As she was working toward her goal of becoming a comedian, she lost her girlfriend at the time to a car accident. This heartache is what eventually sparked Ellen’s big break. After writing a piece called Phone Call to God, something she wrote while grieving her recent loss, DeGeneres began to pave her way toward stardom.
Her goofy personality mixed with self-deprecating jokes brought roars of laughter, which only fueled her flame for fame. After Showtime named her funniest person in America, she found herself on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She made history that night when she became the first person to be invited to sit on his sofa for an interview. This would end up being one of the most pivotal moments in her career. Shortly after her interview, she was cast as the lead in a new sitcom called These Friends of Mine. Audiences loved her character so much that the show was renamed to Ellen after one season. It quickly became one of the highest-rated television comedies in America.
But like most celebrities, as their success heightens, so does the scrutiny. Rumors about DeGeneres’ personal life and sexuality started to surface. Timid at first to share her private life with fans, Ellen decided to face her fears. In 1997, after announcing her sexuality on the Oprah Winfrey show, DeGeneres had her Ellen character also come out as lesbian. 44 million viewers sat down for what can easily be considered one of the most iconic television episodes of all time. Unfortunately, the response was not very positive and within the next year Ellen was cancelled.
It was at this point that Ellen hit her rock bottom and went back to stand-up comedy. Thinking her career in entertainment was over, you can imagine her surprise when she was introduced to a little blue and yellow fish. Finding Nemo scriptwriter Andrew Stanton was ecstatic when Ellen brought Dory to life, and the movie became a box office hit. Following Dory’s mantra, Ellen just kept swimming and began to revive her career. She went on to create The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The show became a huge success, and she was soon on everyone’s TV in the late afternoon. Since its launch in 2003, the show has won 38 Emmys.
On top of all her professional accomplishments, DeGeneres’ personal life has also been full of love and laughter. She married Portia De Rossi in 2008, and the two have actively worked to help people and animals all around the world. After everything she has been through, Ellen DeGeneres’ career is stronger than ever. If you recognize Ellen DeGeneres for anything, recognize her for being a trailblazer. Without her, many would still be hiding their true selves from the world.
