Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres is a comedian, television host, actress, writer, producer, and LGBTQ activist. She began her stand-up career in the early 1980s, receiving the title of Showtime's funniest person in America in 1984. Her career in sitcoms began with a starring role in "Ellen" from 1994 to 1998, and she went on to host her syndicated TV talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," from 2003 to 2022. The show received 33 Daytime Emmy Awards, and her performance earned her the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

As a film actress, DeGeneres starred in Mr. Wrong, EDtv, and The Love Letter and made an appearance in "Coneheads." She also provided the voice of Dory in the Pixar animated films Finding Nemo and Finding Dory; for Finding Nemo, she was awarded the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, the first time an actress won a Saturn Award for a voice performance. She further lent her energy to television by co-hosting an educational look at energy with Bill Nye and by serving as a judge on "American Idol" for its ninth season in 2010, where she replaced Paula Abdul.

DeGeneres' cultural influence extended beyond traditional media formats. She made cameo appearances in music videos for artists such as Sheryl Crow, Big Sean, Maroon 5, and Taylor Swift. She hosted the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, and the Primetime Emmys, including the 79th Academy Awards in 2007, making her the first openly gay person to have hosted the event. In 2018, she returned to her stand-up roots with a Netflix special called "Relatable," marking her return to the format after a 15-year hiatus.

She has authored several books, including "My Point...And I Do Have One", "The Funny Thing Is...", "Seriously...I'm Kidding", and "Home." In addition to her writing, she started her own record company, Eleveneleven, as well as a production company, A Very Good Production. She also launched a lifestyle brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, which comprises a collection of apparel, accessories, home, baby, and pet items, and collaborated with Walmart for a clothing collection called EV1.

During the fourth season of her sitcom "Ellen" in 1997, she came out as a lesbian in an appearance on "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 LGBTQ issues, including the coming-out process. This made her the first openly lesbian actress to play an openly lesbian character on television. In 2008, she married her longtime girlfriend, Portia de Rossi.

DeGeneres' humanitarian efforts include advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, promoting veganism, supporting PETA and animal rights, and serving as a global envoy for AIDS awareness. In 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. On January 5, 2020, DeGeneres won the Golden Globes Carol Burnett Lifetime Achievement Award. She announced the end of her talk show in May 2021, with the show concluding its nineteenth season in 2022. Degeneres is back on the stand-up circuit with her 2024 tour "Ellen's Last Stand... Up Tour."