Club Random with Bill Maher

Justine Bateman and Bill Maher agree Hollywood has a problem. They just don’t agree on what to do about it—and that’s where the fun starts. On Club Random, the Family Ties star, filmmaker, and computer science grad challenges Maher on AI, while he pushes her to admit it can do some good. They get into who’s steering the technology, why studios seem to listen to the loudest voices online, and whether movies can entertain without delivering a lecture. They also get into: old-school pilot season, the peculiar math of fame, streaming’s everything-at-once business model, Las Vegas...

On Club Random, Michael Douglas joins Bill for *One Hell of a Ride* — and apparently, that's putting it mildly. From a rehab leak that somehow turned a struggle with alcohol and drugs into a sex-addiction scandal to a tongue cancer diagnosis and the one conversation with his father he hoped he'd never have, Michael has lived through enough plot twists to fill several movies. Of course, growing up a Douglas meant Hollywood was basically his backyard. He watched *Psycho* in the cutting room, fetched coffee on *Spartacus*, and once accidentally wandered onto a set while his father was filming a...

On this month's Club Random Classics, Bill welcomes Roseanne Barr for a conversation about whether jokes can save humanity, how Joe Rogan’s doctor helped her, and what her kids won’t forgive her for. Roseanne and Bill revisit their battle at the Playboy Mansion, talk about the comedians who spoke their minds, and do their impressions of George Burns and Gracie Allen. They also get into Pharaohs and inbreeding, Roseanne’s wild pig problem in Hawaii, her pyramid of power, the beauty of Kabbalah, a childhood accident, singleton and multiple personalities, and their interpretations of the Bible. This episod...

Hollywood power broker Ari Emanuel drops by Club Random, which is convenient, since he’s also Bill’s agent. As Bill points out, maybe once the book tour is over, Ari can go back to thinking about him! Ari takes Bill from the mailroom to the boardroom, revealing the hustle, grudges, lucky breaks, and unaffordable Lakers tickets behind the rise of Endeavor. There’s the Jay Leno/Conan O’Brien shake-up, a 16-hour flight to China for a lunch that never happened, the real man behind Entourage’s Ari Gold, and a courtship strategy that sounds suspiciously like a hostile ta...

Can a germaphobe survive Bill Maher’s world—and being left alone for two whole minutes? Howie Mandel returns to Club Random for a delightfully off-kilter conversation about OCD, cancel culture, comedy, and the trouble with getting clipped out of context. Howie reveals how an OnlyFans conversation cost him a major deal, the sneaky way he became the face of Skechers, and why he’s still terrified of disappointing people at 70. Bill tries to convince him to stop apologizing, embrace his darker comic side, and treat the whole world like the Comedy Store. Somehow, they also wander into ghosts, hologr...

George Santos has been called a liar, a fraud, a fabulist, a convicted felon—and, for a while there, a United States Congressman. Now he’s at Club Random with Bill Maher, which feels about right! Santos talks about the lies that made him famous, finally admits the college and volleyball stories were complete BS, and explains how campaign finance crimes landed him in federal prison. He takes Bill inside life behind bars, including his time in solitary confinement. Bill, naturally, isn’t letting him off that easily. The two battle over which parts of the George Santos story are ac...

Dr. Daniel Amen joins Bill Maher to talk brains—what they reveal about us, how badly we may be treating them, and why psychiatry is the only medical field that rarely looks at the organ it’s treating. Amen shares what he learned from treating Muhammad Ali and hundreds of NFL players, why he believes damaged brains can get better, and the everyday things we do that can either strengthen or shrink them. He and Bill go back and forth on marijuana, alcohol, meditation, Alzheimer’s, and the eternal question: how healthy do you really want to be if it mea...

On this month’s Club Random Classics, a can’t miss conversation with the great Jay Leno, where Bill Maher and Jay share hilarious stories like Jay’s true feelings about his beef with Jimmy Kimmel, the time Jay took toilet paper as payment for a stand-up gig, why Jay hid in the closet and eavesdropped on NBC execs during the Tonight Show drama, what NBC told Jay when they fired him, what made the blind guy who climbed Mount Everest furious, and Jay’s dinner with Gorbachev. This episode first aired July 31, 2022.

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Legendary hitmaker David Foster joins Bill Maher on Club Random with the stories behind some of music’s biggest hits—and a few well-kept secrets. Foster explains why even the greatest artists only bat “50 out of 1,000,” reveals how a fake rough mix helped turn Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” into an iconic recording, and recounts the terrifying night he accidentally struck actor Ben Vereen while driving home from a session with Michael Bolton. Foster weighs in on Barbra Streisand’s Guilty, puts The Beatles in a league of their own, and shares a hilarious story about trying hash as a...

Bill Maher sits down with OnlyFans star Sophie Rain, who says she’s made more than $100 million without ever appearing fully nude—and that she’s still a virgin. Naturally, Bill has questions.Sophie breaks down how the business really works, what her fans think they’re paying for, and why the fantasy of a personal connection can be worth so much money. They talk about dating when millions of men are watching, the team answering her messages, and the lines she won’t cross, even for a bigger payday.Sophie also opens up about growing up with parents struggling...

Bill Maher sits down with longtime NBC News anchor Brian Williams (AKA the James Bond of nightly news) to talk about what happened to network news—and what America lost along the way. Williams explains how newscasts became consumed with East Coast weather and “water-skiing squirrel” filler, and why he believes Democrats lost touch with working-class voters. Away from the anchor desk, Williams shares the double life few viewers knew about: nearly five decades as a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey, near-broke beginnings in Kansas, and why he has avoided alcohol after losing his brother to alcoholism. He recalls meetin...

Scott Galloway joins Bill Maher for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of American men, modern dating, AI, and the economy. The bestselling author, host of The Prof G Pod, and co-host of Pivot argues that young men have more agency than they think, and that learning to handle rejection is part of moving forward. He and Bill get into porn, the incel movement, the manosphere, why humor and kindness still matter, and why men should pick up the check. Galloway tells the story of meeting his wife, debates Bill on the existential risks of AI, and weighs in...

On this month's Club Random Classics, Bill Maher revisits one of his most electric sit-downs with comedian Kathy Griffin. The two dig into why Kathy turns everything into a fight, her explosive war with MAGA nation, and what actually happens when the internet decides to cancel you. Kathy breaks down the real story behind that infamous Trump photo, the fallout it caused, and the long list of people who sued her over it. She and Bill also geek out on Joe Rogan's brilliance, revisit the upsetting Kennedy scene from the Marilyn Monroe biopic, and Bill pitches Kathy an entire...

Bill Maher sits down with Iranian-American comedian Max Amini, a global comedy powerhouse who sells out shows around the world, for a conversation that swings from religion to revolution. Max opens up about growing up as an “American kid” in Iran, getting bullied at school, and quietly whispering that he was American while classmates chanted “Death to America.” The two trade faith stories: Bill admits he still gets sweaty palms walking into a church, while Max shares his father’s Sufi belief that “our religion is love.” They get into Max’s complicated relationship with Iran, the Shah’s legacy, and what l...

Bill Maher reunites with his former Tomcats co-star Shannon Elizabeth for a revealing conversation about fame, fantasy, and the unexpected path her life took after American Pie. Shannon explains why she joined OnlyFans, where she draws the line, and why Bill still can’t quite understand the appeal of an online fantasy.

The conversation turns personal as Shannon shares why she left Hollywood for South Africa and devoted her life to animal conservation—including the heartbreaking moment that changed her path and inspired her work protecting endangered rhinos and elephants.Along the way, Bill and...

Bill Maher welcomes Beatles historian Martin Lewis for a lively, opinionated conversation celebrating the music, myths, and enduring legacy of the greatest band in rock history. Together, they unpack how John Lennon and Paul McCartney built one of history's greatest creative partnerships, challenge the stories fans have been repeating for decades, and revisit the moments that changed music forever. Martin shares behind-the-scenes stories from his years working with Paul McCartney, explains why The Beatles continue to captivate each new generation, and gleefully busts some of the band's most persistent myths. Bill and Martin debate Get Back, A Hard Day's...

Bill Maher welcomes Amanda Knox to Club Random. Wrongly convicted and imprisoned in Italy for years before being exonerated, Knox has since reinvented herself as an author, advocate, and stand-up comic. She reflects on what prison actually does to people, the strange economy of cigarettes behind bars, why she rejects the idea that "everything happens for a reason," and how surviving incarceration reshaped the way she sees the world.
Amanda and Bill also spar over free will, "pretty privilege," and whether AI is pushing humanity toward a future we can't control. Bill then opens up about the biggest...

Bill Maher welcomes British comedian Jack Whitehall for a conversation that starts with a World Cup conspiracy theory and only gets more unhinged from there. Somewhere between the soccer talk and the soul-baring, Jack admits he cried watching Deal or No Deal but worried he wouldn't cry when his daughter was born. They also dive into Jack's infamous Queen Elizabeth joke that sparked outrage across the UK, and the Michael Jackson sketch he prayed wouldn’t air. Bill weighs in on surviving cancel culture, Woody Harrelson's legendary hangouts, the Beatles, dating before smartphones, and why comedians often find it ea...

On Club Random Classics this month, Bill Maher sits down with Penn Jillette, one half of the legendary magic duo Penn & Teller. Bill tries his best to get the magicians' secrets out of Penn, and they discuss the love of humans vs. animals, the magic trick "Blood from a Stone," libertarians and seat belts, Penn being in the "nut chair" on Politically Incorrect, Bill's opening joke on the Jerry Lewis Telethon that almost got him canceled, the problem with young people's brains, Penn hopping trains as a young man, when Bill was a nanny, and much, much more. This...

Bill Maher welcomes media mogul Byron Allen to Club Random for one of the most remarkable origin stories you'll hear all year. Long before building a multibillion-dollar media empire, Byron was a 14-year-old kid hanging around NBC, studying Johnny Carson like it was graduate school and writing jokes for Jimmie Walker alongside young comics named Jay Leno and David Letterman. Bill and Byron trade stories about Carson, the Comedy Store, Hollywood in the '70s and '80s, early career missteps, and the mentors who changed their lives. Byron explains how his mother's persistence shaped everything he built, why...

Actress and animal advocate Bo Derek drops by Club Random for a conversation that starts with her breakout role in 10 and ends just about everywhere else. Bo reflects on the whirlwind that made her one of Hollywood's biggest sex symbols, her unconventional life with John Derek, and why fame was never something she actively pursued.

From there, Bill and Bo swap stories about Johnny Carson, Marlon Brando, old Hollywood, aging, marriage, beauty, and the strange ways celebrity can reshape a life. They spar over animal welfare, horse racing, and carriage horses before—because it's Club Random—somehow endi...

Two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey drops by Club Random for a conversation that goes exactly where you'd expect—and plenty of places you wouldn't. Bill doesn't let him dodge the tough questions, pressing Spacey on the allegations that derailed his career, the court cases that cleared him, and what it's like trying to rebuild a life from what he calls "show business jail."

The two cover Hollywood's double standards, Jack Lemmon's mentorship, therapy, the Playboy Mansion, and Netflix shelving one of Spacey's completed films. Spacey also unveils what feels like an entire repertory company of impressions—John...

Bill Maher welcomes country music superstar Kenny Chesney to Club Random for a conversation that starts with sold-out stadiums and ends somewhere much deeper. Kenny reflects on his ""hillbilly rock star"" glory days, why he's never canceled a show in nearly three decades, and the bus-ride epiphany that convinced him to stop drinking before performances. He also pulls back the curtain on creating the visuals for his record-breaking Sphere residency.

Kenny gushes over Religulous, while Bill tells stories about Larry Flynt's gold wheelchair and Bill Clinton's legendary charm. Then one simple question about legacy...

In this week’s Club Random Classics, Bill sits down with Sheryl Crow for a candid conversation about the insanity of becoming famous at a young age, why streaming has upended the music business, and the surprising things that still make him cry. They discuss the legendary artists who have championed Sheryl throughout her career—from Prince and Michael Jackson to Bob Dylan and Mick Jagger—as well as her songwriting, her secret to holding onto her money, a conversation with Kid Rock in the aftermath of a national tragedy, Bill’s personal Sheryl Crow playlist, and which artist he think...

Lisa Kudrow returns to Club Random for a second conversation with Bill Maher, and the Friends star proves once again why she's one of Hollywood's sharpest and most refreshingly un-Hollywood voices.Lisa reflects on The Comeback Season 3, playing a woman the industry keeps underestimating, her years at The Groundlings, and the acting teacher who taught her never to take rejection personally. Bill shares the most humiliating story of his sitcom career, working alongside Sam Kinison as drugs, chaos, and misplaced blame turned the set into a nightmare.

The two compare disastrous early drug experiences...

Bill Maher sits down with Jeff Dunham, the world's most successful ventriloquist and one of the highest-grossing comedians of all time, for a conversation that goes well beyond comedy. From their Johnny Carson debuts to decades spent on the road, the two swap stories about success, audiences, and the strange realities of show business. Jeff shares what it's like performing the same act in places as different as Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv, while Bill weighs in on modern politics, free speech, and the cultural shifts that have transformed comedy. Along the way, they get into Gen Z's aversion...

Spencer Pratt joins Bill Maher on Club Random for a conversation that’s equal parts mayoral campaign launch, Los Angeles postmortem, and classic Spencer Pratt reinvention tour. Spencer explains why losing his home in the Palisades fire pushed him to consider a run for mayor, lays out his ideas for homelessness, public safety, and city government, and makes the case that he might be exactly the unconventional leader Los Angeles needs—or at least the one willing to talk about it the most.

Along the way, Spencer reflects on life after The Hills, receiving death threats, prot...

Bill Maher welcomes legendary singer-songwriter Paul Anka for a conversation packed with stories that sound almost too wild to be true. From helping bring The Beatles to America before Beatlemania exploded, to partying with the Rat Pack in steam rooms full of Vegas showgirls, to learning of JFK’s assassination while performing behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland, Anka has lived a life that reads like historical fiction.
But this isn’t just Hollywood lore and old Vegas chaos. Bill and Paul dig into the craft of songwriting: why the simplest melodies last forever, what made Frank Sina...

On Club Random Classics, Bill Maher and Jerry Seinfeld get into the gift Bill gave Jerry, Jerry’s obsessive attention to detail, the car he picked Bill up in for Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and how both of their relationships to success, stand-up, and performing have evolved over time. They also talk about the mistakes Bill made reading comedy crowds, Lorne Michaels’ philosophy on retirement, the ruthless side of Johnny Carson, whether bad crowds really exist, why people instinctively pick apart compliments, and the enduring wisdom of Marcus Aurelius. This episode originally aired May 5, 2024.

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Bill Maher sits down with Black Eyed Peas frontman and tech innovator will.i.am for a wildly unpredictable conversation about AI, creativity, and the future of humanity. From teaching AI and “agentic systems” at ASU to debating hallucinating chatbots and whether aliens are already here, will.i.am challenges Bill’s fears about technology while admitting the next decade could get chaotic if humans don’t become more humane. The two also get into cancel culture, why the Black Eyed Peas pulled “Let’s Get Retarded” from streaming platforms, China vs. America, and generational anxiety. Will also opens up about the p...

Bill Maher sits down with Senator John Fetterman for a brutally candid conversation with no loyalty tests and no easy answers. From Trump, media outrage cycles, and Democratic Party infighting to Israel, Iran, immigration, cancel culture, and the death of political nuance, Maher and Fetterman dive headfirst into the forces pulling America apart — and why so many voters feel politically homeless right now.

Fetterman opens up about surviving his stroke, the backlash he’s taken from both the left and the right, and why he refuses to perform partisan outrage just to earn applause. He talks abou...

Bill Maher welcomes sex neuroscientist and author Debra Soh to tackle a blunt question: what broke modern intimacy—and can it be fixed? Drawing from her book SEXTINCTION: The Decline of Sex and the Future of Intimacy, Soh breaks down the forces quietly reshaping connection: early exposure to extreme porn, AI companions and sex robots, swipe-driven dating culture, and why some wear it like a badge of honor. The conversation moves from unrealistic dating standards (yes, the “6-6-6 rule”) to the widening divide between men and women fueled by social media. They also push into tougher territory: gender ideolo...

Bill Maher sits down with David Cross and what starts as loose, slightly irreverent banter turns into one of those conversations where you realize—oh right, nobody actually agrees on anything anymore. Especially when it comes to “cancel culture.” Is it real? Is it exaggerated? Or is it just what we call it now when the crowd turns on you?David gets into the Netflix sketch that vanished, while Bill draws the line between being actually canceled and just not getting invited back—which, let’s be honest, are very different things. They get into comedy, where the line is (or isn...

We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate 4/20 than having Woody Harrelson back with Bill Maher on Club Random. The setting: The Woods in Hollywood — their own dispensary, complete with koi ponds, bungalows, parrots, and a vibe you won’t find anywhere else. What follows is Club Random like no other: two longtime friends sharing stories (and a few enhancements), bouncing between hilarious tangents, sharp debates, and real talk — laughing so hard at times they’re literally in tears and reaching for tissues. From Willie Nelson stories to the highs and headaches of the cannabis business in California...

On Club Random Classics this month Bill Maher sits down with Bryan Cranston for a headline making talk about privilege vs. advantage, the role that got Bryan Cranston in hot water, critical race theory, the show where Bill and Bryan first met, bulldozer parenting, creeps vs. nuts in casting, white peoples’ bias against themselves and tons more.

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Bill Maher and Andy Dick don’t do small talk. On this episode of Club Random, the conversation moves fast—from career highs and comedy legends to a near-fatal fentanyl scare on a Los Angeles sidewalk. It’s one of the more exposed hours the show’s had: Andy grappling with what it means to be cancelable, Bill pressing when answers drift, and somewhere along the way, something unexpectedly tender about grandchildren, estranged kids, and the fragile, hard-won clarity of sobriety. No neat ending. Just two people circling the truth, getting as close as they can.

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Ziggy Marley stops by Club Random to talk to Bill Maher about his new album, Brightside. The conversation drifts—from music and life in Jamaica to Rastafarian beliefs, sacred herb, and why Ziggy keeps his cannabis use private and spiritual, not commercial. Along the way, they get into food, health, and a shared distrust of what we consume. Ziggy reflects on growing up as Bob Marley’s son, navigating identity, and learning to set boundaries after watching a life that was open to everyone. They touch on cross-cultural relationships, religion, and the idea that most labels don’t hold up und...

On this episode of Club Random, Bill Maher sits down with Rob Riggle for a conversation that moves from war and courage to relationships, politics, and the darker side of power. Riggle reflects on joining the Marines at just 19, how the experience reshaped his confidence, and how he managed to find comedy even there—along with the real difference between physical and moral courage. From there, the conversation pivots into sharp, often funny debates on capitalism vs. communism, the realities of marriage and divorce, and why love still matters even when the odds are stacked against it—before veering, natu...

Bill Maher sits down with neuroscientist Andrew Huberman to explore how smartphones, artificial light, and social media are reshaping how we think and connect. Huberman explains why morning sunlight and dark nights are critical for sleep, metabolism, and overall health. The two also dig into biohacking, peptides, and Big Pharma incentives, separating what’s real from what’s hype. They tackle shifting behavior, shrinking attention spans, and the future of health—from mRNA cancer treatments to CRISPR gene editing—along with more unsettling territory, including Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to the scientific world. In the end, they land on a striking...

In this Classic Episode of Club Random, Bill Maher and Lisa Kudrow riff on bad behavior on sitcom sets, the stupidest thing Bill ever did in show business, Bill’s favorite show of Lisa’s (it’s not Friends), how The Andy Griffith Show made Bill join PETA. They also discuss Lisa’s most awkward audition ever, and whether or not you have be insane to be a great actor. This episode first aired July 10, 2022

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