I am very partial to Ellen! I must confess that. I have been a faithful follower since she started her stand up comedy, her own sitcom, her “coming out” episode and her current TV show.
At the risk of making a grand proclamation, there are very few people who are generally agreed upon as being universally beloved.
Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that Ellen DeGeneres is one of them. We won’t venture a guess as to any of the others, because that would mean stepping into far murkier and controversial territory. Ellen, however, is a sure bet.
It’s not just the delightful dancing or viral Oscar selfies, nor is it the pranks that she pulls both with and on celebrities like Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez.
DeGeneres was making history even before most of America knew her as an extremely successful syndicated talk-show host. She was the first woman ever called to the couch to sit down on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson when she appeared to do stand-up in November 1986. She came out publicly on her eponymous sitcom in 1997.
She’s hosted the Emmys and the Oscars and is a spokesperson for CoverGirl.
Oh, and did you know that Ellen even has one of those National Days, like National Pecan Pie Day or National Hug Day?
That’s right; January 26 — which is also DeGeneres’ birthday — has been declared National Ellen DeGeneres Day.
If that’s not a sign of universal belovedness, we’re not quite sure what is. They don’t just hand out those days to anyone or anything. You have to be a type of baked good, an adorable furry creature, or an intimate action.
Ellen Lee DeGeneres (born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She 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 1980’s, 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 film Finding Nemo (2003), for which she was awarded the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, the first time an actress won a Saturn Award for a voice performance.
There were some very exciting messages for Ellen’s birthday from friends like Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Hart, Drew Barrymore, Reese Witherspoon, Olivia Munn and more!
I haven’t seen today’s show yet. I have it recorded. I haven’t found a YouTube video related to today’s show but I will continue looking.
For now, I will share the messages her friends sent her for 2015.
