After becoming a U.S. citizen in 2019, comedian John Oliver said he did not feel all that different using his American passport when traveling or even when he was handed his ballot to vote in the 2020 presidential election. But once he actually cast that first vote in America, he got very emotional.
“Scanning it into the machine and the machine saying, ‘Your vote has been counted,’ I nearly burst into tears,” he told Stephen Colbert. “That is the truth. My eyes got misty, and I thought, ‘I don’t know if I can cry in a voting station.’”
Oliver won three Emmys for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, then earned 10 more Emmys for his evening talk show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. He also has two Peabody Awards. Called a “master political satirist,” Oliver is known for combining humor with solid reporting and scathing political commentary.
Born and raised in England, Oliver has lived in the United States since 2006 on various visas and a green card before beginning the lengthy process of becoming a U.S. citizen. He found his naturalization ceremony — he joined 150 people from 49 countries at the swearing in — moving because everyone was choosing America, despite its shortcomings.
“You’re vehemently endorsing the idea of America,” he told Vanity Fair, “because the idea is still perfect.”
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