John Oliver is a British comedian and writer who was born in 1977. He was a student of Mark Rutherford Upper School located in Bedford, England, and would later go on to pursue higher learning at Cambridge University. There, he studied English and also became a member of the Cambridge Footlights, a theatrical club. Oliver has previously worked on productions such as The Department with Andy Zaltzman and Chris Addison, Mock the Week, and Political Animal. It has also been humorously stated that his passport lists his job as a comedian, and that his passport “never lies.” He is a stalwart fan of the English football club Liverpool.

He would eventually work on the seminal Comedy Central television series The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he is featured on the segments “Wilmore-Oliver Investigates” and “Trendspotting.” Oliver has also written and presented BBC America’s campaign encouraging viewers to use closed captioning or subtitles, often poking fun at British accents. Other television shows he has acted in are My Hero, People Like Us, and Green Wing. He has also worked on the 2008 feature film The Love Guru. Oliver’s stand-up comedy work has likewise been regularly featured at the Edinburgh Festival.



(Photo courtesy of The Daily Show)