01of 27Joy Behar’s Early YearsJoy Behar InstagramBehar was born Josephine Occhiuto on October 7, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. In 1966, she graduated from Stony Brook University with a Masters of Arts in English education, which she went to use as a high school English teacher on Long Island.It wasn’t until the 1980s that the star-to-be voyaged into show business, initially starting off-camera as a receptionist and later a producer onGood Morning America.
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Joy Behar’s Early Years
Joy Behar Instagram
Behar was born Josephine Occhiuto on October 7, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. In 1966, she graduated from Stony Brook University with a Masters of Arts in English education, which she went to use as a high school English teacher on Long Island.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that the star-to-be voyaged into show business, initially starting off-camera as a receptionist and later a producer onGood Morning America.
02of 27Joy Behar as a MomBruce Glikas/FilmMagicIn 1970, Behar had her first and only child with professor and author Joseph Behar, whom she married in 1965 and later divorced in 1981.In 2010, the comediantoldParadethat she launched her stand-up comedy career shortly after her divorce, when Eve was 11 — a difficult choice for her, but Behar felt the timing was right: “I was broke after my divorce, and at 39, I got fired from my day job … I didn’t know what else to do to make money.“Today, Eve (seen here with her mother in 2003) is currently a professionalceramic artistresiding in the Hamptons, where her mother alsoowns a home.
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Joy Behar as a Mom
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
In 1970, Behar had her first and only child with professor and author Joseph Behar, whom she married in 1965 and later divorced in 1981.
In 2010, the comediantoldParadethat she launched her stand-up comedy career shortly after her divorce, when Eve was 11 — a difficult choice for her, but Behar felt the timing was right: “I was broke after my divorce, and at 39, I got fired from my day job … I didn’t know what else to do to make money.”
Today, Eve (seen here with her mother in 2003) is currently a professionalceramic artistresiding in the Hamptons, where her mother alsoowns a home.
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TriStar/Getty Images
Behar also started her work on the talk show scene early, both onGood Morning Americaand hosting her own variety series. She starred on her own Lifetime show,Way Off Broadway, which featured Larry David as a writer and collaborator.
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Joy Behar on ‘The View’
Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty
Today,The Viewis in its 26th season, and Behar is theonly original panelistthat remains on the show. She took a brief break in 2013 to pursue her own projects, but returned in 2015 to continue as a full-time host.
05of 27Joy Behar’s Friendship with Bette MidlerLawrence Lucier/Getty ImagesOver the years, fans have pointed out that Behar has a lookalike in Bette Midler! The two actresses posed together in 2003, at Midler’s “Hulaween” benefit gala in New York. In 2006, Behar even dressed up asQueen ElizabethII toco-emceethe annual October costume party.In 2017, Behar addressed the similarities onThe View, sharing that she wasasked to tourwith the musicalHello, Dolly!, in which Midler starred on Broadway.“Just because I happen to look like Bette Midler!” Behar joked, noting that she turned it down.
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Joy Behar’s Friendship with Bette Midler
Lawrence Lucier/Getty Images
Over the years, fans have pointed out that Behar has a lookalike in Bette Midler! The two actresses posed together in 2003, at Midler’s “Hulaween” benefit gala in New York. In 2006, Behar even dressed up asQueen ElizabethII toco-emceethe annual October costume party.
In 2017, Behar addressed the similarities onThe View, sharing that she wasasked to tourwith the musicalHello, Dolly!, in which Midler starred on Broadway.
“Just because I happen to look like Bette Midler!” Behar joked, noting that she turned it down.
06of 27Joy Behar Loves New YorkJames Devaney/WireImageBehar donned a “New York Native” t-shirt to participate in Second Stage’s annual celebrity charity bowling tournament in 2004.
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Joy Behar Loves New York
James Devaney/WireImage
Behar donned a “New York Native” t-shirt to participate in Second Stage’s annual celebrity charity bowling tournament in 2004.
07of 27Joy Behar’s Charitable WorkJimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan via Getty ImagesJournalist Katie Couric posed with Behar at the annual New York Comedy Festival at Carolines on Broadway for a Scleroderma research benefit.
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Joy Behar’s Charitable Work
Jimi Celeste/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Journalist Katie Couric posed with Behar at the annual New York Comedy Festival at Carolines on Broadway for a Scleroderma research benefit.
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Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
In 2006, Behar wrote a children’s book calledSheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog. The illustrated narrative follows lovable mixed breed Max, who finds a way to befriend the snobbish pure-bred pooches who claim supremacy in the dog run.
The comedian wrote a sequel to the scrappy tale in 2009:Sheetzucacapoopoo: Max Goes to the Dogs, in which the shih tzu/cocker spaniel/poodle mix heads to doggy day care and learns the joys of learning and playing with new friends.
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Joy Behar’s Is Parodied on SNL
ABC/STEVE FENN
10of 27Joy Behar Wins an Emmy with The ViewMarc Bryan-Brown/WireImageThe women ofThe Viewhave received multiple Daytime Emmy nominations for the outstanding talk show host award – but lost 11 times before they won the category in 2009. The problem? The hosts all sat the show out for the first time that year! (Here, Behar, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters are pictured on the Emmys stage in 2007.)Soon after their win, Beharjoked abouttheir absences: “I always said that the key to success was showing up. This time I was wrong.”
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Joy Behar Wins an Emmy with The View
Marc Bryan-Brown/WireImage
The women ofThe Viewhave received multiple Daytime Emmy nominations for the outstanding talk show host award – but lost 11 times before they won the category in 2009. The problem? The hosts all sat the show out for the first time that year! (Here, Behar, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters are pictured on the Emmys stage in 2007.)
Soon after their win, Beharjoked abouttheir absences: “I always said that the key to success was showing up. This time I was wrong.”
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Joy Behar Is On the Air
Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images
Among these disappointed devotees was Steve Martin, who appeared as Behar’s final guest after he tweeted his regrets about the show’s end.
12of 27Joy Behar’s LGBTQ+ AllyshipLarry Busacca/WireImage for GLAADThe Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation selected Behar as a special honoree at their annual awards ceremony in 2010. The longtime talk show host received GLAAD’s excellence in media award thanks to her consistent representation of and respect for the LGBTQ+ community.Announcing her selection online,GLAAD citedBehar’s inclusive discussions onThe Viewand her solo series: “A number of episodes have featured discussion of LGBT issues and LGBT guests, including a segment featuring Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black speaking about his Mormon upbringing as a gay man.”
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Joy Behar’s LGBTQ+ Allyship
Larry Busacca/WireImage for GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation selected Behar as a special honoree at their annual awards ceremony in 2010. The longtime talk show host received GLAAD’s excellence in media award thanks to her consistent representation of and respect for the LGBTQ+ community.
Announcing her selection online,GLAAD citedBehar’s inclusive discussions onThe Viewand her solo series: “A number of episodes have featured discussion of LGBT issues and LGBT guests, including a segment featuring Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black speaking about his Mormon upbringing as a gay man.”
13of 27Joy Behar Celebrates the View’s MilestonesDonna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesBehar and her co-panelists Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters celebrated the 3000th episode ofThe Viewin 2010, during the show’s 14th season.
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Joy Behar Celebrates the View’s Milestones
Donna Svennevik/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Behar and her co-panelists Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd, Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Barbara Walters celebrated the 3000th episode ofThe Viewin 2010, during the show’s 14th season.
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Joy Behar on the Cover of Hamptons Magazine
Eugene Gologursky/WireImage
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Joy Behar Marries Steve Janowitz
Walter McBride/WireImage
After 29 years together, Behar and her longtime partner, Steve Janowitz, tied the knot in 2011. At the time,Behar admittedthat she waited for the passing of both his and her parents, so they had no in-laws at all once married.
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Joy Behar as a Grandma
Sonia Moskowitz/WireImage
In 2011, Behar’s daughter, Eve welcomed a son with her husband, Alphonso Scotti. Behar introduced her grandson, Luca, onAnderson Cooper’s talk show, and discussed her new role as a grandmother.
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Joy Behar Hosts ‘Say Anything!’
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18of 27Joy Behar on Who Wants to Be a MillionaireHeidi Gutman/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty ImagesBehar and her former co-host, Meredith Vieira, tapped into their competitive sides for a celebrity-themed episode ofWho Wants to Be a Millionairein 2012.
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Joy Behar on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
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Behar and her former co-host, Meredith Vieira, tapped into their competitive sides for a celebrity-themed episode ofWho Wants to Be a Millionairein 2012.
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Joy Behar Fundraises for Hurricane Sandy Victims
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20of 27Joy Behar Gets Fired from The View — and ReturnsLorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via GettyIn 2013, Behar’s contract was not renewed forThe View; she later admitted she never got a straight answer about why “somebody wanted me gone.“She was soon invited back to guest host, and two years later was offered her full-time job back. And in hindsight, she says, she’s grateful for how it all went down.“I was glad to be fired. I basically was sick of the show at that point for some reason, I don’t even remember why,“Behar toldTIMEin July 2022.
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Joy Behar Gets Fired from The View — and Returns
Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty
In 2013, Behar’s contract was not renewed forThe View; she later admitted she never got a straight answer about why “somebody wanted me gone.“She was soon invited back to guest host, and two years later was offered her full-time job back. And in hindsight, she says, she’s grateful for how it all went down.
“I was glad to be fired. I basically was sick of the show at that point for some reason, I don’t even remember why,“Behar toldTIMEin July 2022.
21of 27Joy Behar’s One Woman ShowWalter McBride/WireImageDuring Behar’s hiatus fromThe Viewfrom 2013 to 2015, she performed her own one-woman show calledMe, My Mouth & I,in which she delved into her life story. According toThe New York Times' review of the 2014 project, “She tells of how she ended up married and living on Long Island” and eventually “works her way around to how she broke into show business.”
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Joy Behar’s One Woman Show
During Behar’s hiatus fromThe Viewfrom 2013 to 2015, she performed her own one-woman show calledMe, My Mouth & I,in which she delved into her life story. According toThe New York Times' review of the 2014 project, “She tells of how she ended up married and living on Long Island” and eventually “works her way around to how she broke into show business.”
22of 27Joy Behar Hosts Late Night JoyTLCEven after Behar returned as a permanent host onThe Viewin late 2015, she pursued more solo projects; TLC’sLate Night Joyonly ran for five episodes before cancellation.
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Joy Behar Hosts Late Night Joy
TLC
Even after Behar returned as a permanent host onThe Viewin late 2015, she pursued more solo projects; TLC’sLate Night Joyonly ran for five episodes before cancellation.
23of 27Joy Behar in the Brooklyn Walk of FameJoy Behar InstagramBehar was inducted into the Brooklyn Walk of Fame at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in June 2016. She accepted the honor from then-borough president (now New York City mayor) Eric Adams. Behar, who lives in Manhattan, took to Instagram to express appreciation for her home borough.“Every ethnic group lives in Brooklyn peacefully. Why can’t the whole world be like that?“Behar wrotein her photo’s caption.
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Joy Behar in the Brooklyn Walk of Fame
Behar was inducted into the Brooklyn Walk of Fame at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in June 2016. She accepted the honor from then-borough president (now New York City mayor) Eric Adams. Behar, who lives in Manhattan, took to Instagram to express appreciation for her home borough.
“Every ethnic group lives in Brooklyn peacefully. Why can’t the whole world be like that?“Behar wrotein her photo’s caption.
24of 27Joy Behar Guest-Stars in a Woody Allen MiniseriesRob Kim/Getty ImagesOver 20 years after she first appeared in a Woody Allen production, Behar was a guest star on the writer and director’s 2016 miniseries, Crisis in Six Scenes. Behar appeared on the Amazon Prime series alongside the director himself, Rachel Brosnahan and Miley Cyrus.
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Joy Behar Guest-Stars in a Woody Allen Miniseries
Rob Kim/Getty Images
Over 20 years after she first appeared in a Woody Allen production, Behar was a guest star on the writer and director’s 2016 miniseries, Crisis in Six Scenes. Behar appeared on the Amazon Prime series alongside the director himself, Rachel Brosnahan and Miley Cyrus.
25of 27Joy Behar’s Political ViewsJoy Behar TwitterBehar, the show’s most outspoken liberal host, authored a humorous book in the wake of the 2016 election entitledThe Great Gasbag: An A–Z Study Guide to Surviving Trump World.Behar posted a photo of her and the election’s runner-up Hillary Clinton reading each other’s books onInstagram. “When we’re done, [Paul] Manafort can read them in prison,” read the caption.
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Joy Behar’s Political Views
Joy Behar Twitter
Behar, the show’s most outspoken liberal host, authored a humorous book in the wake of the 2016 election entitledThe Great Gasbag: An A–Z Study Guide to Surviving Trump World.
Behar posted a photo of her and the election’s runner-up Hillary Clinton reading each other’s books onInstagram. “When we’re done, [Paul] Manafort can read them in prison,” read the caption.
26of 27The View During CovidABC News/Frame Grab via Getty ImagesWhen the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020,The View’s hosts kept up their discussion virtually until it was safe to return to set.(But going back in person hasn’t been so simple. Chaos broke loose in September 2021, when hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarrotested positivefor Covid during a live taping —both tests were soon after proved to be false positives.)
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The View During Covid
ABC News/Frame Grab via Getty Images
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020,The View’s hosts kept up their discussion virtually until it was safe to return to set.
(But going back in person hasn’t been so simple. Chaos broke loose in September 2021, when hosts Sunny Hostin and Ana Navarrotested positivefor Covid during a live taping —both tests were soon after proved to be false positives.)
27of 27Joy Behar Still Enjoys The ViewABC2021 marked 25 years ofThe View. To commemorate the milestone, Behar and her co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines and Sunny Hostinreunited for the first timesince the beginning of the pandemic and toasted to the show’s co-creator Barbara Walters, cheering, “For you Barbara!”
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Joy Behar Still Enjoys The View
ABC
2021 marked 25 years ofThe View. To commemorate the milestone, Behar and her co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines and Sunny Hostinreunited for the first timesince the beginning of the pandemic and toasted to the show’s co-creator Barbara Walters, cheering, “For you Barbara!”
source: people.com
