Solaris'' (2002). Her eight-minute-long performance in the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's ''Doubt'' (2008) garnered several honors, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Early life

Davis was born on her grandmother's farm in St. Matthews, South Carolina. Her mother, Mary, was a maid and factory worker, and her father, Dan Davis, was a horse trainer. Her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island when she was two months old.

Davis credits in part her involvement in the arts at her Alma mater, Central Falls High School, for her love of stage acting. Davis majored in theatre at Rhode Island College, graduating in 1988; in 2002 she received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the college. She was involved in the federal TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Student Support Services programs. While Davis was a teenager, her talent was recognized by Bernard Masterson when, as director of Young People's School for the Performing Arts in Rhode Island, he awarded Davis a scholarship into that program.

She also attended the Juilliard School for four years, characterizing the experience as a "hot mess".

Career

In 2001, she was awarded the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Tonya in ''King Hedley II'', a "35-year-old mother fighting eloquently for the right to abort a pregnancy." She has also received two Drama Desk Awards, for her work in ''King Hedley II'' and, in 2004, for her work in an off-Broadway production of ''Intimate Apparel'' by Lynn Nottage.

Davis appears in numerous films, including three films directed by Steven Soderbergh - ''Out of Sight'', ''Solaris'' and ''Traffic'', as well as ''Syriana'', which Soderbergh produced. Viola is also the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions Danny Ocean (George Clooney) in the first scene in ''Ocean's Eleven''. She also gave brief performances in the films ''Kate & Leopold'' and ''Antwone Fisher''. Her television work includes a recurring role in ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; a starring role in the short-lived ''Traveler''; and a special guest appearance in "Badge", a ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' episode.

In 2008, Davis played Mrs. Miller in the film adaption to the Broadway play, ''Doubt'' with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. She was nominated for several awards for this performance, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

On June 30, 2009, Davis was inducted into The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

On June 13, 2010, Davis won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role as Rose Maxson in a revival of August Wilson's ''Fences''. She is the second African-American woman to win the award, after Phylicia Rashād.

Davis played the role of Dr. Minerva in ''It's Kind of a Funny Story'', a coming-of-age film written and directed by Anna Boden with Ryan Fleck, adapted from the 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini.

In August 2011, Davis joined Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard in DreamWorks' production of ''The Help'', in which she played the stalwart domestic, "Aibileen Clark." The film was directed by Tate Taylor, and produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, and Mark Radcliffe. Her role has garnered her critical acclaim, and has started buzz for various awards nominations.

Personal life

Davis has been married to actor Julius Tennon since June 2003. They have two children from Tennon's previous relationships.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1996	''''	Nurse
1998	''Out of Sight''	Moselle
2000		Social Worker
2001	''''	Robin
2001	''Kate & Leopold''	Policewoman
2002	''Far from Heaven''	Sybil
2002		Eva May	Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
2002		Gordon
2005		Grandma
2005	''Syriana''	CIA Chairwoman	uncredited
2006	''''	Tonya Neely
2006		Mother in hospital
2007		Detective Parker
2008		Jean
2008		Mrs. Miller
2009		Ellen
2009		Dr. Judith Franklin
2009	''Law Abiding Citizen''	Mayor April Henry
2010	''Knight & Day''	Director George
2010	''Eat Pray Love''	Delia
2010		Dr. Minerva
2010	''Trust''	Gail Friedman
2011		Aibileen Clark
2011

Television

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1996	''NYPD Blue''	Woman	Episode: "Moby Greg"
1996	''New York Undercover''	Mrs. Stapleton	Episode: "Smack is Back"
1998	''''	Platoon Sgt. Fanning
1998	''Grace & Glorie''	Rosemary Allbright
2000	''Judging Amy''	Celeste	Episode: "Blast from the Past"
2000		Nurse Lynnette Peeler	19 episodes
2001	''Amy & Isabelle''	Dottie
2001		Dr. Eleanor Weiss	Episode: "You Can Count On Me"
2001	''''		Episode: "The Men from the Boys"
2001	''Third Watch''	Margo Rodriguez	Episode: "Act Brave"
2002	''Father Lefty''
2002	''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''	Terry Randolph	Episode: "Badge"
2002	''''	Dr. Georgia Davis	Episode: "Remembrance"
2002	''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Attorney Campbell	Episode: "The Execution of Catherine Willows"
2003		Stevie Morgan	Episode: "Third Strike"
2003	''''	Aisha Crenshaw	Episode: "We the People"
2004		Hannah Crane	9 episodes
2005		Molly Crane
2005		Victoria Rossi	Episode: "Shock"
2006		Molly Crane
2006		Molly Crane
2006	''Without a Trace''	Audrey Williams	Episode: "White Balance"
2006	''Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story''	Diane Barrino
2007	''Fort Pit''
2007	''Jesse Stone: Sea Change''	Molly Crane
2007		Agent Jan Marlow	8 episodes
2008		Ellen Snyder	Episode: "Double Negative"
2008	''''	Dr. Charlene Barton
2003–08	''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''	Donna Emmett	7 episodes from 2003 until 2008
2009	''United States of Tara''	Lynda P Frazier

Theatre Credits

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1996	Seven Guitars	Vera	BroadwayMar 28, 1996 - Sep 8, 1996Theatre World AwardNominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayNominated - Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
1997	God's Heart	Eleanor	Off Broadway
1998		2nd Fisherman/Lychorida/Bawd	Off Broadway
	Everybody's Ruby	Ruby McCollum	Off Broadway Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
The Vagina Monologues	Performer (Replacement)	Off Broadway
2001	King Hedley II	Tonya	Broadway May 1, 2001 - Jul 1, 2001Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
2004	Intimate Apparel	Esther	Off Broadway Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
2010		Rose	Broadway Revival Apr 26, 2010 - Jul 11, 2010Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayTony Award for Best Actress in a Play

References

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Actors from South Carolina Category:African American film actors Category:African American stage actors Category:African American television actors Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Living people Category:Rhode Island College alumni Category:Tony Award winners

cy:Viola Davis de:Viola Davis es:Viola Davis fr:Viola Davis id:Viola Davis it:Viola Davis he:ויולה דיוויס nl:Viola Davis ja:ヴィオラ・デイヴィス pl:Viola Davis pt:Viola Davis ru:Дэвис, Виола sv:Viola Davis tl:Viola Davis th:วิโอลา เดวิส

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
Image name	Alan Grayson high res.jpg
Birthname	Alan Mark Grayson
state	Florida
district	8th
term start	January 3, 2009
term end	January 3, 2011
preceded	Ric Keller
succeeded	Daniel Webster
party	Democratic Party
birth date	March 13, 1958
birth place	The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
alma mater	Harvard University
profession	Attorney
residence	Orlando, Florida, U.S.
spouse	Lolita Grayson
children	5
website
religion	Judaism

Alan Mark Grayson (born March 13, 1958) is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district Grayson represented lies in central Florida and includes portions of Orange Lake, Marion, and Osceola Counties. Most of Orlando is in the district, including Walt Disney World. Grayson was defeated for re-election in 2010 by Republican Daniel Webster.

Early life and education

Grayson was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, United States, to a Jewish family, the son of Dorothy Ann (née Sabin) and Daniel Franklin Grayson. He graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1975 and worked his way through Harvard College as a janitor and nightwatchman, graduating in 1978 in the top two percent of his class, ''summa cum laude'' and Phi Beta Kappa with an A.B. in economics. After working two years as an economist, he returned to Harvard for graduate studies. In 1983, he earned a J.D. ''magna cum laude'' from Harvard Law School and a Masters of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Additionally, he completed the course work and passed the general exams for a PhD in government.

Grayson wrote his masters thesis on gerontology and in 1986, he helped found the non-profit Alliance for Aging Research (AAR) in Washington, D.C., and served as an officer of the organization for more than twenty years.

Law career

Grayson was employed as a law clerk at the Colorado Supreme Court in 1983, and at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals from 1984 to 1985, where he worked with two judges who later joined the U.S. Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. He was an associate at the Washington D.C. firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson for five years, where he specialized in contract law.

In 1991 he founded the law firm Grayson, Kubli which concentrated on government contract law. He was a lecturer at the George Washington University government contracts program and a frequent speaker on the topic. In the 2000s, he worked as a plaintiffs' attorney specializing in whistleblower fraud cases aimed at Iraq war contractors. One contractor, Custer Battles, employed individuals who were found guilty of making fraudulent statements and submitting fraudulent invoices on two contracts the company had with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. On behalf of his clients, Grayson filed suit under the False Claims Act and its ''qui tam'' provisions. The jury verdict was more than $13 million, which was upheld on appeal in April 2009. The case remains the only successful prosecution of those who profited illegally from the war in Iraq. The Iraq war contractor fraud case brought Grayson his first national attention. In 2006, a ''Wall Street Journal'' reporter described Grayson as "waging a one-man war against contractor fraud in Iraq" and as a "fierce critic of the war in Iraq" whose car displayed bumper stickers such as "Bush lied, people died".

President of IDT Corp.

Grayson made his fortune as the first president of IDT Corporation (International Discount Telecom), which pioneered competition and discount pricing in the long-distance telecommunications industry and became a $2-billion-a-year Fortune 1000 company.

U.S. House of Representatives

Grayson is considered a progressive Democrat and he represented a district that was historically Republican. He supported Barack Obama in 2008. He was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, of which he was vice-chairman.

Committee assignments

Committee on Financial Services

*Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises

Committee on Science and Technology

*Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight

*Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics

Legislation head sponsored by Grayson

Pay for Performance Act (H.R. 1664)

Public Option Act (H.R. 4789)

War Is Making You Poor Act (H.R. 5353)

Shareholder Protection Act (H.R. 4790)

Paid Vacation Act of 2009 (H.R. 2564)

Political positions

Federal Reserve transparency

During his first term in office, Grayson supported Ron Paul's Audit the Fed legislation. Grayson gained attention for exchanges with Federal Reserve System Vice Chairman Donald Kohn and Inspector General Elizabeth A. Coleman. The 5-minute examination of Coleman in the House Financial Services Committee was posted on the Grayson's official YouTube page. As of December 2010, it has been viewed more than 4 million times.

Following the AIG bonus payments controversy, Grayson joined with fellow freshman Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut to introduce the Grayson-Himes Pay for Performance Act, legislation to require that all bonuses paid by companies that had received funds under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 be "based on performance". The bill was co-sponsored by eight other members of the House. On March 26, the bill was approved by the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 38–22 and on April 1, the bill was passed by the full House of Representatives by a vote of 247–171.

Grayson was a co-sponsor of the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009, which would provide additional provisions to audit the Federal Reserve, including removing several key exemptions.

Economic stimulus

Grayson made it a priority to increase the amount of federal money coming back to the 8th Congressional District. He often said that people in the 8th District have been "exporting taxes and importing debt." During his first year in office, the amount of federal grant dollars returning to the district nearly doubled (98 percent increase). Grayson established a grant notification system that notifies subscribers immediately when a federal grant opportunity in their areas of interest becomes available. He also hired a full-time grants coordinator who focused solely on helping people navigate the federal grants process.

Grayson twice broke ranks with Democratic leadership and joined Republicans to oppose the raising of the federal debt limit (Roll no. 46, 2/4/10, Roll no. 988 12/16/09). He said at the time of the February vote, "We need to live within our means. We need to eliminate wasteful spending. If we did those two simple things, we would not need to raise the debt limit."

Grayson supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and has been outspoken in favor of extending unemployment benefits for Americans who have lost their jobs. Grayson argues that the government has never cut off unemployment insurance when the unemployment rate was higher than eight percent. Grayson also voted for the FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products, which gives the FDA power to regulate tobacco products.

On a September 2009 ''Alex Jones Show'' segment, Grayson criticized Federal Reserve Chair Bernanke's senior adviser Linda Robertson, saying "Here I am the only member of Congress who actually worked as an economist, this lobbyist, this K-Street whore, is trying to teach me about economics!" Robertson had previously worked as a lobbyist for Enron. Grayson's language was widely criticized as inappropriate, and Grayson apologized.

Health care reform

In response to Republican arguments that the Obama administration's preferred health care bill was too long and complicated, Grayson on March 9, 2010, introduced H.R. 4789, the Public Option Act (sometimes called the Medicare You Can Buy Into Act), a short four-page bill which would allow all citizens and permanent residents of the United States to buy into the public Medicare program at cost. The bill attracted 82 co-sponsors and was referred to the Ways and Means Committee.

Grayson later voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. He voted in support of Eliminating Adjustments of Medicare Rates of Payment. He also voted against Republican substitutes for the health care amendment and insurance law amendments.

Civil rights

Grayson voted in support of the Hate Crimes Expansion Act, which expands the definition of hate crimes and strengthens enforcement of hate crime laws. He also voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Grayson supported the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that allows victims of wage discrimination to sue for punitive damages.

Environment

Grayson voted for the House's 2009 American Clean Energy and Security Act (also known as the Cap and Trade Bill). The bill would provide for a $50 million "Hurricane Research Center" in Central Florida, and Grayson claimed it would immediately generate new jobs. Grayson noted after the passage of the ACES Act his concern about our dependence on foreign oil, the need to promote green technologies and renewable energy sources, and the job creation from the bill (an estimated 95,000 jobs in Florida). "This bill unleashes American ingenuity to solve the energy crisis. It lets us solve our problems by being Americans and thinking our way out of it. We will become an international energy power," he said in a news release.

The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico affected Florida's number one industry, which is tourism. The lack of a relief well prevented company officials from shutting down the leak immediately. Instead, it took months to drill a new relief well, while millions of gallons of oil gushed into the Gulf each week. In response, Grayson introduced the Emergency Relief Well Act (H.R. 5666). It requires that an emergency relief well be drilled at the same time as any new exploratory well.

Defense

Grayson has been an outspoken critic of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In May 2010, he introduced the "War Is Making You Poor Act" (H.R. 5353). The bill requires the President to fund the wars from the Department of Defense's FY '11 base budget of $550 billion. It uses the $159 billion in "supplemental funding" to eliminate federal income taxes for everyone's first $35,000 a year. The bill does not necessitate an end to the wars or mandate a cut-off date. In addition to the tax cuts, the bill cuts the federal deficit by $15.9 billion.

Grayson has tried to combat wasteful spending by government defense contractors by introducing his "Gold Plating Amendment." The amendment requires that cost or price account for half of the evaluation of bids for defense contracts. The law at the time allowed for cost to account for only one percent of the evaluation. The amendment passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647) in June 2009. However, the language was stripped from the final bill during the conference committee between Senate and House leaders. Grayson worked successfully to get the amendment inserted into the IMPROVE Acquisition Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives on April 28, 2010.

Grayson voted for the 2009–2010 Defense Appropriations, which authorizes $681 billion of appropriations for the Department of Defense. He also supported the 2009–2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations, which provided $46.18 billion in appropriations for 2009–2010.

Combating federal waste, fraud, and abuse

Grayson has worked to combat federal waste, fraud, and abuse. In the September 6, 2009 edition of The New York Times, columnist Gretchen Morgenson thanked Grayson for uncovering the fact that, due to the federal bailout of mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae, taxpayer money had been funding the legal defense fees for former top executives at the institution. Grayson requested information about these legal costs after a June 2009 hearing of the House Financial Services Committee. Grayson's work uncovered that, between September 6, 2008 and July 21, 2009, taxpayers spent $6.3 million defending Fannie Mae executives Franklin Raines, J. Timothy Howard, and Leanne Spencer. Taxpayers paid an additional $16.8 million to cover legal expenses of workers at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Fannie’s former regulator.

In September 2009, Grayson used a parliamentary maneuver called an “extension of remarks” to provide crucial instruction on H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, a bill that, among other things, included a provision that prohibited funding for ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now). Grayson’s extension of remarks directed that the legislation defund ''any'' organization that cheats the federal government, not just ACORN. The defunding measure passed the House with a final vote of 253–171. Grayson also encouraged the public to report companies covered by the bill and set up a method to report offending companies via his Congressional web site.

“Teach the Constitution Week”

On September 14, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Grayson’s “Teach the Constitution Week” resolution (H.Res. 686). The bill urged high schools to spend one week each September teaching the United States Constitution to high school seniors and also encouraged students to petition the government on an issue of personal importance to them to demonstrate their understanding of their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. The non-partisan resolution was passed by a voice vote and featured 222 co-sponsors.

New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act

On the 40th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Grayson’s New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2009 (H.R. 2245). The bill asked the President to present Congress’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, to Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., and Michael Collins, as well as John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Only about 200 medals have ever been awarded in the country’s history. The New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2009 passed the House unanimously on July 20, 2009.

Controversial public remarks

Grayson quickly gained a reputation as an elected official who was "not shy about his opinions." He was unrestrained in his criticism of right-wing positions, politicians, and pundits, particularly those employed by and/or frequently appearing on Fox News Channel. His sharp characterizations in public remarks earned him national attention both positive and negative.

Health care

In September 2009, during the debates leading to the passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act by the House in November, Grayson summed up the "Republican health care plan" as "'Don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly.'" His remarks were widely condemned by Republican politicians but, according to Grayson, were well received by his constituents. Grayson reported that his comments resulted in over 5,000 campaign contributions and that the positive emails he received outnumbered the negative ones by a four-to-one margin; the comments also generated funds from the Democratic National Committee towards his upcoming 2010 campaign race. Grayson raised $347,000 for his reelection campaign during the third quarter, much of it attributed to his remarks.

He defended his comment and in a House Floor speech stated, “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America." Grayson, who is Jewish, apologized to the Anti-defamation League for those offended by his generic use of "holocaust". He also maintained that Congressional Republicans have failed to offer a feasible plan. In October 2009 he launched www.NamesOfTheDead.com, a website to "memorialize Americans who die because they don’t have health insurance." He subsequently read stories of the dead submitted through the ''Names of the Dead'' site on the House floor.

Political campaigns

Grayson is the second Democrat to represent this district since its formation after the 1970 census (it was the 5th District from 1973 to 1993 and has been the 8th District since 1993). The only other Democrat to represent this district, Bill Gunter, gave it up after only one term to run for the United States Senate in 1974.

2006

In 2006, Grayson first entered into electoral politics, losing the 2006 Democratic primary for Florida's 8th Congressional District to Charlie Stuart, a prominent local businessman and center-right Democrat. Stuart went on to lose the general election to incumbent Republican Ric Keller. In late 2007, Grayson announced that he would run again for the 8th District seat, and again faced Stuart in the primary. During the primary, his campaign retained the services of Bill Hillsman.

2008

In the August 26, 2008 Democratic primary, Grayson prevailed, receiving 48.5 percent of the vote. Stuart trailed with 27.5 percent, with three other candidates splitting the remaining 24 percent. During the general election campaign, Grayson maintained a consistent lead over Keller, who had barely eked out renomination in the Republican primary over attorney Todd Long. On Election Day, Grayson received 172,854 votes, or 52 percent, to Keller's 159,490 votes, or 48 percent. Although Keller won three out of four counties in the district, Grayson won by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent in Orange County, home to Orlando and by far the largest county in the district. Grayson was also helped by a massive voter registration drive by the Democratic Party in the 8th District that gave Democrats a slight edge in registered voters.

2010

Grayson was challenged by Republican nominee Daniel Webster, Florida TEA Party nominee Peg Dunmire, Independent candidate George Metcalfe, and write-in Florida Whig Party candidate Steve Gerritzen.

Grayson ran a September 2010, commercial calling Webster a "draft-dodger," (Webster had received student deferments and a draft classification as medically unfit for service), and a later 30-second commercial calling Webster "Taliban Dan" and warning viewers that "Religious fanatics try to take away our freedom, in Afghanistan, in Iran and right here in Central Florida." Grayson's ads were criticized for editing video mid-sentence to make Webster appear to be saying things he did not say. Grayson released a toned-down version without the edited video or Taliban references in early October.

Grayson was targeted by conservatives and conservative groups in commercials and the media, and on the Internet. On Glenn Beck's radio show, Sarah Palin agreed with a co-host's remark, "It’s okay if the Republicans lose every seat in the Senate and the House except for one. As long as that one is Alan Grayson losing." Conservative Newsweek columnist George Will called Grayson "America's worst politician." Grayson was also heavily targeted in attack ads funded by groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the 60 Plus Association. The Chamber of Commerce ads were in turn criticized by Grayson and his supporters as "deeply dishonest".

Grayson was endorsed by 8th District resident, former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), who characterized Webster as having "13th-century views" on women's issues. Former DNC Chair and Vermont governor Howard Dean called Grayson a "healthcare hero." Grayson received more votes for "progressive hero" from Democracy for America than any other candidate in the country. Moveon.org, in an appeal to its members, termed Grayson "a populist hero who's never afraid to call out the pernicious corporate influence in Washington."

Grayson conceded the race on the evening of November 2 after Webster showed a clear lead. Election results were: Grayson 38 percent Webster 56 percent

2012

On the evening of July 11, 2011, Grayson announced in an e-mail to supporters that he planned to run once again for Congress. Grayson was the only Democrat running in a newly-created Democratic-oriented District (renumbered as the 9th) in Central Florida as of February 2012. The district's voters are 42% Hispanic and could favor a Hispanic Democrat if one sought the party's nomination. The new District, one of two newly created due to population growth, was designed for the Hispanic population of Central Florida.

Personal life

Grayson was ranked as the 11th-wealthiest member of Congress in 2010, based on financial disclosure forms with a minimum net worth of $31.41 million, according to ''Roll Call''. Grayson disclosed that his attorney fees and costs for the war contractor case had exceeded $4 million.

While pursuing the whistleblower cases, Grayson worked from a home office in Orlando, where he lives with his wife and five children.

Grayson reportedly ran a red light on his way to a fundraiser in downtown Orlando on March 10, 2012, entering cross traffic and striking a Lynx bus. Three passengers on the bus were hospitalized with minor injuries and Grayson's 2009 Mercedes Benz was severely damaged, but he and his passenger were not hurt. Police issued a citation to Grayson, who said he did not know what color the light was when he entered the intersection.

References

External links

Alan Grayson for U.S. Congress ''official campaign site''

Alan Grayson: "Bipartisanship Has Become Code Word for Appeasement" – video report by ''Democracy Now!''

Category:1958 births Category:American businesspeople Category:American health activists Category:Businesspeople from Florida Category:Businesspeople from New York City Category:Florida Democrats Category:Florida lawyers Category:Harvard Law School alumni Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives Category:John F. Kennedy School of Government alumni Category:Living people Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida Category:People from the Bronx Category:People from Orlando, Florida Category:The Bronx High School of Science alumni Category:Whistleblowing

de:Alan Grayson he:אלן גרייסון pl:Alan Grayson sh:Alan Grayson sv:Alan Grayson

Coordinates	37°46′45.48″N122°25′9.12″N
name	Bill Maher
birth name	William Maher, Jr.
birth date	January 20, 1956
birth place	New York, New York, U.S.
alma mater	Cornell University
medium	Stand-Up, Television, Film, Books
nationality	American
active	1979–present
genre	Satire, Political satire, News satire, Observational comedy
subject	American politics, current events, American culture, pop culture, freedom of speech, environmentalism, religion, human sexuality, recreational drug use, libertarianism, American liberalism, American conservatism
influences	Steve Allen, George Carlin, Johnny Carson, David Frost, Robert Klein, Don Rickles, Gore Vidal, Lenny Bruce
notable work	Elliot on Charlie HooverHost of Politically Incorrect Host of Real Time with Bill Maher''Religulous''
website	BillMaher.com
footnotes	}}

William "Bill" Maher, Jr. (; born January 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author, and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called ''Politically Incorrect'' originally on Comedy Central and later on ABC.

Maher is known for his political satire and sociopolitical commentary, which targets a wide swath of topics including: religion, politics, bureaucracies of many kinds, political correctness, the mass media, greed among people and persons in positions of high political and social power, and the lack of intellectual curiosity of the electorate. He supports the legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage, and serves on the board of PETA. He is also a critic of religion and is an advisory board member of Project Reason, a foundation to promote scientific knowledge and secular values within society. In 2005, Maher ranked at number 38 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time. Bill Maher received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on September 14, 2010.

Early life and education

Maher was born in New York City, the son of Julie (born Berman), a nurse, and William Maher, Sr., a network news editor and radio announcer. He was raised in his Irish American father's Catholic religion, remaining unaware that his mother was Jewish until his early teenage years. Maher's family stopped attending church services when Maher was thirteen, due to his father's disagreement with the Catholic Church's position on birth control.

Maher was raised in River Vale, New Jersey, and graduated from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale in 1974. He received a B.A. in English and history from Cornell University in 1978.

Early career

Maher began his career as a stand-up comedian and actor. He was host of the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star in 1979. Thanks to Steve Allen, he began appearing on Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows in 1982. He made limited television appearances including a recurring role in ''Sara'' (1985), appeared in ''Max Headroom'' (1987), two separate appearances on ''Murder, She Wrote'' (1989, 1990), a recurring role in ''Charlie Hoover'' (1991) and other productions. He has also appeared in several films, usually in a comic role. His feature film debut was in ''D.C. Cab'' (1983), and he also appeared in ''Ratboy'' (1986) ''Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death'' (1988) and ''Pizza Man'' (1991), among others.

Television career

''Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher''

Maher assumed the host role ''Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher'', a late-night political talk show that ran on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997 and on ABC from 1997 to 2002. The show regularly began with a topical monologue by Maher preceding the introduction of four guests, usually a diverse group of individuals from show business, popular culture, political pundits, political consultants, authors, and occasionally news figures. The group would discuss topical issues selected by Maher, who also participated in the discussions. Jerry Seinfeld, a regular guest on the show, stated that ''Politically Incorrect'' reminded him of talk shows from the 1950s and 60s "when guests interacted with each other as much as with the host."

''Politically Incorrect'' won an array of awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, two CableACE awards for Best Talk Show Series, and a Genesis Award for Best Television Talk Show. Maher earned numerous award nominations for his producing, writing and hosting of ''Politically Incorrect'', including ten Emmy nominations, two TV Guide nominations, and two Writers Guild nominations. ABC decided against renewing Maher's contract for ''Politically Incorrect'' in 2002, after he made a controversial on-air remark shortly after the September 11 attacks. He agreed with his guest, conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, that the 9/11 terrorists did not act in a cowardly manner (in rebuttal to President Bush's statement calling 9/11 hijackers cowards). Maher said, "We have been the cowards. Lobbing cruise missiles from two thousand miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building. Say what you want about it. Not cowardly. You're right." Maher later clarified that his comment was not anti-military in any way whatsoever, referencing his well-documented longstanding support for the American military.

In the context of the attacks, some corporate advertisers found the comment too insensitive and controversial. Several companies, including FedEx and Sears Roebuck, pulled their advertisements from the show, costing the show more than it returned.

The show was cancelled on June 16, 2002, and the Sinclair Broadcast Group had dropped the show from its ABC-affiliated stations months prior. On June 22, 2002, just six days after the cancellation of ''Politically Incorrect'', Maher received the Los Angeles Press Club president's award (for "championing free speech"). Maher was on the board of judges one year for the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award.

Maher's remarks after 9/11 were not the first time he had sparked controversy on ''Politically Incorrect''. In the same year, Maher was widely criticized for comparing dogs to retarded children. He apologized for his comments.

''Real Time with Bill Maher''

In 2003, Maher became the host, co-producer and co-writer of ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', a weekly hour-long political comedy talk show on the cable television network HBO. During an interview, Maher told Terry Gross (on NPR's ''Fresh Air'') that he much prefers having serious and well-informed guests on his program, as opposed to the random celebrities that fleshed out his roundtable discussions on ''Politically Incorrect''.

As with his previous show, ''Politically Incorrect'', Maher begins ''Real Time'' with a comic opening monologue based upon current events and other topical issues. He proceeds to a one-on-one interview with a guest, either in-studio or via satellite. Following the interview, Maher sits with three panelists, usually consisting of pundits, authors, activists and journalists, for a discussion of the week's events. In the segment "New Rules" at the end of each show, Maher delivers a humorous editorial on popular culture and American politics.

In late May 2005, Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus sent a letter to Time Warner's board of directors requesting ''Real Time'' be cancelled after remarks Maher made after noting the military had missed its recruiting goals by 42 percent. Bachus said he felt the comments were demeaning to the military and treasonous. Maher stated his highest regard and support for the troops and asked why the congressman criticized him instead of doing something about the recruitment problem.

''Real Time'' has earned widespread praise. It has been nominated for more than ten Primetime Emmy Awards and six Writer's Guild awards. In 2007, Maher and his co-producers were awarded the Television Producer of the Year Award in Variety Television.

In early 2006, ''Real Time'' was released as an audio CD, along with another CD entitled ''Bill Maher's New Rules'' which features clips, segments and teasers from Real Time. Starting with Episode 67 (2-23-06), ''Real Time'' became available in the USA on iTunes as a free weekly audio podcast.

Maher holds the record for the most Emmy nominations without a win, having been nominated on 22 occasions and not winning once. Eleven of the nominations were for ''Politically Incorrect'', while nine were for ''Real Time.'' The other two were nominations for two of his HBO comedy specials: ''Bill Maher: I'm Swiss'' and ''Bill Maher: The Decider.''

HBO announced in July 2011 the show was renewed for a tenth season.

Christine O'Donnell

On September 17, 2010, Maher aired a clip of Delaware Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell from the October 29, 1999 episode of his old show ''Politically Incorrect'' on his current show ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', where she discussed that she had "dabbled in witchcraft." This was one of the most notable of numerous controversial statements by O'Donnell that made her the most covered candidate in the 2010 mid-term election cycle.

Political commentator

Maher is a frequent commentator on various cable news networks, namely CNN, MSNBC, and HLN. Maher has regularly appeared on CNN's ''The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer'' and has also been a frequent guest on MSNBC's ''Hardball with Chris Matthews'', ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' and ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann''. Maher has also appeared as a guest on HLN's ''The Joy Behar Show''.

Maher hosted the January 13, 2006 edition of ''Larry King Live'', on which he was a frequent guest. Maher appeared as a special guest on the June 29, 2010 edition of the show, on which CNN anchor Larry King announced his retirement. Maher co-emceed the final show of ''Larry King Live'' on December 16, 2010 with Ryan Seacrest.

Since May 2005, he has been a contributing blogger at ''The Huffington Post''.

Views and beliefs

Politics

Maher eschews political labels, referring to himself as "practical". In the past, he has described himself as a libertarian and has also referred to himself "as a progressive, as a sane person".

Maher favors a partial privatization of Social Security, ending corporate welfare and federal funding of non-profits, and legalization of gambling, prostitution, and marijuana. Maher is a member of the advisory boards for both the NORML and Marijuana Policy Project, organizations which support regulated legalization of marijuana. He describes himself as an environmentalist, and he has spoken in favor of the Kyoto treaty on global warming on his show ''Real Time''. He often criticizes industry figures involved in environmental pollution.

Maher is a board member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Before the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Maher became candid in his stated opposition to the re-election of George W. Bush and in his support for John Kerry.

Known for protesting against the demonization of the word "liberal", during the campaign Maher criticized Kerry for being ashamed of the word. On his show, the comedian has noted the paradox of people claiming they distrusted "elite" politicians while at the same time wanting elite doctors to treat them and elite lawyers to represent them in court. Maher supports the death penalty. Since the 9/11 attacks, he has endorsed the use of racial profiling at airports.

He was originally against the Iraq War, and has summarized his opinion by saying that the United States and the world have had to pay too high a price for the war. He is skeptical of Iraq surviving without civil war.

In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Maher announced his support for Barack Obama. Although Maher welcomed Obama's electoral victory, he has subjected him to criticism once in office for not acting boldly on health care reform and other progressive issues.

On February 23, 2012, after his 'Crazy Stupid Politics' special streamed on Yahoo! Screen, Maher announced that he was contributing $1 million to Priorities USA, the Obama SuperPAC.

Religion

Maher is highly critical of religion, and views it as not worth the bother. He has referred to himself as an apatheist - a pragmatic atheist - on ''Scarborough Country'' on April 24, 2007, and again in July 2011. He has reiterated this stance in subsequent interviews, rejecting both the certitude of the existence, as well as the certitude of nonexistence of deities, concluding, "I'm saying that doubt is the only appropriate response for human beings." He is an advisory board member of author Sam Harris's Project Reason, a foundation that promotes scientific knowledge and secular values within society.

Maher and director Larry Charles teamed up to make the feature film ''Religulous'' (2008), described by trade publication ''Variety'' as a documentary "that spoofs religious extremism across the world." It was released on October 3, 2008.

While Maher is critical towards Christianity, he is an outspoken critic of religion as a whole, including Islam. On October 29, 2010, during a Real Time segment, Maher commented on a news story saying that the name Mohammed had become the most popular baby name in the United Kingdom. He asked, "Am I a racist to feel alarmed by that? Because I am. And it’s not because of the race, it’s because of the religion. I don’t have to apologize, do I, for not wanting the Western world to be taken over by Islam in 300 years? Sharia law is being institutionalized in England? Well, then I am right, I should be alarmed." He later defended his comments on CNN, saying, "And when I say Westerner, I mean someone who believes in the values that Western people believe in that a lot of the Muslim world does not. Like separation of church and state. Like equality of the sexes. Like respect for minorities, free elections, free speech, freedom to gather. These things are not just different from cultures that don’t have them. ... It’s better. ... I would like to keep those values here."

Maher received the Richard Dawkins Award for 2009 from Atheist Alliance International "for his efforts to further the values science and reason in the world."

Maher was ranked first by MormonVoices, a group associated with Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, on its Top Ten Anti-Mormon Statements of 2011 list for saying "By any standard, Mormonism is more ridiculous than any other religion".

Health care

Maher has stated that the AMA is a powerful lobbying group and one of the primary reasons why the United States had failed to enact health care reform.

On August 24, 2009, Maher was a guest on ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien''. On the topic of getting universal health care legislation passed, Maher stated that Obama should forget about trying to get 60 votes for it, "he only needs 51." "Forget getting the sixty votes or sixty percent — sixty percent of people don't believe in evolution in this country — he just needs to drag them to it, like I said, they're stupid; get health care done, with or without them."

Maher has expressed the view that most illness is generally the result of poor diet and lack of exercise, and that medicine is often not the best way of addressing illness. In an episode of his show about the 2008 presidential candidates' health plans, Maher stated that poor nutrition is a primary cause of illness, and that "the answer isn't another pill." He also has said:" If you believe you need to take all the pills the pharmaceutical industry says you do, then you're already on drugs!"

He has expressed his distaste for the pharmaceutical and health care industries in general, on the grounds that they make their money out of curing people who are made sick by consuming unhealthy food that corporations urge upon the public. He maintains that mass consumption of high-fructose corn syrup is a contributor to the rise in frequency of obesity in the United States.

In a discussion with Michael Moore about the film ''Sicko'', Maher said, "The human body is pretty amazing; it doesn't get sick, usually, for no reason. I mean, there's some genetic stuff that can get to you, but, basically, people are sick in this country because they're poisoned. The environment is a poisoning factor, but also, we gotta say, they poison themselves. They eat shit. People eat shit, and that's, to my way of thinking, about 90 percent of why people are sick, is because they eat shit. Would you agree?"

On October 9, 2009, on his HBO show, Maher debated the effectiveness of flu vaccinations with Bill Frist and stated, "Why would you let them be the ones to stick a disease into your arm? I would never get a swine flu vaccine or any vaccine. I don’t trust the government, especially with my health." Maher also expressed skepticism about the seriousness of the swine flu and whether completely healthy people could die from it. His comments have generated criticism, and his remarks have been called unscientific and even harmful.

Maher responded to the criticism, noting, "What I've read about what they think I'm saying is not what I've said. I'm not a germ theory denier. I believe vaccinations can work. Polio is a good example. Do I think in certain situations that inoculating Third World children against malaria or diphtheria, or whatever, is right? Of course. In a situation like that, the benefits outweigh costs. But to me living in Los Angeles? To get a flu shot? No."

He supports the current abortion laws and giving the terminally ill the right to assisted suicide.

Criticism of 9/11 conspiracy theories

Maher has been a critic of 9/11 conspiracy theories. On October 19, 2007, Maher confronted several 9/11 truthers and had them ejected from his show audience after they interrupted the live show numerous times by calling out from the audience. The incident drew significant media attention and praise from Fox News talk show host and frequent critic John Gibson.

Personal life

Maher has never married. In 2003, he began dating former Playboy Cyber Girl Coco Johnsen. In November 2004, at the end of their 17-month relationship, she sued him for USD $9 million for "pain and suffering" for alleged "insulting, humiliating and degrading racial comments." Her suit stated that Maher promised to marry her and father her children, support her financially, and purchase a Beverly Hills home. Her suit also alleged that she quit her job as a flight attendant and occasional model to be with him. Maher's lawyers in their response filed on November 23, 2004, in Los Angeles Superior Court said Maher is a "confirmed bachelor, and a very public one at that" who "never promised to marry [Johnsen] or to have children with her."

Maher's filing stated that, after the relationship had ended, Johnsen "launched a campaign to embarrass, humiliate, and extort ridiculous sums of money from Bill Maher." Johnsen accused another former boyfriend of rape and kidnapping in 1997, and the charges were later dismissed for lack of evidence. Her lawsuit against Maher was dismissed on May 2, 2005.

Maher enjoys his bachelor status and states that he does not want to get married. On his website, he is quoted as saying, "I'm the last of my guy friends to have never gotten married, and their wives — they don't want them playing with me. I'm like the escaped slave — I bring news of freedom."

In 2005, he began dating Karrine Steffans, best-selling author and former hip hop model. When commentators suggested there was a pattern to his dating because both his girlfriend and former girlfriend were black, Maher said, "People say I'm into black women. Robert De Niro is into black women. I'm just into women who are real, and they happen to be black."

From 2009 to 2011, Bill Maher dated the neuroscientist and science educator Cara Santa Maria.

Credits

Bibliography

''True Story : A Novel'', 1994 (ISBN 0-7432-4251-3)

''Does Anybody Have a Problem With That? Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits'', 1996 (ISBN 0-679-45627-9)

''Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? The Best of Politically Incorrect'', 1997 (ISBN 0-345-41281-8)

''When You Ride Alone You Ride With Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism'', 2003 (ISBN 1-893224-90-2)

''Keep the Statue of Liberty Closed: The New Rules'', 2004 (ISBN 1-932407-47-2)

''New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer'', 2005 (ISBN 1-59486-295-8)

''The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass'', 2011 (ISBN 0-39915-841-3)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Title	! Role
1983	''D.C. Cab''	Bob
	''Rags to Riches''	Freddie
''Club Med''	Rick
''Ratboy''	Party Guest
1987	''House II: The Second Story''	John
1988		Maxwell Taylor
1989	''Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death''	Jim
1991	''Pizza Man''	Elmo Bunn
1996	''Don't Quit Your Day Job!''	Comic's Table
1997	''Bimbo Movie Bash''	Unknown
1998	''EDtv''	Himself
2001	''Tomcats (film)''	Carlos
2005		Himself
		Himself
''Religulous''	Himself
2009	''New Rules: Best of''	Himself
2010	''Sex, Drugs & Religion (2010)''	Himself
HBO Specials
! Year	! Title	! Role
1989	''One Night Stand''	Himself
1992	''One Night Stand''	Himself
1995	''Stuff that Struck Me Funny''	Himself
1997	''The Golden Goose Special''	Himself
2000		Himself
2003	''Victory Begins at Home''	Himself
2005	''I'm Swiss''	Himself
2007		Himself
2010		Himself
Other Specials
2012	Bill Maher Stand-Up: CrazyStupidPolitics	Himself
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role
1985		Marty Lang
		Unknown
	Haskel
1989–90	''Murder, She Wrote''	(2 episodes)
1990	''The Midnight Hour''	Host
1991	''Charlie Hoover''	Elliot
1992	''Say What?''	Host
	''Married... with Children''	Adam Gold
''Roseanne''	Photographer
1997	''Dharma & Greg''	Himself
1993–2002	''Politically Incorrect''	Host
2002	''Just for Laughs''	Himself
2003–present	''Real Time with Bill Maher''	Host
2008	''True Blood''	Himself
2010		Himself
2010	''Family Guy''	Himself

References

External links

in 2004

HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" site

2006 Maher Interview with ''The A.V. Club''

2009 Maher Interview with writers at the ''Religulous'' DVD release

Category:1956 births Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:Actors from New York City Category:American agnostics Category:American cannabis activists Category:American comedians of Irish descent Category:American film actors Category:American libertarians Category:American people of Jewish descent Category:American satirists Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American writers of Irish descent Category:Animal rights advocates Category:Cornell University alumni Category:Drug policy reform activists Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:Living people Category:People from Beverly Hills, California Category:People from River Vale, New Jersey Category:Religious skeptics Category:Writers from New Jersey Category:Writers from New York

ar:بيل مار bg:Бил Мар ca:Bill Maher cs:Bill Maher cy:Bill Maher da:Bill Maher de:Bill Maher et:Bill Maher es:Bill Maher fa:بیل مار fr:Bill Maher id:Bill Maher it:Bill Maher he:ביל מאהר nl:Bill Maher ja:ビル・マー no:Bill Maher pl:Bill Maher pt:Bill Maher ro:Bill Maher ru:Мар, Билл simple:Bill Maher sr:Бил Мар fi:Bill Maher sv:Bill Maher ta:பில் மேகர் uk:Білл Мар zh:標·馬艾