Ellen DeGeneres Net Worth, Background, Television Shows, Movies, Award Shows, Relationship and Philanthropy

American comedian, actress, television host, writer and producer, Ellen DeGeneres net worth and fame accelerated as she hosted her TV talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Synopsis

Ellen DeGeneres first appeared in popular sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998. Later, she started hosting her own show The Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003. Before all, she started her career in the early 1980s. She has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Mr. Wrong, EDtv and The Love Letter. Similarly, she has provided voice of Dory in the movie Finding Nemo and in Finding Dory, for which she received Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. Additionally, Ellen DeGeneres net worth rose for being a judge on American Idol ninth season, hosting the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards and the Primetime Emmys.

Birth and Background

Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born on January 26 1958 in Metairie, Louisiana in the United States of America. Ellen DeGeneres Betty DeGeneres is a speech therapist and her father Elliott Everett DeGeneres is an insurance agent. She grew up in Metairie along with her brother Vance, who is a musician and producer. DeGeneres is an American with French, English, German and Irish descent.

Ellen’s mother married Roy Gruessesndorf shortly after her parents divorced in 1974. Therefore, Ellen moved with Betty and Roy to Atlanta, Texas while Vance stayed with Elliott. While in Texas, Ellen DeGeneres graduated from Atlanta High School in 1976. Later, she moved to Orleans for further study. She majored in communication studies from the University of New Orleans; however, she left school after one semester to work in a law firm. DeGeneres worked at J.C. Penny and then worked as a waitress at T.G.I. Friday’s and other restaurant. Moreover, DeGeneres had a variety of works before she became a standup comedian. She worked as a bartender, a house painter and a hostess.

Stand-up Comedy

After doing clerical jobs, DeGeneres started performing stand-up comedy starting from small clubs and coffee houses. Towards the early 1980s, DeGeneres became the Master of Ceremony at Clyde’s Comedy Club, New Orleans. Also, she started to tour nationally. In 1982 Ellen DeGeneres net worth raised higher as she was named Showtime’s funniest person in America.

Acting and Television Appearances

During late-1980s and early-1990s, Ellen DeGeneres started her career in films and television series. She starred in a show named Ellen’s Energy Adventure and appeared in Fox sitcom Open House that co-starred Alison LaPlaca and Mary Page Keller. She was the cast of Laurie Hill in 1992 as Nurse Nancy Maclntyre. Later, her performance impressed the producers of Laurie Hill so much that they cast her in popular show These Friends of Mine. Soon, Ellen DeGeneres net worth rose as her sitcom Ellen turned into a success.  It was in the year 1997, DeGeneres reached to the height of popularity openly confessing that she is a lesbian in The Oprah Winfrey Show.

In 2001, DeGeneres appeared in a CBS sitcom The Ellen Show. A couple of years later, she launched another daytime talk show The Elle DeGeneres Show which hosted celebrities like Sharon Osbourne and Rita Rudner in the beginning season. The show constantly attracted viewers and received nominations for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards only in its first season. Among them, the show won 4 Daytime Emmy Awards and 25 Emmy Awards in its first three seasons.

Ellen DeGeneres net worth rose higher as she replaced Paula Abdul as a judge in the ninth season of American Idol in 2010. However, she left the show citing that the position was not the right fit for her.

Award Shows Host

DeGeneres gained more recognition as she hosted Emmy Awards in 2001. The Award function required somber tone to host the show after it cancellation due to September 11 attacks so that people would forget the tragic event for a while. Undoubtedly, DeGeneres did a great work for the show and received standing ovations for her performance.  Similarly, DeGeneres hosted 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards in 1996 and 1997.

Furthermore, Ellen DeGeneres net worth hiked as she was the host of the 79^th Academy Award in 2007. For her outstanding performance as host, she received a nomination for an Emmy Award as host of the Academy Awards broadcast. She also hosted the 86^th Academy Awards for the second time in 2014.

Voice Acting and Awards

The versatile personality Ellen DeGeneres has voiced or Dory in animated film Finding Nemo in 2003. For this, she won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favorite Voice and the Annie Award for Outstanding Voice Acting. Additionally, she has also provided voice of the dog in Dr. Dolittle and Dory in Finding Dory.

As per her accomplishments, Ellen DeGeneres net worth reached great height as Forbes named her the 50^th Most Powerful Woman in the World. Likewise, DeGeneres became the second one to win the World Pride Power List.

Personal Life and Relationship

The fan of the National Football League, Ellen DeGeneres particularly supports New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. She came out as gay on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1997, which made sensational news for media. The outrageously high media coverage regarding her being a gay diminished her career, took her in depression and stunted Ellen DeGeneres net worth. However, her mother Betty supported her strongly even though the news came as shock for her at first. Betty is an active member of Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). The strong supporter of gay rights is also the spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign’s Coming Out project.

DeGeneres was in romantic relationship with actress Anne Heche from 1997 to 2000. Later, she carried on affair with actress/director/photographer Alexandra Hedison starting from 2000 which eventually ended in 2004.

Since 2004, Ellen DeGeneres is in relationship with Portia de Rossi—actress, model and philanthropist. They married in August 2008 right after California legalized same sex marriage. They own a home in Beverly Hills, California where they live happily with their four dogs and three cats.

Philanthropy and Net Worth

DeGeneres was a vegan who planned on opening a vegan bar in Los Angeles; however, it fell apart. She even promoted veganism through her show in a section “Going Vegan with Ellen”, where she encourages “Meatless Mondays”. In addition, she has invited Humane Society of the Unites States CEO Wayne Pacelle with an effort to legalize animal protection. Ellen DeGeneres net worth rose as PETA named her “Woman of the Year” in 2009 for her efforts. The following year, she served as ambassador to Farm Sanctuary’s project asking people to adopt a turkey in thanksgiving instead of eating one.

Hillary Clinton named DeGeneres a special envoy for Global AIDS Awareness in 2011. In December of 2011, Ellen DeGeneres net worth and fame rose for opening show at the David Lynch Foundation’s “Change Begins Within”. It was launched at the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts with an aim to raise funds to bring Transcendental Meditation for people suffering from chronic stress.

For all the hard work and dedication, Ellen DeGeneres has been through; she has accumulated the deserving net worth. The phenomenal actress, producer and stand-up comedian earns $75 million as her annual salary while Ellen DeGeneres net worth has reached $400 million according to the recent calculations.