Logans+Virtual+Legacy.

Early Life Before Acting:
DeGeneres was born January 26, 1958 to Elliot Degeneres, a salesman and his wife Elizabeth Jane, also known as Betty Jane. She was born in Metairie, Louisianna. Along with brother Vance Degeneres [now a actor and guiatrist for the band, Cowboy Mouth], she was raised up until the age of 13 as a Christian scientist. Around this time her parents, Betty and Elliot were int the process of filing for a divorce. In January of 1974 the divorce was finalized. not to long after the divorce Ellen's mother remarried to yet another salesman by the name of Roy Gruessendorf, Her mother, herself, Gruessendorf and her brother all moved away from the New Orleans area to Atlanta, Georgia. Only about 2 years later, Ellen graduated from Atlanta High School on May 21, 1976. After graduating Ellen went back to New Orleans to live, and went to the University of New Orleans and got majored in communications. But only after one semester Degeneres left to work in a chain of stores that sold clothing, known as the **Merry-go-round.** Working at that kind of thing wasnt really what Ellen Degeneres was looking for, so she tried many careers throughout her life. I.E a waitress at TGI Fridays, and many more. A House Painter, a hostess, a bartender, and a part-time dance. She was even a oyster shucker. But after exploring all of these jobs it as said that Ellen remarked "I'm tired of answering to a boss" and started doing what she really wanted. Acting,Ellen mostly went into acting, as you well know today she has been in many movies and has her very own talk show, The Ellen Degeneres Show.

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Ellen DeGeneres, you might know her as the voice that played Dory in Finding Nemo, but there is so much more to her that alot of people don't know. On April 14,1997 the actresses life would be changed forever when she appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The headline was "Yep, I'm Gay". At the time of coming out to be gay, Ellen was playing a charachter on a well-known show //Ellen// on ABC, where Ellen plays a character by the name of Ellen Morgan. Her charachter would soon come out 16 days later to be gay on the show as well. Prior to the episode many campaigns were being done to support Ellen, such as websites and on the street rallies. Basically to create grass roots for the coming up episode. On April 30th, the episode named : "The Puppy Episode," came out. GLAAD [ Gay and Lesbian Alliance Defamation] encouraged people to come out about their sexuality. //Ellen// encouraged alot of tv shows such as, Will && Grace, Ugly Betty and the L Word. In April '07, GLAAD celebrated the 10-year anniversry of Ellen DeGeneres coming out about her sexuality. As you can well see the coming out of Ellen DeGeneres opened alot of doors, not only for herself but many others.

Acting Life and On:
Today Ellen is known to be an american-actress, a stand up comedian and recently recieved and hosted the Emmy Awards. Around 30 years after graduating, Ellen, just like any other person had a 30-year reunion. Her entire graduating class was guest on the show and even recieved a little gift. The hieght of Ellens career was when she publicly announced that she was a lesbian on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She did this the same year that her charachter Ellen Morgan would announce that she was gay to her therapist. "The puppy Episode" had the highest rating, but after that the show wouldnt have as much popularity as that one episode, to the show was soon cancelled. Ellen moved on to comedy. After making movies wiht Bill Nye [the science guy] that were not sucessful, along with her new ABC sitcome, the Ellen Show which had her charachter being a lesbian which got cancelled as well, it was thought that she has the bottom of her career. But then Disney's Pixar film, Finding Nemo was looking for a voice of the short-termed memory fish by the name of Dory. The Films director Andrew Stanton, clains that he chose DeGeneres because during thier conversation about her playing the role she changed the subject at least 5 times. This put Ellen yet back at the top again. Along with the voice of the dog on Dr.Dolittle, they critics gave Ellen very high rating scores. As mentioned before about the Ellen DeGeneres show, which was started in 2003. The Ellen DeGeneres show has been known to be the only show to be nominated for 11 Emmy Awards within its freshman season of showing. It is also the only show that has won 15 Emmy Awardds within its first 3 seasons. Ellen is known for dancing and singing with the crowd both during and the beginning of the show as seen above, talking on her tv show. She has even done some commercials, I'm sure youve seen her 2 minuite commercial for American Express where Ellen is shown working with animals, i.e the buisness she's in. In August, of 2005 Ellen was yet chosen again to host the Primetime Emmy Awards [which was held on September 18th of that year] The Emmy Awards show was only 3 weeks after that Hurricane Katrine devastated the Gulf Coast. This was mentioned that hosting this show was the second show that Ellen had been hosting after a world devistation. This was the 3rd Emmys that she has hosted within her life. Ellen remarked "you know me, any exuse to put on a dress" when asked about how many Emmys she actually have hosted. Ellen is known to be a very sarcastic person, an example of this was when she made an apperance in March of 07 at the Tulane University. Following George H.W Bush and Bill Clinton. When making a speech she showed up in a bathrobe and slippers remarking that "They told me everyone was going to be wearing robes". Another example of Ellens sarcasm was that in May of this year Ellen was put on bed rest becuase she had a torn ligement in her back, she continued to host her talk show while in a hospital bed, being attended too stating "the show must go on" as they say.

Personal Life:
Ellens relationship with world Famous actress Anne Heche, they both had turned the press onto them for a very long time. But after 7 years of the spot light, Heche dumped Ellen and married a male camera man by the name of Coley Laffoon. After ending her and Heche relationship, Elldated a actress/director/photographer by the name of Alexandria Hedison. Even after another breakup they appeared on the cover of some magazines. Since then, which was in the year of 2004, Ellen has been dating the former actress of Ally McBeal, Portia de Rossi. The two of them are currrently living together with a family of their own, 2 dogs and 3 cats. After coming out to be gay, Ellen wrote a book by the name of Love, Ellen. Her mother stated that after reading it, that she was shocked to know that her daughter was a lesbian and had come out to say it, but has become one of her strongest supporters. Better [mom] DeGeneres is an active member in the PFLAG, which is Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbian and Gays. She is also the spokesperson for the HRC coming out project. She is not only a supporter of gays, but she is also a big supporter of breast cancer. Thinking that she is a survivor herself. Ellen is doing very well, and is still in the relationship with Portia de Rossi. Her mother, brother, and father are all doing good as well.



Television:
Women of the Night [1998] Open House [1989-1990] Laurie Hill [1992-1993] Ellen [1994-1998] If these walls could talk [2000] Ellen DeGeneres : the beginning [2000] On the Edge [2001] The Ellen Show [2001-2002] Ellen DeGeneres : here and now [2003] The Ellen DeGeneres Show [2003-present] 79th Emmy Awards hosted [25 febuary, 2007] American Idol : Idol Gives Back co-host [April 2007]

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Movies//://
Arduous Moon (1990) (short subject) Wisecracks (1991) (documentary) Coneheads (1993) Trevor (1994) (short subject) Ellen's Energy Adventure (1996) (short subject) Mr. Wrong (1996) Goodbye Lover (1998) Dr. Dolittle (1998) (voice) EdTV (1999) The Love Letter (1999) If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000) Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003) Finding Nemo (2003) (voice) My Short Film (2004) (short subject)

Ellen DeGeneres is not dead yet, but is now 49 and living with her girlfriend in Beverly Hills, California.