Ellen DeGeneres Biography
Ellen DeGeneres is an American television host, comedian, actress, writer, producer, and LGBTQ+ activist. From 2003 to 2022, she hosted her own talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
Early Life and Youth
Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born on January 26, 1958, in Metairie, Louisiana. Her mother, Elizabeth Jane (née Pfeffer, born 1930), was a speech therapist, while her father, Elliot Everett DeGeneres (1925-2018), worked as an insurance agent. Ellen has a brother named Vance who also works in television and is a talented musician.
Ellen's parents divorced when she was 15. Shortly after, her mother remarried—a salesman named Roy Gruessendorf—and moved with Ellen to Atlanta, Texas. Vance stayed with their father.

TV Career
Ellen DeGeneres's rich life experience, sharp wit, and natural storytelling ability launched her comedy career. In the late 1970s, she started performing stand-up in small clubs and cafes, drawing inspiration from comedy legends like Woody Allen and Steve Martin.

Her "Ellen" character also came out during a therapy session with a therapist played by Oprah Winfrey. This episode, titled "The Puppy Episode," became one of the show's highest-rated episodes.Ellen's popularity exploded in April 1997 when she publicly came out on The Oprah Winfrey Show.


A major milestone in Ellen's career came at the 79th Academy Awards on February 25, 2007, when DeGeneres made history as the first openly LGBT host of the ceremony.
On May 1, 2009, DeGeneres celebrated the 1000th episode of her show, inviting Oprah Winfrey, Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton, and other celebrities to the studio.
The following year, Ellen replaced Paula Abdul and became a judge on the 9th season of "American Idol". Despite signing a five-season contract, DeGeneres left after just one season, feeling the show wasn't right for her. She later admitted that joining "American Idol" was the worst decision of her career.
Ellen DeGeneres produced the American animated series "Green Eggs and Ham". The series is an adaptation of the 1960 children's book by Dr. Seuss. Thirteen half-hour episodes were released on Netflix in 2019.
Ellen also produced the mystical teen film by Katt Shea, "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase", based on the 1930 book of the same name. The film starred Sophia Lillis, Sam Trammell, Laura Slade Wiggins, and others.
Ellen DeGeneres' Personal Life
When Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1997, it created a media firestorm and deeply affected her mother, who needed time to process the news. In contrast, Ellen's father immediately accepted the news. "He didn't show a hint of judgment," Ellen recalls.That same year, DeGeneres started dating actress Anne Heche in a relationship that lasted about three years.



Ellen DeGeneres Now
On May 26, 2022, the final episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show aired. The last episode featured Jennifer Aniston, Pink, and Billie Eilish. Ellen announced her plans to end the show in May 2021. She said she'd been thinking about it for a while because the show "no longer served its original purpose."Tabloids speculated that the show's end was due to a scandal: DeGeneres faced accusations of creating a toxic workplace environment and mistreating staff. However, Ellen denies the show's end was connected to these allegations, though she admits the incident hurt her deeply.When you're a creative person, you constantly need to be challenged -- and as great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore.