Take a look at a few of the country’s most prominent professional talkers to see what they were like before TV stardom, and after they became seasoned members of the media establishment.

What if Bill Maher became president of everything? Now imagine a world where politicians can’t lie, journalists court controversy face-to-face, and actors are forced to get real. What a wonderful world (or living hell) of Bill it would be! For 12 years, Real Time with Bill Maher has entertained audiences from an HBO hot seat, featuring pundits, professors, and politicians dissecting the latest issues, big and small. Here are our 11 favorite moments of Bill’s political pals and punch lines.

They’re the last guys you see before you to go bed. They make you laugh, make you think, and make you stay up later than you should. But before the musical guests, mugs, and monologues, the men of late-night TV were just like everyone else. Now sit back and relax—we’ve got a great show for you!