Image source: Vulture
Ellen DeGeneres (born Ellen Lee DeGeneres on January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer who starred in the sitcom “Ellen” from 1994 to 1998 and has hosted her syndicated tv talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003. The Ellen DeGeneres show is considered one of the most popular and most viewed television shows in the United States of America.
Ellen’s career as a stand-up comedian started in the early 1980s, and this included a 1986 appearance on The To Igor Show, Starring Johnny Carson. While, as an actress, Ellen has starred in Mr. Wrong (1986), EDtv (1999), and The Love Letter (1999). Ellen provides the voice of Dory in Pixar animated films Finding Nemo in 2003 and Finding Dory in 2016, for which she was awarded the Best Supporting Actress at the Saturn Awards. This being the first time an actress was winning a Saturn Award for a voice performance. She served as a judge in the ninth season of American Idol in 2010.
She has starred in two television sitcoms, Ellen from 1994 to 1998 and The Ellen Show from 2001 to 2002. However, during the fourth season of Ellen in 1997, she came out as a lesbian in the Oprah Winfrey Show. Her character, Ellen Morgan, also came out to a therapist played by Winfrey, and the series went on to explore various LGBT issues, including the coming-out process. In 2008, she married Portia de Rossi, her longtime girlfriend.
She has hosted the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and the Primetime Emmys on numerous occasions. She has authored her four books, owns a record company, Eleveneleven, a production company, A Very Good Production, and recently launched a lifestyle brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, a collection of accessories apparel, home, baby, and pet items. Ellen has been recognized for her work on television and the entertainment industry in general, with 30 Emmy awards and 20 People’s Choice Awards (most awarded person) to show for her work and numerous awards for her work charitable endeavors and efforts. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016, under the Obama administration. In January 2020, DeGeneres received the Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Globes for her work on television, becoming the first recipient after its inaugural namesake Carol Burnett.
According to Forbes, Ellen’s 2018 earnings were capped at $87.5 million, making her the 15th highest-paid entertainer in the world. She was named the 50th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2015, and she was number 2 on the World Pride Power list. As of August 2, 2018, she is one of the most followed celebrities on social media, ranking as the 7th most followed Twitter user with 76 million followers and the 28th most followed user on Instagram with 55.8 million followers.
Away from the screen and television, Ellen is a vegetarian. She has previously described herself as a vegan and “big animal lover” and is a coordinator of a vegan outreach website known as “Going Vegan With Ellen.” She is a fan of the NFL, although she doesn’t support one team; because, at various times, she has shown support for the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints.
Follow Ellen on Social Media via her Instagram Page.
