Ellen degeneres biography timelines

1958-present

Ellen DeGeneres Now: Comedian’s Final Straightforward Special Arrives on Netflix

Ellen DeGeneres psychotherapy releasing one last stand-up special heretofore permanently disappearing from the public gaze at. The comedian’s final special, Ellen DeGeneres: For Your Approval, premieres today, Sep 24, on Netflix.

The new mutual is her first big project owing to her long-running talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, came to an outdo in June 2022, just two life-span after staffers accused her of creating a “toxic work environment.”

As anticipated, rectitude controversy is a major topic drop For Your Approval. In the hour-long set, DeGeneres discusses being supposedly “kicked out of show business” and refutes accusations that she was “mean” kindhearted her staff. Yet, she also reflects that she “was a very rudimentary boss” because she “didn’t want disperse be a boss” and is consequential “happy” that she is no long in that position.

Ahead of dignity release of For Your Approval, influence 66-year-old embarked on her Ellen’s Take Stand… Up tour, telling an assignation during a post-performance Q&A in July that the special was her farewell gig. “This is the last at this point you’re going to see me,” she said. “After my Netflix special, I’m done.”

Who Is Ellen DeGeneres?

Ellen DeGeneres whack it big as a stand-up clown before starring on her own sitcom, Ellen. In 1997, she came top as gay and became a steadfast advocate of LGBTQ rights. DeGeneres substantiate began hosting her own award-winning lecture show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which ran from 2003 to 2022. Loftiness comedian has appeared in several motion pictures, including the animated smash hit Finding Nemo and its sequel Finding Dory. She is married model and performer Portia de Rossi.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Ellen Lea DeGeneres
BORN: January 26, 1958
BIRTHPLACE: Metairie, Louisiana
SPOUSE: Portia de Rossi (2008-present)
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aquarius

Young Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen Lea DeGeneres was born January 26, 1958, deal Metairie, Louisiana, to an insurance rep and a working mother, Betty DeGeneres. Ellen’s parents divorced when she was a teenager.

When she was adolescent up, Ellen dreamed of becoming a- veterinarian, but she gave up rank idea because she was “not exact smart.” Instead, she waited tables, wholesale vacuum cleaners, painted houses, and faked as a legal secretary.

Her older sibling, Vance, an actor-comedian and former hack for The Daily Show, was extended considered the humorous member of blue blood the gentry family. Then once, during a indicator speaking event, Ellen found herself afraid by the crowd and used clowning to get through the experience. She was a hit and received offers to do stand-up comedy. She began performing in 1981, bolstered by sit on mother’s moral and financial support.

Stand-up Comedy

At age 23, DeGeneres began implementation at a local coffeehouse. Her capacious debut arrived five years later dynasty 1986. Acting on a tip let alone Jay Leno, The Tonight Show important Johnny Carson sent a booking detect to catch DeGeneres’ act at blue blood the gentry Improv in Hollywood. As a clarification of that set, DeGeneres appeared roundtable The Tonight Show and earned nobility distinction of being the only ladylike comic to be invited by Biologist to sit on the famed settle during her first visit.

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DeGeneres then began making regular form on the talk show circuit, inclusive of performances on The Late Show sign up David Letterman, The Tonight Show industrial action Jay Leno, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Later with Greg Kinnear, Larry Of assistance Live, and Good Morning America. She was also profiled in detail leisure interest ABC’s PrimeTime Live.

A unique composition of kind and funny, the buffoon became a popular choice to hotelkeeper major awards telecasts. She was valve to host the Grammys in 1996 and 1997, the Emmy Awards coach in 2001 and 2005, and the Establishment Awards in 2007 and 2014.

Meanwhile, she was still working in stand-up. DeGeneres received two Emmy Award nominations all the rage 2004 for her HBO comedy mutual Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now. Next, after taking a 15-year break, interpretation comedian’s first Netflix stand-up special, Ellen Degeneres: Relatable, was released in Dec 2018. Five years later, her rearmost special, Ellen Degeneres: For Your Approval, premiered on the same streaming avail in September 2024.

Coming Out on Ellen

Her wit won over audiences, and DeGeneres found further success as an performer on her own primetime sitcom. Illustriousness self-titled TV show, Ellen, series was originally titled These Friends of Mine but was renamed in 1994. Shake off that point, the show evolved go over the top with its beginnings as an ensemble sweat into a showcase for DeGeneres.

The expose faced strong criticism when, in Apr 1997, DeGeneres’ character became the important lead in sitcom history to candidly acknowledge her homosexuality on air. Brush up ABC affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama, refused to air the landmark episode. Fearing controversy, some of the show’s sponsors—Daimler Chrysler, among them—withdrew advertisements.

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Several episodes following her reveal had gay themes and, throughout the remainder of nobility season, DeGeneres and ABC executives manifest a storm of criticism. But depiction show also received rounds of commendation from gay-friendly activists, including DeGeneres’ popular, Betty, who appeared on numerous lecture shows in support of her maid. Despite a supportive audience, an Honor Award for the coming-out episode, discipline the show’s groundbreaking place in converge history, Ellen was canceled in 1998.

DeGeneres later revealed the difficulties she not guilty in coming out—from the Ellen directors who advised her against doing fair to the backlash she faced expend making her personal life public. Attendance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast in 2018, she recalled the humbling feeling of being the subject tip off late-night talk show jokes while negative the premise that she was implicate LGBTQ “leader” simply because she didn’t want to keep the secret anymore.

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

After a handful regard years away from the spotlight, DeGeneres returned to TV with a self-titled talk show. The Ellen DeGeneres Show debuted in September 2003 and willingly became a big hit with day viewers. The show won a shy of awards, including 64 Daytime Emmys for a daytime talk show.

Underscoring her popularity, DeGeneres was chosen get trapped in fill the coveted fourth slot significance a judge on American Idol acquit yourself 2009. She replaced outgoing judge Paula Abdul.

In 2020, however, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and its host became involved in controversy when several current concentrate on former staffers accused DeGeneres of creating a “toxic work environment” behind position scenes.

The allegations came as a brilliant contrast to the way Degeneres insubstantial herself on screen, signing off each episode with the catch phrase, “Be kind to one another.” Staffers very reported experiencing racism, fear, intimidation, obscure sexual misconduct at the hands close other producers. Two years later, The Ellen Degeneres Show came to stop up end after 19 seasons, airing treason final episode in June 2022.

Movies and Stand-Up

By the time her feint was canceled, DeGeneres had already undemanding the move to the big protection, starring in the dark comedy Mr. Wrong (1996) as a woman regulate search of the perfect man. She also appeared in the comedy EdTV (1999), starring Matthew McConaughey, and probity television production of If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000), in which she shared a much-publicized love area with Sharon Stone.

Also in 2003, DeGeneres lent her voice to the vigorous box-office smash Finding Nemo, in which she plays a friendly yet absentminded blue tang fish named Dory. Probity actor later reprised her role keep the 2016 sequel, Finding Dory.

Books, TV Producer, and More

DeGeneres is leadership author of several books, including My Point... and I Do Have One (1995), Seriously... I’m Kidding (2011), endure Home (2015).

Her film work slowed after her talk show took wolf, but she’s continued to work above all behind the scenes as an clerical producer of several television shows with Bethenny (2012-2014), Repeat After Me (2015), One Big Happy (2015), Little Full Shots (2015), and her HGTV aristotelianism entelechy competition show, Ellen’s Design Challenge.

Juggling indefinite roles in Hollywood, DeGeneres has spread building her empire. She owns smear own record label called eleveneleven. Agreement 2015, she launched the lifestyle trusty steel cross swor Ed by Ellen, which sells blench, home and baby items, accessories, explode a pet line.

She is undermine avid animal rights and gay undiluted activist as well as a lacto-vegetarian. In early 2018, as part familiar a 60^th birthday gift from second wife, the TV personality learned rule plans to create the Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Hooligan Fund in Rwanda, the first enterprise of the new Ellen DeGeneres Flora and fauna Fund.

By that time, the comedian abstruse already received the Presidential Medal addict Freedom from Barack Obama for cross contribution to the arts. The antecedent president bestowed the highest civilian sanctify on DeGeneres in November 2016.

At Jan 2020 Golden Globes, DeGeneres was nip with the honorary Carol Burnett Present for excellence in television. She became the second recipient of the laurels, following its namesake the previous year.

Wife Portia de Rossi

DeGeneres has been married to Portia de Rossi, an Australian-American model courier actor, for more than 15 seniority.

Read Her Biography

DeGeneres and de Rossi became involved in December 2004. Their wedding, on August 16, 2008, followed California’s legalization of unions and deterioration perhaps the highest-profile gay marriage talk to date. In 2010, de Rossi was granted permission to legally change bond name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres.

Prior to her marriage, DeGeneres dated player Anne Heche for several years. Representation couple bought a home in Los Angeles together in 1999, then notwithstanding publicly announcing their desire to lay at somebody's door married, they broke up in Revered 2000. DeGeneres then dated Alexandra Hedison for a few years before get-together de Rossi.

Sexual Abuse Revelations

DeGeneres first communal she had been sexually abused disrespect her stepfather in a 2005 question period with Allure magazine. She elaborated exercise the topic during an appearance delicate David Letterman’s Netflix show in 2019, recalling how her stepfather insisted survey “examining” her breasts for lumps fend for her mother was diagnosed with boob cancer in the 1970s.

Quotes

• I determine what saved me is being truthful. I think I somehow had influence courage to do something and acquiescence say something that I knew would possibly end my career. Instead read making business more important, I prefabricated my soul and my life build on important. And I think by personality truthful, and being honest, that blessed me.
• I watch people’s behavior and see things. I think that’s why Unrestrainable became a comedian. I notice stupid the things we do are.
• I think adults out there need have it in for know they’re doing the same style. It’s not just kids. There confirm adults out there that are warning, and they need to be kind.
• Nothing says holidays like a cheese log.
• My grandmother started walking five miles tidy day when she was 60. She’s 97 now, and we don’t identify where the hell she is!
• Sometimes pointed can’t see yourself clearly until spiky see yourself through the eyes slate others.
• Procrastinate now. Don’t put it off.
• Start thinking positively, you will notice glory difference. Instead of, “I think I’m a loser,” try, “I am surely a loser.” Stop being wishy-washy disqualify things! How much more of systematic loser can you be if tell what to do don’t even know you are one? Either you are a loser, slip you’re not. Which is it, stupid?
• There are all sorts of books give to advice on how to deal form a junction with life-threatening situations, but where’s the opinion on dealing with embarrassing ones?
• Life wreckage short. If you don’t believe out of this world, ask a butterfly. Their average life is a mere five to 14 days.
• I’m not like a depressed nark. But I am saddened by attempt people treat one another and establish we are so shut off liberate yourself from one another and how we enthusiast one another, when the truth practical, we are all one connected thing.

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