Ellen DeGeneres Bio

ELLEN DEGENERES
Host and Executive Producer

Beloved television icon and entertainment pioneer, Ellen DeGeneres' distinctive comic voice has resonated with audiences from her first stand-up comedy appearances through her work today on television, in film and in the literary world.

DeGeneres has made a home for herself in the daytime arena with her hit syndicated talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." The show now in its fifth season has recently won six Daytime Emmys, including Outstanding Talk Show for the fourth year in a row and Outstanding Talk Show Host for the third year in a row. The show has now earned a total of 21 Daytime Emmy Awards during its first four seasons. Additionally, DeGeneres won two People's Choice Awards for Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host and Favorite Funny Female Star for the third year in a row. She also won the Johnny Carson Producers of the Year Award in Variety Television from the Producers Guild in 2005 and 2006.

DeGeneres was most recently tapped to host Ellen's Really Big Show for TBS. The one-hour variety special will feature performances by top talents from the worlds of comedy and music. It will be shot at HBO and AEG Live's The Comedy Festival (TCF) at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. This special will air on TBS on Sunday, November 18th. DeGeneres also had the honor of hosting the 79th Annual Academy Awards for the first time this past February and was recently nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety or Music Program. Under her stewardship, the 2007 telecast enjoyed the highest ratings in the Adult 18-34 demographic in five years. This follows her 2005 stint hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards which marked her third time hosting the show. Her performance hosting the 2001 award show garnered her rave reviews for providing a perfect balance of wit with heartfelt emotion to the post-September 11th telecast audience. DeGeneres' won an American Comedy Award for her inaugural effort hosting the show in 1994.

DeGeneres was most recently voted number one in Oxygen's "50 Funniest Woman Alive" special in the company of such comedic legends as Carol Burnett and Lily Tomlin. Ellen has also been included in Time Magazine's 100 most influential people and was also voted "Favorite TV Host" in a Time Magazine poll, up against such competition as Oprah Winfrey, Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa and Meredith Vieira.

"The Ellen DeGeneres Show" was launched in September 2003 to great success and critical acclaim. In its freshman year, the show won four Daytime Emmys, including Outstanding Talk Show, after garnering a record twelve nominations.

DeGeneres partnered up with American Express in 2005 where she appeared in their ad campaign "My Life, My Card," including a national commercial and a print campaign.

DeGeneres currently appears new campaign entitled "The Members Project" which brings together tennis great Andre Agassi, singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow, singer Alicia Keys, andprofessional snowboarder andskateboarder Shaun White asthey share their ideas onhow tomake apositive impact inthe world. The commercial is directed by Academy Award winnerMartin Scorsese who also comes from behind thecamera for acameo appearance.

DeGeneres also appears in the national commercial which was perfectly suited for the animal loving DeGeneres, who got a chance to work with co-workers including a tortoise, a giraffe and penguins as part of their campaign "My Life Goal: to work with animals" which recently won a Primetime Emmy Award.

DeGeneres most recently partnered with American Greetings to launch her own line of 32 greeting cards entitled, "the ellen collection" that are sold at major super centers, drug stores and grocery stores carrying American Greetings products.

Prior to the launch of her talk show, DeGeneres scored a rare coup in 2004 with simultaneous achievements on stage, film and in the literary world. She enjoyed unprecedented popular and critical response to her character, 'Dory,' the fish with an extremely short term memory, in the blockbuster Disney/Pixar animated feature film, "Finding Nemo." The Academy Award winner for Best Animated Film made over $850 million dollars worldwide, making it one of the highest grossing computer-animated films in history, as well as one of the highest domestic grossing films of 2003.

DeGeneres crossed the country on a 35-city stand-up comedy tour in Spring 2003, entitled the "Here and Now" tour. The series of shows included a performance at the famed Beacon Theater in New York, which was taped for HBO. The resulting special aired on June 28th, 2003 and scored higher ratings than any HBO comedy special had in years. It was subsequently nominated for two Emmys including Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program and Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special. HBO followed by releasing the special on DVD.

In October 2003, Simon & Schuster published DeGeneres' second book, "The Funny Thing Is....", comprised of the author's comedic short stories and essays. The book hit the New York Times' Bestseller list upon its release. In 2005, DeGeneres was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the audio version of the book.

DeGeneres' career began as an emcee at a local comedy club in her hometown of New Orleans, which led to national recognition in 1982 when her videotaped club performances won Showtime's "Funniest Person In America" honor. When DeGeneres moved to Los Angeles she filmed her first HBO Special, "Young Comedians Reunion," then in 1986 "Women of the Night." That same year, DeGeneres scored a first by becoming the first female comedian to be summoned by Johnny Carson to sit down with him after her performance. In 1989, DeGeneres received a Cable Ace nomination for her "Command Performance: One Night Stand" special. She was also named "Best Female Stand-Up" at the 1991 American Comedy Awards.

DeGeneres began her acting career in television on Fox's sitcom, "Open House." She moved on to ABC's "Laurie Hill," prior to being offered a part on "These Friends of Mine" by ABC. After the first season, the show was renamed "Ellen." Running from 1994 to 1998, the show garnered record ratings, with DeGeneres receiving Emmy nominations each season in the Best Actress category. In 1997 DeGeneres was the recipient of the coveted Peabody Award as well as earning an Emmy for writing the critically acclaimed "Puppy Episode" when her character came out as a gay woman to a record 46 million viewers. DeGeneres followed with the CBS sitcom, "The Ellen Show," which ran from 2001 to 2002.

In the course of producing and starring in "Ellen," DeGeneres received numerous accolades including The People's Choice Award in 1995, two Golden Globe nominations and two Screen Actors Guild nominations. Other television credits include Executive Producing and starring with Sharon Stone in the Emmy nominated "If These Walls Could Talk II" for HBO as well as a guest appearance on the "Larry Sanders Show," for which she received another Emmy nomination.

In addition to her stints hosting the Oscars and the Primetime Emmy Awards, DeGeneres served as host for an array of industry events including the 38th and 39th Annual Grammy Awards, for which she earned an Emmy nomination; the American Idol charity special, "Idol Gives Back;" the VH1 Honors; VH-1 Diva's Las Vegas; and The Saturday Night Live Christmas Special.

DeGeneres' feature film credits includes "EDTV" for director Ron Howard, "Mr. Wrong," "The Love Letter" for Dreamworks, New Regency's "Goodbye Lover," and "Coneheads."

In 1995, her first book "My Point...And I Do Have One" debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and in 1997 she released her comedy CD, "Taste This." In July 2000, DeGeneres returned to stand-up embarking on a three-month tour of major theatres across the country, culminating in her critically acclaimed and Emmy nominated special for HBO, "The Beginning."

Since she was first nationally recognized in 1982 as a comedian in New Orleans, Ellen's many contributions to the entertainment industry have earned her numerous accolades including a Golden Apple Award as Female Discovery of the Year from the Hollywood Women's Press Club; a Lucy Award honoring women in Television and Film, as well as an Amnesty International Award.