Bill O’Reilly Quick Info
Height6 ft 4 in
Weight98 kg
Date of BirthSeptember 10, 1949
Zodiac SignVirgo
Hair ColorSalt & Pepper

Bill O’Reilly is an American journalist, author, TV host, news anchor, podcast host, actor, producer, radio host, and political commentator, best known as the TV host of the Fox News Channel series The O’Reilly Factor between 1996 and 2017, after which he was fired for alleged s*xual harassment. His show was the highest-rated cable talk show for 16 years and received a lot of praise from media analysts year after year. Bill began his media career as a news anchor and weather reporter for TV stations such as WFAA-TV and KMGH-TV, the latter of which he was working for during the time he received his 1st local Emmy award for his reporting on skyjacking. He also worked for stations such as WFSB, WNEV-TV (WHDH-TV), and WCBS-TV, during which time he was awarded his 2nd local Emmy Award for the investigation of corrupt city marshals in New York City, New York. Between 1982 and 1986, he was a correspondent for CBS News, after which he joined ABC News, and hosted segments that aired in shows such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and Nightline. He was also a host of the TV series Inside Edition (1989-1995), during which his well-known angry rant to his co-workers happened, which resurfaced on the Internet in May 2008 in the form of a video titled “Bill O’Reilly Flips Out.”

Between 2002 and 2009, alongside his regular TV show The O’Reilly Factor, he also hosted a very successful radio program The Radio Factor, which was carried by more than 400 stations. During that time, he also wrote a weekly column which appeared in magazines such as New York Post and Chicago Sun-Times up until the end of 2013. After multiple women accused and sued him for inappropriate s*xual behavior and verbal abuse in 2016, and a due investigation was conducted, he received a lot of negative press and was fired from by Fox News Channel in April 2017. His severance package was allegedly worth $25 million, and the show was subsequently renamed to The Factor and aired its last episode on April 21, 2017. The same month, Bill launched his podcast titled No Spin News, which expanded to include a video version in August 2017 and also became a guest on the Glenn Beck Radio Program. In 2019, he started his daily radio commentaries titled The O’Reilly Update, which he uploaded to his YouTube channel. Between 1998 and 2018, he has also authored or co-authored more than 30 books, both fictional and non-fictional. Bill has also garnered a large fanbase online with more than 3 million followers on Twitter, more than 2 million followers on Facebook, and more than 100k followers on Instagram.

Born Name

William James O’Reilly Jr.

Nick Name

Bill, Papa Bear

Sun Sign

Virgo

Born Place

New York City, New York, United States

Residence

  • New York City, New York, United States
  • Los Angeles, California, United States

Nationality

American

Education

Bill attended St. Brigid Parochial School in Westbury, Nassau County, New York, United States, and then enrolled in Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, United States, and graduated in 1967.

He then attended Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, and was an honors student and majored in history. Bill spent his junior year abroad, studying at the Queen Mary College at the University of London in London, England, United Kingdom, and received his bachelor of arts degree in history in 1971. In 2000, Marist College also awarded him with an honorary doctorate of letters degree.

In 1973, he returned to further pursue his education and attended Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and earned a master of arts degree in broadcast journalism in 1975.

20 years later, in 1995, Bill enrolled in John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and earned a master of public administration degree the very next year.

Occupation

Journalist, Author, TV Host, News Anchor, Radio Host, Podcast Host, Actor, Political Commentator, Producer

Family

  • Father – William James O’Reilly Sr. (Currency Accountant For An Oil Company)
  • Mother – Winifred Angela née Drake O’Reilly
  • Siblings – Janet O’Reilly (Sister)
  • Others – John Joseph O’Reilly (Paternal Grandfather), Gertrude McLaughlin (Paternal Grandmother), Edward Cornelius Drake (Maternal Grandfather), Winifred Margaret/Marie Kennedy (Maternal Grandmother), John J. O’Reilly (Paternal Great-Grandfather), Isabelle/Isabella T. Sullivan (Paternal Great-Grandmother), William McLaughlin (Paternal Great-Grandfather), Alice Fitzpatrick/Fitzherbert (Paternal Great-Grandmother), Edward M. Drake (Maternal Great-Grandfather), Ella Angevine (Maternal Great-Grandmother), William Kennedy (Maternal Great-Grandfather), Margaret Kiley (Maternal Great-Grandmother)

Manager

Bill is represented by William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

Build

Average

Height

6 ft 4 in or 193 cm

Weight

98 kg or 216 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Bill O’Reilly has dated –

  • Maureen E. McPhilmy (1992-2011) – He met public relations executive Maureen E. McPhilmy, who was almost 17 years his junior, back in 1992. The couple got married at a ceremony in St. Brigid Parish of Westbury, New York, United States, on November 2, 1996. They welcomed their 1st child, a daughter named Madeline, in 1998, and 5 years later, in 2003, a son named Spencer. Unfortunately, Bill and Maureen mutually decided to separate on April 2, 2010, but the divorce process took more than a year and was finalized on September 1, 2011. In May 2015, his daughter took him to court in a custody trial because she allegedly saw him choking and dragging her mom Maureen down the stairs by her neck. Even though Bill’s lawyer stated that the claims were “100% false,” he lost the custody of both of his children in February 2016.
  • Lynne Kulakowski (2011) – Bill was dating Lynne Kulakowski in 2011.

    • Race / Ethnicity

    White

    He is of primarily Irish descent, but also has English and French Huguenot ancestry on his maternal side.

    Hair Color

    Dark Brown

    Due to advancing age, his hair color has turned ‘Salt and Pepper.’

    Eye Color

    Sky Blue

    Sexual Orientation

    Straight

    Distinctive Features

    • Side parted haircut
    • Towering height

    Religion

    Irish Catholicism

    Best Known For

    • Appearing in movies such as An American Carol (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
    • Being a TV host, reporter, and news anchor for CBS News and ABC News, as well as for TV shows Inside Edition (1989-1995) on CBS and The O’Reilly Factor (1996-2017) on Fox News Channel
    • Creating a podcast and video streaming series No Spin News starting in mid-2017, and daily radio commentary The O’Reilly Update starting in 2019
    • Being an author or co-author of more than 30 books between 1998 and 2018

    First Film

    He made his theatrical film debut as ‘Himself’ in the comedy film Keeping Up with the Steins in 2006. However, he was uncredited for his role.

    Bill O’Reilly made his credited theatrical film debut as ‘Himself’ in the comedy movie An American Carol in 2008.

    First TV Show

    In 1975, Bill O’Reilly made his first TV show appearance as a host in the Dracula’s Daughter episode of the series, Uncle Ted’s Ghoul School.

    Bill O’Reilly Favorite Things

    • Animal – Dog
    • Activity – Hiking
    • Movies – The Wolf Man (1941), Casablanca (1942), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), The Alamo (1960), A Shot in the Dark (1964), Viva Las Vegas (1964), Cool Hand Luke (1967), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Producers (1967), Easy Rider (1969), Dirty Harry (1971), The Godfather: I & II (1972, 1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Shampoo (1975), Rocky (1976), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Apocalypse Now (1979), Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992), Unforgiven (1992)
    • Books – The Boys Of Pointe Du Hoc by Douglas Brinkley, The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, Rising Sun by Michael Crichton, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer, Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy, The Quiet American by Graham Greene, Ireland: A Terrible Beauty: The Story of… by Leon & Jill Uris, The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert Parker, The Neon Rain by James Lee Burke, Casino Royale: A James Bond Novel by Ian Fleming, The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer, L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy, The Eagle Has Landed by Jack Higgins, Son of the Morning Star by Evan S. Connell, Ball Four: The Final Pitch by Jim Bouton, North Dallas Forty by Peter Gent
    • Music Genre – R&B, Rock, Classic
    • Song – Rainy Night in Georgia by Brook Benton
    • Singers – Joe Cocker, Luther Vandross, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra
    • Bands – The Doors, The Rolling Stones, Earth Wind & Fire, Tower of Power, The Eagles, ‘Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’, Hall and Oates
    • Trademark Personal Quote – “You are about to enter a no-spin zone!”

    Source – IMDb, Twitter, Instagram, www.billoreilly.com

    Bill O’Reilly Facts

  • He was born in the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, New York, United States.
  • He grew up in Levittown, New York, United States, but also considered Boston, Massachusetts as his home because his parents met there, he attended 2 universities there, and his 1st job as a journalist was there.
  • As a teen, he wanted to attend W. Tresper Clarke High School in Westbury, New York, United States, because all of his closest friends were enrolled there.
  • During high school, he played Little League baseball and was the goalie for their varsity hockey team.
  • He knew the singer and songwriter Billy Joel who went to the same high school but stated that he was a “hoodlum” and that they didn’t hang with the same crowd.
  • His 1st job was at Carvel Ice Cream, at the age of 16, and he also later worked as a lifeguard.
  • During his early years at Marist College, he was a punter in the NCFA, and a writer for their newspaper, The Circle. After his junior year that he spent abroad, he also played semi-professional football for the New York Monarchs as a pitcher.
  • Between 1970 and 1972, Bill was a teacher of English language and history at Monsignor Pace High School in Miami, Florida, United States.
  • Bill met Howard Stern while they both studied at Boston University. He stated that he only noticed Howard because he was the only one who was taller than him.
  • Mel Gibson has bought the rights to a movie based on his 1st published novel, Those Who Trespass (1998).
  • He has a Corgi dog named Holly and is obsessed with taking pictures of her and posting them to his social media.
  • Bill was one of the first American broadcasters that covered the dismantling of the Berlin Wall in November 1989.
  • During his time as the host of The O’Reilly Factor (1996-2017), he said “shut up” only 6 times. He only went that far when the guests were lying, overly boasting without evidence.
  • He was a member of the Republican political party before 2001 and re-registered as an independent after that year.
  • After the 9/11 attack, Bill accused 2 charities in the United States of not properly delivering the money raised to families of those that were affected. Actor George Clooney accused him of trying to incite panic in the public by misstating facts.
  • He got Ludacris fired in 2002 after he asked the public to boycott Pepsi products. Bill accused Ludacris, who endorsed the brand, of glamorizing the life of violence, guns, and disrespect towards women.
  • His salary for The O’Reilly Factor between 2004 and 2009 was reported at $10 million per year.
  • His early 1990s angry rant to his co-workers that resurfaced in May 2008 was parodied by TV hosts Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah. It was also featured in the animated TV series Family Guy, created and voiced by Seth MacFarlane.
  • Bill received a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Governors’ Award at the Emmy awards dinner on May 10, 2008.
  • Bill released his best-selling book, Killing Lincoln, in 2011. It not only topped the New York Times list as a bestseller but was also turned into a TV movie, released in 2013, which he also produced.
  • His books Killing Kennedy (2012), Killing Jesus (2013), and Killing Reagan (2015) were also adapted into TV movies – Killing Kennedy (2013), Killing Jesus (2015), and Killing Reagan (2016).
  • Bill was credited as an executive producer for 33 episodes of the documentary TV series Legends & Lies (2015-2018).
  • His book, titled The United States of Trump with a tagline “How the President really sees America” was scheduled for release on September 24, 2019.
  • Visit his official website @ billoreilly.com.
  • Follow him on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

    • Featured Image by Justin Hoch / Flickr / CC BY-2.0

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