Christmas has come early for 60-year-old TV host Bill Maher, as President Barack Obama has finally agreed to appear on his HBO series “Real Time.”
The outgoing president will take the chair opposite Maher on Nov. 4, HBO announced late Friday. That’s just four days before the general election showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Maher has been formally lobbying for a presidential appearance since January — but let it be known that the popular talking head show had been asking for him the entire time he’s held office.
“Let’s just say our invitation has gotten lost in the mail for seven years, which would be OK except for the fact that in that time, this president has done virtually every other show in the known universe,” Maher said at the time.
“Sean Penn can get an interview with El Chapo but I can’t get on the President who talked to the lady with the green lips?” he added, referring to YouTube star GloZell’s one-one-one with the world leader in 2015.
Maher, practically giddy for a guy like him, confirmed the appearance in his own YouTube clip.
“I’m thrilled that the president has — as he did with the country — come through in the end,” Maher said.
The host wasn’t alone in vying for an Obama cameo. The show launched a formal White House petition to make the appearance happen which attracted as many as 170,000 signatures (that’s 70k over the required number to elicit a response).
“Real Time” has run for 402 episodes. Bill Maher, Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Brad Grey, Marc Gurvitz, Dean E. Johnsen and Billy Martin are executive producers with Co-EP Chris Kelly and producer Matt Wood. Paul Casey directs.