‘I Could Get Shot’: Bill Maher Says He’s Too Afraid to Do Stand-Up Comedy Now

Charlie Nash Nov 17th, 2025, 9:04 pm

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher revealed on Monday that he stopped performing stand-up comedy due to fear of being “shot by the left or the right.”

Asked by fellow comedian Patton Oswalt why he stopped touring as a stand-up comic, Maher replied :

A number of things. Just got tired of the travel, obviously. I miss doing it. Also, I feel like it was a great choice because 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. I mean, it’s just– it’s a good time to not be out there, and also, I have to pull up this discussion, I just got tired of being twice as funny as people who were selling twice as m

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