Ellen DeGeneres: Great TV Host and Comedian

By Suzan Baker

Ellen DeGeneres is an American comedian, actress, and TV personality who has a net worth of $250 million and an annual salary of $65 million. Ellen DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana. Early in life Ellen worked at J.C. Penny and as a waitress at TGI Friday's. In her free time, she moonlighted at New Orleans comedy clubs until she was able to tour nationally. In 1982, Showtime named her the Funniest Person in America. Appearances on The Tonight Show led to a variety film and television roles. In 1994, she landed a sitcom of her very own, aptly titled "Ellen". The show aired 109 episodes over five seasons on ABC. The show reached the peak of its ratings in February of 1997, when DeGeneres's character came out as a lesbian. Shortly after this episode aired, DeGeneres herself came out officially on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

• Language: English
• Publisher: XinXii
• Release date: May 21, 2014
• ISBN: 9781304902788

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Early Life

Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana, to an insurance salesman and a working mother who divorced when DeGeneres was a teenager. When she was growing up, DeGeneres dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but she gave up the idea because she was not book smart. Instead, she waited tables, sold vacuum cleaners, painted houses and worked as a legal secretary.

DeGeneres's older brother, Vance, an actor/comedian and former correspondent for The Daily Show, was long considered the humorous member of the family. Then once, during a public speaking event, DeGeneres found herself frightened by the crowd and used humor to get through the experience. She was a hit, and received offers to do stand-up comedy. She began performing in 1981, bolstered by her mother's moral and financial support.

Ellen DeGeneres & Comedy

At the age of 23, she began performing at a local coffeehouse. She got her big debut in 1986 when, acting on a tip from Jay Leno, The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson sent a booking agent to catch her act at the Improve in Hollywood. As a result of that engagement, DeGeneres was invited onto The Tonight Show and earned the distinction of being the only female comic to be invited by Johnny Carson to sit on the famed couch during her first visit. She then began making regular appearances on the talk show circuit, including performances on The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Later with Greg Kinnear, Larry King Live, and Good Morning, America. She was also profiled in detail on ABC's PrimeTime Live.

Ellen: The Sitcom

Her wit won over audiences, and DeGeneres finally found success as an actress with her own prime-time sitcom—the self-titled television series, Ellen. The series was originally titled These Friends of Mine, but was renamed in 1994. From that point, she enjoyed a dizzying evolution from its beginnings as an ensemble show to its development into a showcase for