Joy Behar is a well-known American comedian, actress, television presenter, and author. Over the years, she has hosted several television programs, including The View, The Joy Behar Show, Joy Behar: Say Anything!, and Late Night Joy. Before entering the entertainment industry, Behar worked as a high school English teacher. At the age of 37, she experienced a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy. Following this difficult experience, she took a receptionist position at Good Morning America, hoping to advance her career in television. At the same time, she began performing stand-up comedy at small clubs in New York City before gradually gaining opportunities at more established venues. As her popularity grew within New York’s comedy scene, Behar began making television appearances at around age 44. The following year, she was given her own program, Way Off Broadway. She subsequently appeared in supporting roles in television series, movies, and Broadway productions. Behar achieved widespread recognition in 1997 after joining The View as a co-host, a position she has continued to hold. Alongside her work on the program, she has hosted other shows and written five books.
Childhood & Early Years
Joy Behar was born Josephine Occhiuto on October 7, 1942, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. She comes from an Italian-American family. Her father, Gino Occhiuto, worked as a truck driver for the Coca-Cola Company, while her mother, Rose Occhiuto (née Carbone), earned her living as a seamstress.
Although she was her parents’ only child, Behar grew up surrounded by a large extended family in Williamsburg. She enjoyed a happy childhood and reportedly demonstrated a natural sense of humor from the age of two.
Her upbringing was also shaped by her parents’ appreciation for culture and the arts. Despite their working-class background, they regularly took her to theaters, operas, and museums. These experiences helped develop her interest in the arts and cultivated her refined cultural tastes from an early age.
Behar attended Washington Irving High School, which was later renamed Washington Irving Campus. After completing high school, she enrolled at Queens College of the City University of New York, where she studied sociology.
She graduated from Queens College in 1964 and subsequently entered Stony Brook University to pursue a master’s degree in English. In 1965, while still studying, she married Joe Behar.
After earning her master’s degree in 1966, she moved with her husband to Centereach on Long Island and settled into domestic life while he continued working toward his PhD at Stony Brook. Having grown up in New York City, she found the quieter suburban environment difficult to adapt to and often felt out of place.
In 1968, Behar began teaching English at Lindenhurst Senior High School. Although teaching was not her preferred career, she continued working in various educational positions until 1979. Toward the end of her teaching career, she also taught college students who had been drafted into military service during the Vietnam War.
Joining the Entertainment Industry
In 1979, Behar experienced a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy that prompted her to leave teaching and reconsider her career. She decided to pursue opportunities in television and comedy, despite lacking professional connections or an established mentor in the entertainment industry.
An opportunity emerged through her husband’s cousin, who worked as a lighting director at ABC’s Good Morning America. Behar secured a receptionist position on the program and spent approximately two years in that role before advancing to assistant producer.
While working at Good Morning America, she also began performing stand-up comedy at nightclubs throughout New York City. In 1981, she divorced her husband and obtained custody of their young daughter. Comedy gradually became an important source of income as she worked to support herself and her child.
In 1983, Behar lost her job at Good Morning America, a setback that deeply affected her. During a visit to a therapist, she received advice that encouraged her to commit herself fully to show business. She subsequently concentrated on performing comedy, initially appearing at small venues in Greenwich Village.
Her performances soon attracted attention at established comedy clubs, including Caroline’s and Catch a Rising Star. She received favorable reviews for her routines, which frequently drew on family experiences, contemporary social and political issues, women’s concerns, and gender inequality.
In 1984, Behar appeared on NBC’s short-lived program The New Show. Later that year, she returned to Good Morning America, this time as a guest performer.
Her television career advanced in 1987 when she received her own talk show, Way Off Broadway, on Lifetime Television. Although the program lasted only one season, she also hosted Live from Queens during the same year. Meanwhile, she continued performing stand-up comedy and exploring other entertainment opportunities.
In 1988, Behar played Helga Von Haupt in the NBC sitcom Baby Boom. The following year, she appeared as Dottie in the comedy film Cookie. Alongside these roles, she hosted a call-in radio program on New York’s WABC and appeared in HBO’s comedy special One Night Stand.
Her reputation continued to grow during the early 1990s. She appeared in Nora Ephron’s film This Is My Life in 1992 and Woody Allen’s Manhattan Murder Mystery in 1994. She also ventured into stage acting, performing in the off-Broadway productions The Food Chain in 1995 and The Vagina Monologues in 1996.
In 1996, she appeared as Joy in two episodes of the animated television series Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist. She also played Mary in the romantic comedy Love Is All There Is.
The View
Behar’s major career breakthrough came in 1997, when she was invited to perform a ten-minute comedy routine at a celebration marking actor Milton Berle’s 89th birthday. Although the engagement was unpaid, she accepted in the hope that the performance might lead to further opportunities.
During the event at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel, her performance caught the attention of Barbara Walters, the respected broadcast journalist and television personality. Their meeting eventually led to Behar being selected as one of the original co-hosts of ABC’s daytime talk show The View, which premiered on August 11, 1997.
Initially, Behar appeared on the program three times a week, participating in discussions, interviews with celebrities, and conversations about current affairs. Her original co-hosts included Star Jones, Meredith Vieira, and Debbie Matenopoulos. She eventually became a regular presence five days a week, taking over Walters’ hosting duties on days when Walters was absent.
After 16 years on the program, Behar departed from The View in August 2013. However, she continued making guest co-host appearances during 2014 and 2015. In September 2015, she returned as a permanent co-host for the show’s 19th season and continued in that role.
Other Professional Activities
In May 1999, Behar published her first book, Joy Shtick: Or What Is the Existential Vacuum and Does It Come with Attachments?, combining humor with observations about everyday life.
In October 2001, she began writing a monthly advice column titled “Tell Me About It” for Good Housekeeping magazine. That year, she also entered voice acting, portraying the character 42 in the animated science-fiction adventure comedy series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, produced by Walt Disney Television Animation.
Behar released her second book, Sheetzu Caca Poopoo: My Kind of Dog, in 2006. In 2007, she published her third book, When You Need a Lift: But Don’t Want to Eat Chocolate, Pay a Shrink, or Drink a Bottle of Gin. During the same year, she began appearing as a guest host on Larry King Live.
She later completed another book about dogs, Sheetzucacapoopoo 2: Max Goes to the Dogs, which was published in 2009.
In the fall of 2009, Behar launched her own news and talk program, The Joy Behar Show, on CNN’s HLN. Despite attracting an audience, the show was discontinued after two years, with its final episode broadcast on December 15, 2011.
Behar returned to the big screen in 2011, playing Dr. Lucille “Lucy” Gilbert in the comedy film Hall Pass. In 2012, she provided the voice of Eunice in Ice Age: Continental Drift, the fourth installment in the animated Ice Age film series.
On September 4, 2012, she began presenting another talk show, Joy Behar: Say Anything, on Current TV. The program ended on August 1, 2013, following the network’s acquisition by Al Jazeera America.
In 2015, Behar hosted Late Night Joy, a half-hour weekly series on TLC that ran for five episodes. Its final episode aired on November 29 of that year.
In 2016, she appeared as Ann in three episodes of Crisis in Six Scenes, a television miniseries written and directed by Woody Allen. Her book The Great Gasbag: An A-Z Study Guide to Surviving Trump World was published in October 2017.
Major Works of Joy Behar
Behar is particularly recognized for her long-running role as a co-host of The View. The program brings together women from different generations and backgrounds to discuss current events, politics, entertainment, and social issues.
After joining the show in 1997, she became one of its most recognizable personalities. Following her departure in 2013 and subsequent return in 2015, she resumed her regular co-hosting duties, maintaining a significant presence on the program.
Family & Personal Life
Joy Behar married Joseph Behar in 1965. The couple settled on Long Island and welcomed their daughter, Eve Behar, on November 26, 1970. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1981, after which Joy received custody of their daughter. She later became a grandmother when her grandson, Luca, was born in 2011.
In 1982, Behar began a long-term relationship with Steve Janowitz, a schoolteacher. She affectionately referred to him as her “spousal equivalent.” The couple announced plans to marry in 2009 but subsequently called off their engagement. After being together for 29 years, they eventually married on August 11, 2011.
In June 2016, Behar was honored with induction into the Brooklyn Walk of Fame at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.