Ellen DeGeneres is an American children’s comedian, television host and actress. Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born on January 26, 1958, in Louisiana, United States of America.
She is the daughter of Elizabeth Zane, a speech therapist, and Elliott Everett DeGeneres, an insurance agent. DeGeneres has the same parents as her brother Vance DeGeneres, a musician and producer.
DeGeneres is of Irish, French, English and German descent and was raised a Christian Scientist.
After completing her freshman and sophomore years at Grace King High School in Metairie, DeGeneres graduated from Atlanta High School in May 1976. To continue her education at the University of New Orleans, she returned to city and declared a major in communications.
After one semester, she dropped out of school to work as a secretary in a law firm with her cousin Laura Gillen. Early in her career, she worked as a waitress at TGI Fridays and another restaurant, in addition to a stint at JC Penney.
She also held jobs as a hostess, bartender and house painter. She draws heavily on her childhood and professional experiences in her hilarious work.
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DeGeneres began her stand-up career in intimate clubs and cafes. In 1981, she took on the role of host at Clyde’s Comedy Club in New Orleans. DeGeneres currently cites Steve Martin and Woody Allen as her biggest role models. She began touring nationally in the early 1980s and was named the funniest person in the country by Showtime in 1984.
DeGeneres appeared in the Netflix stand-up special “Relatable” in 2018 after taking a 15-year break from stand-up comedy. DeGeneres cites Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball as her comedic role models.
Coneheads was one of Ellen’s productions of the late 1980s and early 1990s. DeGeneres starred in a series of videos for the TV show Ellen’s Energy Adventure, which was part pavilion and attraction Universe of Energy from Epcot to Walt Disney World. Bill Nye, Alex Trebek, Michael Richards and Jamie Lee Curtis were all in the film.
The show focused on DeGeneres dozing off and waking up to a game of Jeopardy! plays. with an energetic theme against an old enemy played by Curtis and Albert Einstein.
In the next film, DeGeneres and Nye hosted a documentary on energy. “Ellen’s Energy Crisis” was the name of the attraction when it first premiered on September 15, 1996. However, the more optimistic moniker “Ellen’s Energy Adventure” was immediately adopted. The roller coaster was finally closed on August 13, 2017.
DeGeneres starred in her first regular television role in a short-lived Fox sitcom called Open House. She played Margo Van Meter, an employee of the real estate company Juan Verde. Mary Page Keller and Alison LaPlaca have both appeared on the show.
In the next film, DeGeneres and Nye hosted a documentary on energy. “Ellen’s Energy Crisis” was the name of the attraction when it first premiered on September 15, 1996. However, the more optimistic moniker “Ellen’s Energy Adventure” was immediately adopted. The roller coaster was finally closed on August 13, 2017.
DeGeneres starred in her first regular television role in a short-lived Fox sitcom called Open House. She played Margo Van Meter, an employee of the real estate company Juan Verde. Mary Page Keller and Alison LaPlaca have both appeared on the show.
DeGeneres was profiled by The New York Times in 2018 as she considered extending her talk show contract and sought other creative outlets, such as her Netflix comedy special “Relatable,” which parodies her approachable personality.
DeGeneres made the decision to end her talk show on May 12, 2021, after season 19 ended in 2022. Jennifer Aniston, Pink and Billie Eilish made appearances on the show’s final episode, which aired on May 26, 2022. Portia de Rossi and other members of the DeGeneres family watched from the crowd.
Does Ellen DeGeneres have children?
DeGeneres does not have children with her wife Portia de Rossi. They have been married since August 2008.
On the Today Show, DeGeneres revealed that she loves children and would like to have them, but she thinks it’s a commitment she’s not prepared for.