Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer and TV personality. She has about $500 million in net worth. her name is synonymous with the sitcom “Ellen” she created and which ran from 1994 to 1998 as well as the syndicated talk show “The Ellen DeGeenres Show”. “The Ellen DeGeneres” show made her fabulously rich in terms of Hollywood.
During her hay days, she easily bagged $60 million in salary from the talk show alone. She made several tens of millions from her endorsement as well as other hosting jobs.
Early Life
Ellen DeGeneres was born on January 26, 1958 in Metairie, Louisiana. She was born to Madam Elizabeth who was a speech therapist and Elliott her father who was an insurance agent. Her brother, Vance DeGeneres was a musician, a comedian and producer, at one point the correspondent on “The daily Show”.
Her mother remarried after her parents divorced in 1974 and relocated to Atlanta, Texas to live with her husband. Ellen went to Atlanta High School graduating in 1976. She moved back to New Orleans to attend the University of New Orleans. She abandoned school for a clerical job at a law firm just a semester of University education.
Career
While searching for footing in life by taking up menial jobs, Ellen began her stand-up comedy routines at coffee houses as well as small clubs. She became the MC at New Orleans” Clyde’s Comedy Club. After barely a couple of years after taking her stand-up comedy on the road nationally, she was named the Funniest Person in America in 1984 by Showtime.
Ellen’s first regular role on a television show was in 1989 in “Open House”. After playing a role in “Laurie Hill” the producers were impressed with her performance that she was cast in their next pilot “These Friends of Mine” on ABC. The show was renamed after her “Ellen” in the second season.
She peaked in 1997 when she came out as a lesbian on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. The show, “Ellen” was canceled in 1998 owing to plummeting ratings after ABC cut back on promoting the show. In 2001, she came back with “The Ellen Show”, a CBS sitcom.
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” debuted in the fall of 2003. It has the lofty position of being one of the most-watched talk shows on daytime television winning an incredible 25 Emmy Awards within a space of just three seasons. Ellen was made a judge on “American Idol” in 2010 taking the seat of Paula Abdul. She has hosted the Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards as well as Academy Awards.
Personal Life
Ellen came public with her sexuality in 1997 stating publicly that she is a lesbian. She became romantically involved with actress Anne Heche that same year until August 2000. She dated actress Alexandra Hedison between 2000 and 2004.
Ellen started dating actress Portia de Rossi in 2004. In August 2008, the lovers got married in their home in Beverly Hills, California.
