John Oliver is a British-American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and TV host who had started his career as a stand-up comedian in the United Kingdom but had come into the spotlight once he started working as a correspondent (2006-2013) and writer (2007-2013) for the late-night news satire TV program The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He had also hosted 32 episodes of the show in 2013 in Jon’s absence. In 2014, he began hosting the critically acclaimed news satire show titled Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The show’s influence over American culture, legislation, and policymaking has been so immense that it has been dubbed as a phenomenon known as the ‘John Oliver Effect’. For his work in these two shows, he has won numerous awards including Primetime Emmy Awards, Writers Guild of America Awards, and Peabody Awards. He is also well recognized for playing the supporting role of Ian Duncan in the sitcom Community (2009–2011, 2014), and for voicing the character of Zazu in the 2019 remake of The Lion King.
Born Name
John William Oliver
Nick Name
John
Sun Sign
Taurus
Born Place
Erdington, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom
Residence
New York City, New York, United States
Nationality
He holds dual nationality.
Education
John had studied at the Mark Rutherford School in Bedford, England. After completing his secondary schooling, he had joined Christ’s College, at the University of Cambridge, and graduated with a degree in English in 1998. There, he was a member of the Cambridge Footlights, the university’s theatrical club, and had become its vice-president in 1997.
Occupation
Comedian, Writer, Producer, Political Commentator, Actor, TV Host
Family
- Father – James B. Oliver (School Headmaster, Social Worker)
- Mother – Carole Oliver (née McNulty) (Music Teacher)
- Siblings – He has a younger sister.
- Others – Stephen Oliver (Paternal Uncle) (Music Composer) (d. 1992), Osborne George Oliver (Paternal Grandfather) (Electricity Board Official), Charlotte Hester Girdlestone (Paternal Grandmother) (Religious Education Adviser), William Boyd Carpenter (Paternal Great Great Grandfather) (Church Cleric, Bishop of Ripon, Court Chaplain to Queen Victoria)
Genre
Political Satire, Observational Comedy, Black Comedy, Sarcasm, Cringe Comedy, Self-Deprecation
Build
Slim
Height
6 ft or 183 cm
Weight
73 kg or 161 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
John has dated –
- Kate Norley (2008–Present) – John had first met US army veteran Kate Norley in 2008 at the Republican National Convention where he had gone to film a piece for The Daily Show and she was campaigning with Vets for Freedom, an American political advocacy organization founded by the veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars. She and other veterans present there had helped John and his crew hide from the security officials at the event. After getting to know each other well at this chance meeting, John and Kate began dating later that year. They eventually got married in October 2011 and have 2 sons together, born in 2015 and 2018. John often wears a lapel pin displaying the insignia of the 1st Cavalry Division, the unit where Kate had served as a medical officer in Iraq.
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of English and Irish descent.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Hazel
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Lanky frame
- Short-cropped hair
- Bespectacled
- Clean-shaven look
- Affable smile
John Oliver Facts
- He has been an ardent supporter of the English top-flight soccer club Liverpool FC. He often jokes that he had no other option as both his parents hail from Liverpool, Merseyside.
- John has had a long association with British comedian, satirist, and author Andy Zaltzman. The duo had co-hosted the satirical comedy podcast The Bugle (2007–2015), the radio show Political Animal, and the satirical comedy show, The Department.
- He often credits his success in the United States to fellow British comedian Ricky Gervais who had recommended his name to , the then host of The Daily Show.
- Legendary actor had once donated a koala chlamydia clinic in Australia which was later named after John.
- After getting his U.S. citizenship in December 2019, John voted for the first time in 2020 during the U.S. Presidential Election.
Featured Image by John Oliver / Instagram
Facts of John Oliver
- full nameJohn Oliver
- Date of Birth April 23, 1977
- Age 47 years 7 months
- Horoscope Taurus
- Lucky Number 6
- Lucky Stone Emerald
- Lucky Color Green
- Best Match for Marriage Virgo, Cancer, Capricorn
- weight73 kg
- height6 ft