CELEBRITIES
MOVIES
TRAILERS
TV
PHOTOS
DVD
FANS
Get Movie Showtimes
Select a Movie
Select a Movie
Now Playing
2012
(PG-13)
Armored
(PG-13)
Astro Boy
(PG)
Bad Lieutenant
(R)
Box, The
(PG-13)
Brothers
(R)
Disney's A Christmas Carol
(PG)
Everybody's Fine
(PG-13)
Fantastic Mr. Fox
(PG)
Law Abiding Citizen
(R)
Men Who Stare at Goats, The
(R)
Messenger, The
(R)
New Moon
(PG-13)
Ninja Assassin
(R)
Old Dogs
(PG)
Paranormal Activity
(R)
Pirate Radio
(R)
Planet 51
(PG)
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
(R)
Road, The
(R)
Up in the Air
(R)
Where the Wild Things Are
(PG)
Go to
More Movies
OR
Find Theaters
Search
Login
Register
Ellen DeGeneres
MAIN
PHOTOS
VIDEOS
NEWS
CREDITS
BIOGRAPHY
AWARDS
FANSITES
FORUM
Recommend
(0)
•
Comments
(0)
BIRTHDAY
January 26, 1958
RECENT CREDITS
Finding Nemo
(FILM)
May. 30, 2003
The Love Letter
(FILM)
May. 21, 1999
Goodbye Lover
(FILM)
Apr. 16, 1999
EDtv
(FILM)
Mar. 26, 1999
Trevor
(FILM)
Mar. 7, 1997
View all
Ellen DeGeneres Credits
BIOGRAPHY
From working on stage, Ellen DeGeneres has been able to translate her success with live performances into a television and a budding movie career. She was born in Metairie, LA, the daughter of two devoutly religious....
Expand Full Bio
From working on stage, Ellen DeGeneres has been able to translate her success with live performances into a television and a budding movie career. She was born in Metairie, LA, the daughter of two devoutly religious Christian Scientists. Her older brother, Vince DeGeneres, is a screenwriter. Her parents split up when she was 13. Shortly after the divorce, she and her mother moved to New Orleans. It was while trying to ease her mother's depression that DeGeneres discovered a talent for funny business. Following high school graduation in 1976, DeGeneres worked a variety of low-paying jobs. She spent a semester at the University of New Orleans, but dropped out to hone her comedic skills. She won Showtime's Funniest Person in America contest in 1982, then moved to San Francisco, one of the centers for standup comedy. Her signature routine was a telephone call to God that had been inspired by a close friend's accidental death in New Orleans. She used the piece during her debut on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show in 1986. Deeply impressed, Carson invited her to sit upon his couch, an honor that he bestowed upon only the most gifted comics; she was the first female comic to be so honored by him. Afterward, her career exploded with a cross-country tour and a few specials on cable television. She even managed to land small roles on two short-lived television series, Duet and Open House, in the late '80s. In the early '90s, DeGeneres had offers to star in several new sitcoms, including Friends, but she declined and chose to take a bit part on an extremely short-lived series, Laurie Hill (1992). Two years later, she was the star of an ensemble sitcom patterned after the wildly successful Seinfeld called These Friends of Mine. It was unsuccessful, but parent network ABC saw potential and so engaged in a massive overhaul that resulted in the sitcom Ellen. Largely based on DeGeneres' comedy and somewhat unfocused in regard to storylines and character development, it was popular enough to remain on the air for four seasons, during which time she garnered two Emmy nominations.
DeGeneres had made her film debut in 1993, with a tiny role in Coneheads, but she did not land her first starring role until the romantic comedy Mr. Wrong (1996) opposite Bill Pullman. Though generally critically panned, DeGeneres received some praise for her own star potential.
In 1997, DeGeneres created a stir with hints that her character on the show was gay and would come out of the closet later that season. As by this time the show's ratings were flagging, it was a gutsy move, one made even more titillating to audiences by rumors that DeGeneres herself was gay. Ellen, the character, did indeed come out of the closet at the end of April 1997. The episode generated high ratings and considerable controversy, for it was the first time an openly gay character starred on a television show. At the same time, DeGeneres herself admitted that she, too, was gay. The show centered on gay themes from then out and was cancelled (the network execs blamed low ratings, but DeGeneres supporters suspected other motives) in 1998. Though sad and disappointed, DeGeneres has continued to perform. In 1998, she co-starred as a detective in the feature comedy Goodbye Lover. In addition to film and television work, DeGeneres penned a best-selling book My Point...And I Do Have One (1996).
~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Collapse Full Bio
Headlines
A-List Actors Gone Animated
Nov. 20, 2009
Some of the best performances you've never seen.
Read Story
Celeb Quotes of the Week
Posted: Nov. 15, 2009
Celeb Quotes of the Week
Posted: Sep. 27, 2009
DeGeneres Defends 'American Idol' Job
Posted: Sep. 23, 2009
Watch: Aniston 'Auditions' On TV Show
Posted: Sep. 17, 2009
The Most Complicated Characters of the Season
Posted: Sep. 14, 2009
View all
Ellen DeGeneres Headlines
Latest Photo Galleries
Ellen DeGeneres
(92)
Recommend
(0)
Comments
(0)
Exclusive! "Finding Nemo"
(23)
Recommend
(0)
Comments
(0)
Finding Nemo
(21)
Recommend
(0)
Comments
(0)
View all
Ellen DeGeneres Photos
Comments
Name:
*
Displayed next to your comments.
E-mail:
*
Not displayed publicly.
Post as a guest
OR
login to track your comments using
Login
|
Add a Comment (Max 1000 characters):
*
Post this comment to Facebook too
*
Indicates Mandatory
Recently Worked With...
Matt LeBlanc
Joey
Aired: Nov. 10, 2005
Peter Krause
Six Feet Under
Aired: Jun. 27, 2004
Bernie Mac
The Bernie Mac Show
Aired: Jan. 25, 2004
Sean Hayes
Will & Grace
Aired: Apr. 24, 2003
Cloris Leachman
The Ellen Show
Aired: Jan. 11, 2002
Eric McCormack
Will & Grace
Aired: Feb. 15, 2001
Kathy Sue Nail
The Love Letter
Released: May. 21, 1999
Patricia Arquette
Goodbye Lover
Released: Apr. 16, 1999
Matthew McConaughey
EDtv
Released: Mar. 26, 1999
Paul Reiser
Mad About You
Aired: Oct. 28, 1998
Collapse
Expand to view more
Fan Sites
Ellen DeGeneres Fansites
No fan sites available. Create the first!
Are you the #1 Ellen DeGeneres Fan? Sign Up To Create A Website Here.
Go
Build a Fan Site
Top 5 Celebrities
Jenna Jameson
N/A
Angelina Jolie
June 04, 1975
Megan Fox
May 16, 1986
Tennessee
Michael Jackson
August 29, 1958
Gary, IN
Robert Pattinson
N/A
Go to
Top 100 Celebs
Sponsored Links
Buy A Link Here