Ellen DeGeneres is an American comedian, TV show host, actress, writer and producer. Ellen has stolen the hearts of millions with her generosity, humour and determination, and many of us know her as the host of the popular THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW which never fails to entertain us with the star-studded interviews, games and competitions. Michele Obama, Bill Gates, Zac Efron, Adele and Jennifer Lawrence are just some of the many celebrities that have appeared frequently on the 16-year-old show.
When we think of Ellen, the words that come to our minds are courage, acceptance, kindness and fun. These are just a few of the many qualities of our favourite show host. She also provided the voice of Dory in the Pixar animated films Finding Nemo (2003), for which she was awarded the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Finding Dory (2016). Her immense success can be put down to her charming, eccentric personality and her reputation as a philanthropist and activist.
Before The Ellen Show
In the early 1980s, way before her talk show started, Ellen was making a name for herself as a comedian and an actress. She appeared on The Tonight Show, Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning, America! And Larry King Live, which were the most popular shows at the time. Back then, Ellen became a big hit and people came to know her for her individual style and an amazing sense of humour. However, things became difficult for her in the beginning of her career. Her sitcom Ellen was cancelled when she announced that she was gay on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She constantly received hate mails and death threats in the months following her announcement.
Comeback in 2003
Ellen made a comeback in 2003 with her own talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which has won 59 Daytime Emmy Awards as of 2017, including four for Outstanding Talk Show and six for Outstanding Talk Show Entertainment. The show has also won People’s Choice Awards 17 times. The show combines comedy, celebrity interviews, musical guests as well as real-life human-interest stories. Even the audience gets to participate in different games where they are awarded prizes. Ellen is often seen giving out cash prizes and trips to famous destinations.
Outside of the Ellen Show
Ellen uses her fame as a platform to encourage human compassion and supports causes of many charities, organizations and individuals. Even in her private life, she continues her humanitarian missions. She teamed up with Ben Affleck, a movie star, in a bid to end world hunger in America. Ellen is a strong supporter of many LGBT movements, charities concerned with disadvantaged youth, depression, animal protection, cancer and many other causes. She has won many humanitarian awards over the years for her continuing efforts.
Ellen views helping others as the most natural thing in life and is constantly encouraging her audience and other people to do so. She inspires people to contribute as much as possible to make the world a better place. And we quite agree with her as an act of kindness does not necessarily have to be done by money but with courage and kindness!