Ellen DeGeneres' Full Biography
Ellen DeGeneres is a well-known comedian, actress, and television personality who was born in Metairie, Louisiana, in 1958. She began her career as a stand-up comedian before landing roles in hit sitcoms like Ellen and The Ellen Show. Ellen also achieved great success with her talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In addition to her television work, she has acted in movies such as Finding Nemo and The Love Letter. Her talent has propelled her to become one of the most recognized and beloved figures in entertainment today.
Ellen DeGeneres' Early Years And Education
Ellen Lee DeGeneres, the award-winning host of a popular talk show, was born in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. Her mother was a speech therapist named Betty DeGeneres, and her father was Elliott Everett DeGeneres Jr. She has one brother named Vance DeGeneres, who is a musician and producer.
Unfortunately, their parents got divorced when she was 16 years old, and they moved to Atlanta, Texas with her mother's new husband Roy Gruessendorf who is a salesman.
Ellen decided to study communications at the University of New Orleans after finishing her studies at Atlanta High School in 1976.
Nevertheless, she withdrew from the program just one semester after enrolling. In the years that followed, Ellen held various jobs until she decided to try her hand at stand-up comedy. She started performing in small venues and gradually worked her way up to becoming an emcee at Clyde's Comedy Club by 1981.
After winning a contest held by Showtime, she gained the title of the funniest person in America and began touring the country in the early 1980s. Later, she made her debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1986, which led to more job opportunities.
Ellen DeGeneres' Career
1990’s
Ellen DeGeneres had a successful start to her career with appearances in Open House (1989) and Laurie Hill (1992). She then landed her own sitcom on ABC in 1994, originally titled These Friends of Mine before being renamed Ellen.
When DeGeneres publicly came out as a lesbian in 1997, it made television history. Although her show was canceled due to poor ratings the following season, she continued performing stand-up comedy.
2000’s
Ellen's next TV debut would be on The Ellen Show, which debuted on CBS in 2001 but was also canceled due to low ratings.
Ellen DeGeneres regained her place in the limelight when her daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003), became popular.
The show not only earned high ratings but also garnered an astounding 15 Emmy Awards in its first three seasons, making it the first talk show to receive the prestigious award for Outstanding Talk Show three years in a row.
DeGeneres' success on the show can be attributed to her relatable and comedic personality, as well as her ability to bring on high-profile guests and showcase heartwarming stories. Her impact on daytime television has been significant, paving the way for other successful talk show hosts.
She has also appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mr. Wrong, Edtv, and animated films like Finding Nemo and its sequel Finding Dory.
Ellen DeGeneres' Business Ventures
Ellen DeGeneres has diversified her income streams by selling merchandise, including t-shirts, mugs, and phone cases with her face and logo. Her clothing and accessories line, ED by Ellen DeGeneres, is sold in select stores globally.
Additionally, she partnered with Hallmark to create a line of greeting cards and authored a book in 2017 titled Home, that showcases her personal design choices and lifestyle recommendations. These ventures have allowed her to generate extra profits.
Ellen's net worth was boosted significantly in 2018 when she signed a lucrative contract with Netflix valued at more than $50 million. As part of the agreement, she will create multiple series and specials for the streaming giant, in addition to her popular daytime talk show.
In addition to her TV work, Ellen has also earned sizable profits from her investments in other shows like Little Big Shots and Ellen's Game of Games, making her overall earnings from movies and television a significant portion of her net worth.
Ellen DeGeneres' Personal Life
Ellen is now married to Portia DeRossi, but her relationship timeline has been a rocky one, filled with heartache and grief.
Kat Perkoff cheated on Ellen and when she went to beg her to come back, she was involved in a fatal car accident.
Teresa Boyd
Anne Heche dated Ellen and died in a tragic car accident as well in 2022.
Alexandra Hedison, who went on to marry Jodie Foster.
Then came Portia in 2004. They married in 2008 and are still happily married today.
Ellen DeGeneres' Net Worth
Ellen DeGeneres is worth an estimated $500 million. Her primary sources of wealth are her talk show, stand-up comedy tours, voice-over work on animated films and television shows, endorsements, and other business ventures.
Ellen DeGeneres' Activism
The Humane Society, World Wildlife Fund, American Red Cross, Autism Speaks, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and the Salman Khan Foundation are just a few of the charity organizations Ellen has supported over the years.
She also started The Ellen Fund, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting endangered species and their habitats.
Ellen DeGeneres' Controversy
Ellen’s controversies include, but are not limited to:
-In 2008, Ellen DeGeneres made Mariah Carey confess her pregnancy to a national audience without the singer’s consent. The news came to light after the host tried to force her guest to drink a glass of champagne; however, Carey refused and confessed her pregnancy.
-Taylor Swift felt uncomfortable in 2012 because Ellen kept making jokes about her dating actor Zach Efron. The singer eventually pleaded with Ellen to halt her inquiries.
“This makes me feel so bad about myself. Every time I come here, you put a different guy on the screen, and it really makes me question what I stand for as a human being”. That was the last time Taylor ever went on the show, even though she had been asked multiple times.
-The biggest controversy, however, occurred in 2020, when the program was accused of being a hostile workplace and of workplace harassment of staff. The allegations came to light after several former employees shared their experiences on social media, leading to an investigation.