Josephine Victoria "Joy" Behar (; née Occhiuto) is an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

comedian,

television host A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for people who garne ...

actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, and

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. She co-hosts the

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daytime talk show '' The View'', where she is the only original panelist still regularly appearing. She hosted '' The Joy Behar Show'' on HLN from 2009 to 2011 and '' Joy Behar: Say Anything!'' on

Current TV Current TV was an American television channel which broadcast from August 1, 2005, to August 20, 2013. Prior INdTV founders Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, with Ronald Burkle, each held a sizable stake in Current TV. Comcast and DirecTV each held a smalle ...

, from 2012'Joy Behar: Say Anything' to premiere Sept. 4
. until the channel switched formats in August 2013. Behar's latest weekly late-night talk show, ''

Late Night Joy ''Late Night Joy'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Joy Behar, which premiered on TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that air ...

'', aired on

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in 2015. She also wrote ''The Great Gasbag: An A–Z Study Guide to Surviving Trump World''.

Early life

Behar was born Josephine Victoria Occhiuto in 1942 in

Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. As of the 2020 United ...

, the

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to a Roman Catholic family of

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descent. Her mother, Rose (''née'' Carbone), was a seamstress, and her father, Gino Occhiuto, was a truck driver for

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. Behar earned a BA in sociology from Queens College in 1964 and an MA in English education from Stony Brook University in 1966. From the late 1960s to the early 1970s, she taught English on Long Island at

Lindenhurst Senior High School Lindenhurst Senior High School (LHS) is a public high school in Lindenhurst, New York on the South Shore of Long Island. The high school is the sole high school of the Lindenhurst Union Free School District, which includes the Village of Lindenhu ...

Lindenhurst, New York Lindenhurst is a village in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the southern shore of Long Island in the town of Babylon. The population was 27,253 at the 2010 census. The village is officially known as the Incorporated Village of Lin ...

. She studied acting at the

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Career

Career beginnings

Behar started her career in show business in the early 1980s as a receptionist and later a producer on '' Good Morning America''. She was a stand-up comedian and made appearances on ABC's '' Good Morning America'' and ''

The New Show ''The New Show'' is an NBC sketch comedy show produced by Lorne Michaels that ran for one season from January 6 to March 23, 1984. Apart from being 60 minutes in length and entirely pre-recorded, the show is similar in format to Michaels' own '' ...

'', a short-lived

Lorne Michaels Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian-American producer, screenwriter, and comedian. He is best known for creating and producing ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and producing the '' La ...

NBC project. In 1987, she hosted a variety talk show on

Lifetime Television Lifetime is an American basic cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a subsidiary of A&E Networks, which is jointly owned by Hearst Communications and The Walt Disney Company. It features programming that is geared toward ...

called ''Way Off Broadway'' that included

Larry David Lawrence Gene David (born July 2, 1947) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and television producer. He and Jerry Seinfeld created the television sitcom ''Seinfeld'', on which David was head writer and executive producer for the first seve ...

as a writer and performer. She also hosted the show ''Live from Queens''; was a regular on NBC's '' Baby Boom''; and continued to work the comedy club circuit. She had minor film roles including '' Cookie'', '' This Is My Life'', and ''

Manhattan Murder Mystery ''Manhattan Murder Mystery'' is a 1993 American black comedy mystery film directed by Woody Allen, which he wrote with Marshall Brickman, and starring Alan Alda, Allen, Anjelica Huston, and Diane Keaton. The film centers on a married couple's ...

''. In the early 1990s, she hosted a talk-show on 77 WABC radio in New York City. She also made appearances on HBO comedy specials '' One Night Stand'' and ''Women of the Night 2''.

''The View''

In 1997, Behar became one of the original panelists of the

daytime talk show '' The View'', which was co-created by Barbara Walters. Behar originally appeared only on the days when Walters was off, but she ultimately became a permanent co-host. Behar occasionally hosted a segment called "Joy's Comedy Corner" in which she presented both established and up-and-coming comedians. In August 2009, Behar and the other co-hosts,

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Elisabeth DelPadre Hasselbeck (; born May 28, 1977) is an American retired television personality and talk show host. Hasselbeck rose to prominence in 2001 as a contestant on the second season of the American version of '' Survivor'', where sh ...

Sherri Shepherd Sherri Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, broadcaster, and television personality. She currently hosts the daily syndicated daytime talk show, '' Sherri''. From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was a co-host of the da ...

, and Barbara Walters, won the

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...

for Outstanding Talk Show Host following over a decade of nominations for the show. On March 7, 2013, it was announced that Behar would be leaving the show at the end of that season. She told ''

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'', "It seemed like the right time...You reach a point when you say to yourself, 'Do I want to keep doing this?' There are other things on my plate I want to do — I've been writing a play, I've been neglecting my standup". Her last show was on August 9, 2013 in which the program staged a '' This Is Your Life''-style tribute to Behar. After departing in 2013, Behar continued to guest co-host throughout 2014 and 2015. On August 25, 2015, ABC announced that Behar would return as a regular co-host starting with the premiere of the 19th season on September 8, 2015. Behar was quoted as saying, "Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in. Plus, Steve was getting tired of applauding every time I gave my opinion. But I'm happy to be back home. And I'm looking forward to sticking my two cents into the hot topics, especially now that Hillary and the Donald are in the spotlight." During a discussion about the 89th Miss America pageant in 2015, Behar referenced contestant Kelley Johnson's attire during her monologue and questioned why she had on "a doctor's stethoscope". Behar's remark, in addition to fellow co-host

Michelle Collins Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is an English actress and TV presenter, best known for her roles in the British soap operas ''EastEnders'' and ''Coronation Street''. Collins played Cindy Beale in the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' fro ...

', resulted in an immediate social media backlash from the nursing profession, including the hashtag #NursesUnite. Behar and Collins later addressed the controversy on air. Consequently, multiple companies pulled their sponsorships from the series. In 2018, while analyzing television personality

Omarosa Omarosa Onee Manigault Newman () ( Manigault; born 1974), often known as Omarosa, is an American reality television show participant, writer, and former political aide to former US President Donald Trump. She became widely known as a contestant ...

's comments in regards to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's religiosity, Behar stated: "It's one thing to talk to Jesus, it's another thing when Jesus talks to you. That's called mental illness, if I'm not correct, hearing voices." Content analysis organization

Media Research Center The Media Research Center (MRC), formerly known as Culture and Media Institute (CMI), is an American conservative content analysis and media watchdog group based in Reston, Virginia, and founded in 1987 by L. Brent Bozell III. The CMI promo ...

subsequently launched a campaign demanding an apology from Behar and urging viewers to do the same, resulting in 40,000 calls to ABC as well as 6,000 complaints to the show's advertisers. Pence himself responded and accused the show of expressing "religious intolerance".

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CEO Bob Iger later stated that Behar has directly apologized to Pence. On March 13, she issued an apology on air, stating: "I think Vice President Pence is right; I was raised to respect everyone's religious faith, and I fell short of that. I sincerely apologize for what I said."

''The Joy Behar Show''

Beginning in 2007, she occasionally filled in as a

guest host {{Unreferenced, date=January 2009 A guest host (or guest presenter in the United Kingdom) is a host, usually of a talk show, that hosts the program in lieu of the regular host if they fall ill, have another project or commitment, or are unable to h ...

on ''

Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles ...

''. On June 11, 2009, Behar announced that she would be hosting her own news/talk program on CNN's HLN beginning in the fall of 2009, titled ''The Joy Behar Show''. She did not leave ''The View'' but worked on both shows simultaneously. Despite reportedly being the network's second-highest-rated show, HLN decided to cancel the talk show after only two years. The final broadcast of ''The Joy Behar Show'' aired on December 15, 2011.

''Joy Behar: Say Anything!''

In June 2012, it was formally announced that Behar would be getting another talk show, '' Joy Behar: Say Anything!'', premiering September 4, 2012 on the

network. Before the new show's launch, Behar began acting as fill-in host for Eliot Spitzer's Current TV talk show, '' Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer'', starting on July 18, 2012. The show ended in August 2013 due to Current TV being purchased by

Al Jazeera Al Jazeera ( ar, الجزيرة, translit-std=DIN, translit=al-jazīrah, , "The Island") is a state-owned Arabic-language international radio and TV broadcaster of Qatar. It is based in Doha and operated by the media conglomerate Al Jazeera ...

and being replaced by

Al Jazeera America Al Jazeera America was an American pay television news channel owned by the Al Jazeera Media Network. The channel was launched on August 20, 2013, to compete with CNN, HLN, MSNBC, Fox News, and in certain markets RT America. It was Al Jazeera' ...

''Late Night Joy''

Behar's short-lived weekly late night talk show, ''

'', premiered on

on November 4, 2015. Each episode features Behar having intimate chats with friends in her New York City apartment. It was cancelled after 5 episodes.

Other work

Behar has performed in theatrical plays, including ''The Food Chain'', ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...

'', and ''

Love, Loss and What I Wore ''Love, Loss, and What I Wore'' is a play written by Nora and Delia Ephron based on the 1995 book of the same name by Ilene Beckerman. It is organized as a series of monologues and uses a rotating cast of five principal women. The subject matter ...

''. She has also performed in an Off-Broadway one-woman show entitled ''Me, My Mouth and I''. She has written multiple books, such as a collection of humorous essays and stories called ''Joy Shtick — Or What is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments?'' and a children's book called ''Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog'', published in 2006. She appeared on the eighth season of

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Celebrity Poker Showdown ''Celebrity Poker Showdown'' is an American celebrity game show that aired on the cable network Bravo. It was a limited-run series in which celebrities played poker, with eight tournaments during its five-season run. In each show, five celebrit ...

and finished in fourth place, behind

Robin Tunney Robin Tunney (born June 19, 1972) is an American actress. Tunney made her film debut in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992) and rose to prominence with leading roles in the cult films ''Empire Records'' (1995) and '' The Craft'' (1996). Her perform ...

Christopher Meloni Christopher Peter Meloni (; born April 2, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC legal drama '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' for its first 12 seasons and its spin-off ...

and

Macy Gray Natalie Renée McIntyre (born September 6, 1967), known by her stage name Macy Gray, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She is known for her distinctive raspy voice and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday. Gray ha ...

, but ahead of

Andy Dick Andrew Roane Dick (born Andrew Thomlinson; December 21, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, musician, and television and film producer. Known professionally as a comic, his first regular television role was on the short-lived but influential ...

. She played for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. On October 27, 2017, Behar appeared as a guest on ''

Real Time with Bill Maher ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' is an American television talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by comedian and political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous series ''Politically Incorrect'' on Comedy Central and later on ABC, ''Real Ti ...

''. Behar portrayed the role of Dr. Lucy in the 2011 comedy film ''

Hall Pass ''Hall Pass'' is a 2011 American comedy film produced and directed by the Farrelly brothers and co-written by them along with Pete Jones, the writer/director of ''Stolen Summer''. It stars Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis. Rick and Fred, two hus ...

''. She also recurred in

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's Amazon series, ''

Crisis in Six Scenes ''Crisis in Six Scenes'' is an American television miniseries written and directed by Woody Allen for Amazon Studios. Allen wrote and directed six episodes for the half-hour series, marking the first time he has done so for television. It is avai ...

''.

Personal life

Behar married college professor Joe Behar in 1965. They divorced in 1981. They have one daughter, Eve Behar Scotti. Behar has a grandson named Luca. Behar began to date Steve Janowitz in 1982; they married in 2011. Behar resides in

The Hamptons The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one o ...

. She also owns a home on the

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. She is a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Stage

Bibliography

Behar has authored several books, including several children's books: * ''The Great Gasbag: An A–Z Study Guide to Surviving Trump World'' (2017) * ''Sheetzucacapoopoo 2: Max Goes to the Dogs'' (2009) * ''When You Need a Lift: But Don't Want to Eat Chocolate, Pay a Shrink, or Drink a Bottle of Gin'' (2007) * ''Sheetzu Caca Poopoo: My Kind of Dog'' (2006) * ''Joy Shtick: Or What Is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments'' (1999)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * *
ABC News: Joy Behar on Faith Part OneABC News: Joy Behar on Faith Part Two
* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Behar, Joy Living people American television talk show hosts Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host winners Current TV people American stand-up comedians American women comedians Comedians from New York City American film actresses American voice actresses Actresses from New York City 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses American women television journalists American television news anchors American television reporters and correspondents Journalists from New York City CNN people American children's writers Writers from Brooklyn 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers 21st-century American essayists New York (state) Democrats American agnostics Schoolteachers from New York (state) Queens College, City University of New York alumni Stony Brook University alumni Washington Irving High School (New York City) alumni American writers of Italian descent People from Lindenhurst, New York People from Williamsburg, Brooklyn 1942 births