Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres
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Name:
Ellen DeGeneres
Real name:
Ellen Lee DeGeneres
Who is:
,
Birth date:
(67 y.o.)
Place of birth:
Metairie, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:
5'7 ft ()
Weight:
130 lb (59 kg)
Relationship:
married
Birth Sign:
(characteristic)
Chinese zodiac:

Ellen DeGeneres Biography

Ellen DeGeneres is an American television host, comedian, actress, writer, producer, and LGBTQ+ activist. From 2003 to 2022, she hosted her own talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
Photo: Ellen DeGeneres
Photo: Ellen DeGeneres

Early Life and Youth

Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born on January 26, 1958, in Metairie, Louisiana. Her mother, Elizabeth Jane (née Pfeffer, born 1930), was a speech therapist, while her father, Elliot Everett DeGeneres (1925-2018), worked as an insurance agent. Ellen has a brother named Vance who also works in television and is a talented musician.
Ellen DeGeneres as a child
Ellen DeGeneres as a child
Ellen has French, English, German, and Irish ancestry. Among her relatives, there's even royalty: in 2011, Ellen discovered she's a distant cousin of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Ellen's parents divorced when she was 15. Shortly after, her mother remarried—a salesman named Roy Gruessendorf—and moved with Ellen to Atlanta, Texas. Vance stayed with their father.
Ellen DeGeneres in her youth
Ellen DeGeneres in her youth
In Atlanta, DeGeneres finished high school. Later, she returned to Louisiana to attend the University of New Orleans, where she studied communication. However, after just one year, Ellen left the university to work as a clerk at a law firm alongside her cousin. During her youth, DeGeneres also held various jobs, including waitress, salesperson, painter, hostess, and bartender.

TV Career

Ellen DeGeneres's rich life experience, sharp wit, and natural storytelling ability launched her comedy career. In the late 1970s, she started performing stand-up in small clubs and cafes, drawing inspiration from comedy legends like Woody Allen and Steve Martin.
Ellen DeGeneres in her early career
Ellen DeGeneres in her early career
By 1981, she'd become a regular at comedy clubs and began touring nationwide. By 1984, Ellen had gained national recognition and was crowned "The Funniest Person in America" by Showtime.
Ellen DeGeneres being named "The Funniest Person in America"
Ellen DeGeneres being named "The Funniest Person in America"
As the '80s turned into the '90s, DeGeneres starred in the comedy "Coneheads" alongside Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, and Adam Sandler.
Ellen Degeneres in Carson Tonight Show (1986)
She landed bigger roles in shows like "Open House" and others, but her real breakthrough came with the sitcom "Ellen," which aired on ABC from 1994 to 1998. The show followed a bookstore owner (played by Ellen) and her circle of friends.
Ellen's popularity exploded in April 1997 when she publicly came out on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Her "Ellen" character also came out during a therapy session with a therapist played by Oprah Winfrey. This episode, titled "The Puppy Episode," became one of the show's highest-rated episodes.
Ellen Degeneres 20/20 Interview Part One Coming Out 1997
But ratings soon dropped. Many speculated that The Walt Disney Company, which owned ABC, was uncomfortable promoting a show with a lesbian lead. The show was canceled, and Ellen briefly returned to stand-up.
Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey in the sitcom 'Ellen'
Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah Winfrey in the sitcom 'Ellen'
In September 2003, DeGeneres launched her daytime talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." Her first guests included Sharon Osbourne and comedian Rita Rudner. Ratings soared, with the show winning 11 Emmy Awards in its first season alone and 14 more over the next two years. Viewers loved Ellen's relaxed interview style, her dancing with the audience, singing, and those amazing sponsor prizes.
Look Back at the Greatest Moments from 3,000 Ellen DeGeneres Shows
By the mid-2000s, Ellen had become a true American icon. Her show became the most coveted platform in the country. She was unpredictable and always full of surprises. In 2006, for instance, Ellen secretly showed up at Tulane University's reopening in New Orleans. She took the stage after speeches by George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton—dressed in a bathrobe and fluffy slippers—delighting students and faculty alike.
American TV Presenter Ellen DeGeneres
American TV Presenter Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen's dedication really showed in 2007 when she suffered a back injury. Despite the pain, she kept hosting her show from a hospital bed—with guests also on hospital beds.

A major milestone in Ellen's career came at the 79th Academy Awards on February 25, 2007, when DeGeneres made history as the first openly LGBT host of the ceremony.
Ellen DeGeneres' Monologue: 2007 Oscars
Ellen created another unforgettable Oscar moment with a now-legendary selfie. At the 86th ceremony in March 2014, Ellen snapped a selfie that became Instagram's second most popular post of all time. Looking to celebrate Meryl Streep's 17th Oscar nomination, DeGeneres invited actors Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, and others to join the group photo. The selfie sparked countless parodies and became an iconic symbol of the modern Oscars.

On May 1, 2009, DeGeneres celebrated the 1000th episode of her show, inviting Oprah Winfrey, Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton, and other celebrities to the studio.

The following year, Ellen replaced Paula Abdul and became a judge on the 9th season of "American Idol". Despite signing a five-season contract, DeGeneres left after just one season, feeling the show wasn't right for her. She later admitted that joining "American Idol" was the worst decision of her career.
Ellen's First Day As a Judge on American Idol
Since 2017, DeGeneres has been hosting the game show "Ellen's Game of Games" on NBC. The show features fun games that originated on her talk show.

Ellen DeGeneres produced the American animated series "Green Eggs and Ham". The series is an adaptation of the 1960 children's book by Dr. Seuss. Thirteen half-hour episodes were released on Netflix in 2019.

Ellen also produced the mystical teen film by Katt Shea, "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase", based on the 1930 book of the same name. The film starred Sophia Lillis, Sam Trammell, Laura Slade Wiggins, and others.

Ellen DeGeneres' Personal Life

When Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997, it created a media firestorm and deeply affected her mother, who needed time to process the news. In contrast, Ellen's father immediately accepted the news. "He didn't show a hint of judgment," Ellen recalls.

That same year, DeGeneres started dating actress Anne Heche in a relationship that lasted about three years.
Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche
Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche
In the early 2000s, Ellen dated director and photographer Alexandra Hedison. The couple even appeared on the cover of LGBT magazine "The Advocate" – though they'd already broken up by then.
Ellen DeGeneres with Alexandra Hedison
Ellen DeGeneres with Alexandra Hedison
Since 2004, Ellen has been with Australian-American actress Portia de Rossi (born 1973). Before this, Portia was married to director Mel Metcalfe. According to de Rossi, the marriage was fake – mainly so she could get a green card. Portia came out to her parents about her sexuality when she was just 16.
Ellen and Portia Cute Moments
In 2008, after California lifted its same-sex marriage ban, DeGeneres and de Rossi had a private wedding at their Beverly Hills home, where they live with four dogs and three cats. In 2010, Portia took her spouse's last name.
Ellen Reads to Her Dogs
Ellen and her wife are vegans and avid animal lovers. DeGeneres created a website promoting veganism titled "Going Vegan With Ellen." She even planned to open a vegan tapas bar in Los Angeles, but it never happened. Ellen's also a PETA member (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and Wildlife Trust activist. To support the latter's mission, DeGeneres launched her line of branded T-shirts.
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi
In January 2018, for Ellen's 60th birthday, Portia gifted her a gorilla sanctuary in Rwanda, named after the TV host for a local foundation. Today, it's called the "Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund."

Ellen DeGeneres Now

On May 26, 2022, the final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired. The last episode featured Jennifer Aniston, Pink, and Billie Eilish. Ellen announced her plans to end the show in May 2021. She said she'd been thinking about it for a while because the show "no longer served its original purpose."
When you're a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged -- and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore.
Tabloids speculated that the show's end was due to a scandal: DeGeneres faced accusations of creating a toxic workplace environment and mistreating staff. However, Ellen denies the show's end was connected to these allegations, though she admits the incident hurt her deeply.
  • It was interesting to read the biography of DeGeneres. Surprised that she played a role in the movie «Coneheads».
    2021-05-08 14:09:54
  • Oh, and I somehow never even watched her show... Maybe it`s really worth my attention?
    2021-04-27 12:08:18
  • A real example of a strong woman for me is, of course, Ellen!
    2021-03-24 17:53:16
  • Although I do not particularly support some of her views on life, the fact remains - DeGeneres is America`s favorite.
    2021-03-20 13:17:13
  • Love Ellen`s Show! So much kindness, sparkling humor and interesting guests!
    2021-03-18 22:38:05
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