64th birthday
Ellen DeGeneres: Twice fought to stardom
US presenter Ellen Degeneres turns 64. Photo: Mark Von Holden/Invision/dpa
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Her coming out led to a career break. She didn’t give up and walked the path a second time – and became the darling of millions. Now Ellen DeGeneres is ready for something new.
“The Ellen DeGeneres Show” was one of the biggest and most successful projects of the entertainer Ellen DeGeneres. The US hit show ended in 2021 after 19 successful and award-winning seasons.
Ellen DeGeneres would like to devote herself to new challenges in the future. Today she is 64 years old.
The special thing about DeGenere’s career is that she practically had to start it twice. Born in Louisiana in 1958, the presenter supported herself in the late 1970s with odd jobs. As a stand-up comedian, she began her career in small clubs in New Orleans and San Francisco. She worked her way up through guest appearances on American TV shows. In 1986, she managed to become known to the general public when she had an appearance on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show”.
Outing and a career slump
In the 1990s she played the leading role in the ABC sitcom “Ellen”, which became a hit in the USA. In 1997, the main character of the series first came out before Ellen DeGeneres came out as homosexual in real life. The openness to her Sexuality came too soon for Americans and their show suffered from poor ratings and was canceled, advertising deals were canceled and the fame lost.
Comeback with own show
After only being booked for smaller appearances in the following years, she returned in 2001 with “The Ellen Show”. It was to be her big comeback. In the same year she presented the Emmy Awards. In 2003 she was the voice of the fish “Dorie” in the Oscar-winning animated film “Finding Nemo” by film writer and director Andrew Stanton. In the same year, the popular talk show “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” began. The associated YouTube channel currently has 38 million subscribers. Ellen DeGeneres was able to permeate the show with her style, choose guests and discuss controversial topics. She and the show have received a large number of Emmy awards. The entertainer, who has French, British, German and Irish roots, is also doing very well in her private life. She has been with her since 2008 married to actress Portia de Rossi.
Great social commitment and honored by Obama
The comedian, who has hosted the Oscars twice and caused a stir in 2014 with a selfie with huge actors such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Jenifer Lawrence, is politically and socially active. She shows commitment to the LGBTQI+ scene, fights for animal welfare and lives vegan for ethical reasons. Her fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina raised $10 million. She has had her own label since 2010 and supports young artists with their breakthrough. She is one of the most influential women in the world. In 2020, DeGeneres received the special award at the Golden Globes. But she received probably the greatest award in 2016 from the then US President Barack Obama. This honored her with the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” for the inspiring content of her show.