Ellen was born on January 26 in the year 1958, in a place in Jefferson, Louisana. Ellen is the younger of two siblings born to Elliot and Betty DeGeneres. Her brother, Vance, is a comedy writer and was a correspondent on The Daily Show from 1999 to 2001.
Ellen growing up:
Ellen had a fairly typical childhood, raised in New Orleans and Atlanta, Texas. Her parents divorced while she was in her teens. She graduated from Atlanta High School and moved back to Louisiana, where she attended the University of New Orleans.
Her first career:
Ellen did clerical work for a law firm, which was a followed by a string of jobs: working retail, waiting tables, house painting, bartending and shucking oysters. She even sold vacuum cleaners door-to-door, a job she joked about with Willie Nelson, also a former door-to-door vacuum salesman, on her show. Ellen sold Hoovers.
She got her start in comedy at Clyde's Comedy Club, then the only comedy club in New Orleans, and graduated from comic to emcee. This led to more shows throughout the South and soon the country.
The Early Years:
Ellen toured the states, honing her comedic timing and craft. In 1982, she was selected by pay-cable station Showtime as "America's Funniest Person." This led to a series of cable and late-night television appearances, including a shot on The Tonight Show in 1986.
She transitioned from comedian to sit-com star with the success of Ellen. The quirky show, based on her stand-up comedy, was likened to Seinfeld in its first few seasons.
In 2003, Ellen launched her daytime talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show. The new talk show crop was thick that year, but Ellen rose to the top and has been a show-stopper every since.
Ellen has given the daytime show her signature touch – a lighthearted, carry free romp that begs its audience to forget their troubles and enjoy the conversation. She marks each show with a dance up front and many thanks at the end, often getting her audience involved in the action.
