Joy Behar

As one fifth of television’s enormously popular cast of “The View,” comedian Joy Behar brought a caustic wit and razor-sharp sarcasm to the all-women morning gabfest.

Born Josephina Victoria Occhiuto on Oct. 7, 1943 and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Behar was reared in a tight knit Italian family whom she would later say spoiled her by encouraging her to speak her mind. Within this nurturing atmosphere, she developed acute skills of communicating, which would later serve her well, first as a teacher, and then more famously, as a top female stand-up comic.

After graduating with a sociology degree from Queens College, Behar worked as a counselor in the New York State Employment office, before moving with her new husband, Joe Behar, to Rhode Island, where he worked as a college professor. She earned her Master’s Degree in English at S.U.N.Y. in Stony Brook, becoming a high school teacher, before discovering her true calling in show business. Despite a brief detour as a receptionist at ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Behar was on the right track. The drudgery of office work, coupled with her fears of being completely overqualified, got the best of her and she was let go. Heeding the wake-up call, she hit the pavement, trying her hand at stand-up comedy. Her determination paid off, as she was soon appearing in comedy clubs and, within six months, was back on “GMA” – this time, as a guest.

As she earned recognition for her work, the jobs started coming in. In the early 1980s, she worked for “Saturday Night Live” (NBC, 1975- ) producer Lorne Michaels on his short-lived sketch comedy alternative, “The New Show” (NBC, 1984), before it was cancelled. She hosted an ABC radio show for three years, focusing on liberal issues and women’s politics. She landed a job as a writer for “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” (Fox, 1986-1990) in 1986, and appeared in small roles on the NBC sitcom, “Baby Boom” in 1987, and the small movie, “Hiding Out” that same year. She continued to find work on the big screen, first in the Nora Ephron-scripted “Cookie,” (1989), followed by the Woody Allen film, “Manhattan Murder Mystery” (1993). However, Behar knew her greatest strength was being her ballsy, opinionated self – armed only with a mic and a spotlight. Throughout the mid-1990s, she continued to perform comedy, appearing in her own HBO special, along with providing the voice of a neurotic patient named Joy on Comedy Central’s animated series, “Dr Katz: Professional Therapist” (1995-2000).

It was while performing a stand-up routine at the 89th birthday party of Milton Berle, that she caught the eye of party guest Barbara Walters, who would later suggest the comic for her new morning talk show, “The View” (ABC, 1997- ). Behar first appeared on alternating days, when Walters wasn’t available, before becoming a permanent fixture of the cast. Once permanently ensconced at the table, Behar continued to provide an acerbic counterbalance to the show’s ensemble, which included Walters, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones-Reynolds and the ever-rotating youngster lineup of first Debbie Matenopoulos, Lisa Ling and finally, Elisabeth Hasselbeck. Viewers knew they could always count on Behar for the funny joke that broke the ice or being the only cast member with enough spunk to ask celebrities the embarrassing questions. She was also the first to voice, humorously, of course, the often-ignored post-menopausal women’s point-of-view – a move that made her a lot of new fans.

With this new-found fame, Behar began writing a monthly column in 2001 for the women’s monthly magazine, Good Housekeeping , called, “Talk To Me” – a humorous bent on female advice. In 2002, she hosted the ABC Family Channel show “Love, Hate & Joy,” a nightly talk show focusing on love and dating for women.

As the most liberal voice on the panel, Behar was frequently recognized for her contributions to women in broadcasting as well as honored by various human rights organizations. She won the Safe Horizon Champion Award in 2001 and the Gracie Allen Tribute Award in 2000 from the Foundation of American Women in Television and Radio. She was also the recipient of the New York City Public Advocate’s Special Advocate Award for Outstanding Friendship to the Gay Community, also in 2000.