Ellen DeGeneres

By: Bridget O’Brien

Brief Background

• Born January 26, 1958 in Louisiana

• Majored in Communication at the University of New Orleans

• Worked odd-end jobs including TGI Friday’s

• Funny girl to all of her friends• Starts stand-up at Clyde’s

Comedy Club in New Orleans

The road to Ellen

• First stand-up appearance 1986 on the Tonight Show

• Open House and Laurie Hill

• Ellen starts in 1994

The truth comes out…

• Ellen DeGeneres comes out to TIME.

• “Ellen Morgan” comes out to “Susan”

"Puppy Episode"

Controversy and success

• Backlash from Anti-Gay groups

• “It’s like the whole thing is written just to satisfy the gay community.”

• ABC pulls Ellen May, 1998

Homosexuality and sitcoms

• Ellen spawns homosexuality on television

• Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, Friends

• TIME, “a departure from the normal run of things in the 90’s”

• Will and Grace

… and America

• 10% statistic

• “A lot” of people with negative feelings

• “I grew up uncomfortable.”

Into a dark period…

• No work

• Failed relationship

• “Everyone hates me now”

… the light shines bright

• Emmy Award

• Peabody Award

• The People’s Choice Award

• Two Golden Globe nominations

• Two Screen Actors Guild nominations

What the future holds

• Short-lived series, The Ellen Show

• Academy Awards host

• Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning

The Beginning

Where Ellen has taken Ellen

• Finding Nemo

• The Ellen DeGeneres Show

• Various Awards

• $65 million

Bibliography• The Advocate (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_n750-

1/ai_20225511)• bztv

(http://bztv.typepad.com/instanthistory/2006/04/ellen_confirms_.html)• CNN

(http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9705/01/ellen.out.reax/index.html)• Notable Biographies (http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ca-

Ge/DeGeneres-Ellen.html)• Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_DeGeneres)• You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlIBbRDINw8)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pLsAnKmeGQ&mode=related&search=)