Josephine Victoria 'Joy' Behar (born October 7, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American comedian, television host, actress, and playwright of Italian descent. She grew up in a working-class family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Queens College (1964) and a master's in English education from Hunter College (1966). After working as a high school teacher in Lindenhurst, New York, and surviving a near-fatal ectopic pregnancy, she transitioned to entertainment in the early 1980s, starting as a receptionist and later producer on ABC's Good Morning America while performing stand-up comedy in New York clubs. Behar rose to prominence in the 1990s through stand-up and acting roles, including in Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993). Her breakthrough came in 1997 when she joined the original cast of the ABC daytime talk show The View as a co-host, where she has remained a fixture, offering liberal-leaning commentary and debates on politics, culture, and social issues. For her work on The View, she won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2009. She expanded her television career with her own shows, including The Joy Behar Show (HLN, 2009–2011), Joy Behar: Say Anything! (Current TV, 2012–2013), and Late Night Joy (TLC, 2015). She has also voiced characters in animated films like Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012) and written books, including the children's book The Great Gasbag: An A–Z Study Guide to Surviving Trump World. In her personal life, she was married to college professor Joe Behar (1965–1981), with whom she has one daughter, Eve, and later married Steve Janowitz on August 11, 2011, after a 29-year engagement. Known for her outspoken personality and advocacy on women's rights and progressive causes, she has been involved in charitable efforts, such as creating 'Joy Behar's Comics with Benefits' to aid Hurricane Sandy victims in 2012. Her career spans media, comedy, and writing, making her a prominent figure in American entertainment and political discourse.