Ellen Lee DeGeneres (born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. Degeneres starred in the popular sitcom Ellen from 1994 to 1998, and has hosted her syndicated TV talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003.
Her stand-up career started in the early 1980s, culminating in a 1986 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Carson likened her to Bob Newhart, and invited her for an onscreen chat after her set; DeGeneres was the first female comedian invited by the iconic host to join him for such a discussion, at a time when such an invitation was widely regarded as one of the most influential endorsements available for a comic. As a film actress, DeGeneres starred in Mr. Wrong (1996), appeared in EDtv (1999), and The Love Letter (1999), and provided the voice of Dory in the Pixar animated films Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016); for Nemo, she was awarded the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, the first time an actress won a Saturn Award for a voice performance. In 2010 she was a judge on American Idol for its ninth season.
Ellen DeGeneres belong to the qualified 21 recipients of Presidential Medal Freedom last Tuesday. The White House based the Presidential Medal of Freedom of Ellen DeGeneres though the bravery of coming out on the era in the US where marriage equality is not yet prevailing. Ellen becomes one of the activists that help widespread the equality of LGBT.
Ellen had tears of joy when President Obama gave the prestigious award just after stating that, “In a career spanning three decades, Ellen DeGeneres has lifted our spirits and brought joy to our lives as a stand-up comic, actor and television star,” he said. He continued, “At a pivotal moment, her courage and candor helped change the hearts and minds of million of Americans, accelerating our nation’s constant drive towards equality and acceptance for all.” President Obama states the appreciation to Ellen DeGeneres’ effort on striving hard to establish fair rights for the LGBT Community as well as the whole people of the United States.
The funny part about Ellen’s receiving the award is that she almost didn’t get it because she forgot her I.D. One of the recipients are Tom Hanks, Michael Jordan, Robert De Niro and other people who gave a big contribution to the United States.
