Misplaced Pages

#58941

98-878: Tarcher began his career in publishing in the early 1960s, putting together packaged book deals for celebrities such as Phyllis Diller , Johnny Carson , Zsa Zsa Gabor , Buddy Hackett , and Joan Rivers , but changed direction after a retreat at the Esalen Institute , an early center of the human potential movement located in Big Sur, California . Receiving no interest from the New York publishing establishment in publishing books on these subjects he began his own publishing venture, and went on to publish bestselling books from many previously-unknown authors working on health, psychology, philosophy, and New Age spiritutality. They include Joy's Way by W. Brugh Joy; " Drawing on

196-513: A home shopping network. Her line of home products, initialized as E.D., for Ellen DeGeneres, began being offered on QVC on October 24, 2014, under the name E.D. on Air. DeGeneres launched her lifestyle brand under the name ED by Ellen in the summer of 2015. After her initial collections, the brand name then changed to ED Ellen DeGeneres to incorporate the licensed arm of her brand. The collection includes apparel, shoes, accessories, pet, baby and home items. DeGeneres's dog collection at PetSmart

294-961: A 2018 Netflix stand-up special, Relatable . She released another special, For Your Approval , through Netflix in September 2024. Ellen's work in the late 1980s and early 1990s included the film Coneheads . DeGeneres starred in a series of films for a show named Ellen's Energy Adventure , which was part of the Universe of Energy attraction and pavilion at Walt Disney World 's Epcot . The film also featured Bill Nye , Alex Trebek , Michael Richards , and Jamie Lee Curtis . The show revolved around DeGeneres's falling asleep and finding herself in an energy-themed version of Jeopardy! , playing against an old rival, portrayed by Curtis, and Albert Einstein . The next film had DeGeneres co-hosting an educational look at energy with Nye. The ride first opened on September 15, 1996, as Ellen's Energy Crisis , but

392-628: A Lampshade in a Whorehouse: My Life in Comedy : "Gay men have the most wonderful sense of humor. And they are willing to laugh. They appeal to me and I appeal to them." In 2021, Ginger Minj portrayed Diller in the Snatch Game of Love on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars . A New York Times remembrance noted that Diller's flamboyant look is echoed in Lady Gaga 's concert attire and that Eddie Murphy also punctuated jokes with

490-413: A United States publishing company is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver ; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian , actress , author , musician , and visual artist, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor , wild hair and clothes, and exaggerated, cackling laugh. Diller

588-523: A Wrong Number! , Eight on the Lam , and The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell , all critically panned, but Boy... did well at the box office. Diller accompanied Hope to Vietnam in 1966 with his USO troupe near the height of the Vietnam War . She appeared regularly as a special guest on many television programs including The Andy Williams Show . She was a Mystery Guest on What's My Line? but

686-487: A collection of apparel, accessories, home, baby, and pet items. Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born and raised in Metairie, Louisiana , to Elizabeth Jane "Betty" (née Pfeffer) (born 1930), a speech therapist , and Elliott Everett DeGeneres (1925–2018), an insurance agent . She has one brother, Vance , a musician and producer. She was raised a Christian Scientist . Her parents filed for separation in 1973 and were divorced

784-561: A custom-made harpsichord . Between 1971 and 1981, Diller appeared as a piano soloist with symphony orchestras across the country under the stage name Dame Illya Dillya. Her performances were spiced with humor, but she took the music seriously. A review of one of her concerts in The San Francisco Examiner called her "a fine concert pianist with a firm touch." Diller, a self-taught artist, began painting in 1963. She worked in acrylics, watercolors, and oils throughout

882-547: A daytime television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show , in September 2003. One of several celebrity-hosted talk shows surfacing at the beginning of that season, including those of Sharon Osbourne and Rita Rudner , her show has consistently risen in the Nielsen ratings and received widespread critical praise. It was nominated for 12 Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season, winning four, including Best Talk Show. The show won 25 Emmy Awards for its first three seasons on

980-433: A fifth season but experienced falling ratings and was cancelled. DeGeneres returned to television in 2001 with a new CBS sitcom, The Ellen Show , which was cancelled after 13 episodes. In 2007, a former writer said she treated the writers "like shit" saying "Why do you keep writing these unfunny jokes?" After her sitcoms, DeGeneres would later re-establish herself as a successful talk show host. DeGeneres launched

1078-432: A file cabinet full of her gags, honing her nightclub act. Sid Caesar , Milton Berle , and Jonathan Winters were early influences, but Diller developed a singular comedic persona — a surreal version of femininity. This absurd caricature with garish baggy dresses and gigantic, clownish hair made fun of her lack of sex appeal while brandishing a cigarette holder (with a wooden cigarette because she didn't smoke), punctuating

SECTION 10

#1732793281059

1176-732: A film actress, she starred in Mr. Wrong (1996), EDtv (1999), and The Love Letter (1999), and voiced Dory in the Disney / Pixar animated films Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016). In 2010, she served as a judge on the ninth season of the Fox competition show American Idol . DeGeneres has won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor , 20 People's Choice Awards (more than any other person), and numerous other awards for her work and charitable efforts. In 2016, she received

1274-541: A horrible cook in her stand-up routines, but she was reputed to be an excellent cook. She licensed her recipe for chili and sold it nationally as "Phyllis Diller Chili". Diller candidly discussed her plastic surgery , a series of procedures first undertaken when she was 55, and she wrote that she had undergone 15 procedures. Her numerous surgeries were the subject of a 20/20 segment on February 12, 1993. By 1997, as she passed her 80th birthday, Diller began to suffer from various ailments. In 1999, her heart stopped during

1372-481: A hospital stay. She was fitted with a pacemaker but had a bad drug reaction and became paralyzed. Through physical therapy, she was able to walk again. Approaching age 90, Diller retired from stand-up comedy appearances. On July 11, 2007, USA Today reported that she had fractured her back and had to cancel an appearance on The Tonight Show , during which she had planned to celebrate her 90th birthday. On May 15, 2012, Diller conducted her final interview accepting

1470-478: A husband that didn't work." Diller had a large gay following from the beginning of her career, once saying, "My first audience were gay people because they have a great sense of humor." An obituary in Queerty noted her popularity with gay audiences calling her a "strong-willed entertainer who challenged the status quo regarding gender and sexuality." She enjoyed the company of gay men, writing in her memoir, Like

1568-441: A judge on the ninth season of American Idol . Her role started after the contestant auditions, at the beginning of "Hollywood Week". It is reported that DeGeneres also signed a contract to be a judge on the show for at least five seasons. She made her American Idol debut on February 9, 2010. However, on July 29, 2010, DeGeneres and Fox executives announced that the comedian would be leaving American Idol after one season. In

1666-413: A loud laugh, in a style reminiscent of Diller's persona. Diller was an outspoken proponent of plastic surgery at a time when cosmetic procedures were secretive. Her public admission to having several facelifts, nose jobs and other procedures added promotional and comedic value to her act. She told Bob Hope in 1971 that she had had a facelift because "I got sick and tired of having the dog drag me out to

1764-622: A panelist on the Match Game PM show. She also guest-starred in The Mouse Factory , Night Gallery , Love American Style , The Muppet Show , CHiPs and The Love Boat . In 1978, she hosted a Showtime comedy special which featured Robin Tyler , who became the first out lesbian on U.S. national television. Between 1999 and 2003 she played roles in 7th Heaven and The Drew Carey Show . Her successful career as

1862-516: A petition to legally change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres. The petition was granted on September 23, 2010. DeGeneres previously described herself as a vegan and "big animal lover". De Rossi is also a vegan. DeGeneres co-ordinated a vegan outreach website titled "Going Vegan with Ellen". She intended to open a vegan tapas bar, Bokado, in Los Angeles, but plans fell through. The website for The Ellen DeGeneres Show formerly contained

1960-404: A romantic relationship with actress Anne Heche that lasted until August 2000. From 2000 to 2004, DeGeneres maintained a close relationship with photographer Alexandra Hedison . The couple appeared on the cover of The Advocate after their separation had already been announced to the media. Since 2004, DeGeneres has had a relationship with actress Portia de Rossi . After the overturn of

2058-562: A section called "Going Vegan with Ellen", in which she promoted " Meatless Mondays " and featured vegan recipes. In 2016, DeGeneres stated that she had re-introduced fish into her diet , and confirmed that she had stopped following a vegan lifestyle "in the last year or two for no reason really" in her 2018 stand-up comedy special Relatable . DeGeneres has invited Humane Society of the United States CEO Wayne Pacelle to speak on her show several times about

SECTION 20

#1732793281059

2156-691: A semi-regular on The Hollywood Squares , starting in 1967, appearing in 28 episodes until 1980. Diller continued to work in film, making an appearance as Texas Guinan , the wisecracking nightclub hostess in Splendor in the Grass . Throughout the 1960s, she appeared in more than a dozen, usually low-budget, films. She also began a career in voice work, providing the voice of the Monster's Mate in Mad Monster Party (1967). Diller also starred in

2254-479: A stand-up comedian because I had a sit-down husband." In a 1986 NPR interview, Diller said she had no idea what she was doing when she started playing clubs and in the beginning, she never saw another woman on the comedy circuit. With no female role models in a male-dominated industry, she initially used props and drew from her educational and work background as a basis for satire, spoofing classical music concerts and advice columns. She wrote her own material and kept

2352-600: A statement, DeGeneres said that the series "didn't feel like the right fit for me". DeGeneres began hosting the NBC game show Ellen's Game of Games during the 2017–2018 television season . Based on games played on her talk show, the series previewed on December 18, 2017, with regular episodes starting the following January. It would run for four total seasons until May 2021, with its cancellation announced in January 2022. On September 4, 2018, TCL , announced its extension as

2450-470: A surprise gift of a new electronic LED marquee sign. DeGeneres made a surprise appearance at Tulane University 's May 2006 commencement in New Orleans. Following George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton to the podium, she appeared in a bathrobe and furry slippers. "They told me everyone would be wearing robes," she said. Ellen made another commencement speech at Tulane in 2009. The show broadcast for

2548-493: A thread on Twitter in which he called DeGeneres "notoriously one of the meanest people alive", and asked other Twitter users to post "stories you've heard about Ellen being mean", pledging to donate two dollars to the Los Angeles Food Bank for each post. The thread quickly went viral , with several posts alleging situations where DeGeneres had been unkind (such as for firing people who greeted her or looked her in

2646-656: A turkey instead of eating one" at Thanksgiving. In November 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton named DeGeneres a special envoy for Global AIDS Awareness. On December 3, 2011, DeGeneres opened the show at the David Lynch Foundation 's 3rd annual "Change Begins Within" gala at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to raise funds to bring Transcendental Meditation to at-risk populations suffering from epidemic levels of chronic stress and stress-related disorders . She says: "TM

2744-556: A two-minute black-and-white spot in which she works with animals, debuted in November 2006 and was created by Ogilvy & Mather . In 2007, the commercial won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial. DeGeneres began working with CoverGirl Cosmetics in September 2008, for which she has been criticized, as her animal-friendly values clash with Procter and Gamble's (the maker of CoverGirl Cosmetics) animal testing. Her face became

2842-845: A voice actor continued when Diller guested as herself in "A Good Medium is Rare," a 1972 episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies . In 1998, Diller provided the voice of the Queen in A Bug's Life . Among her other animated films are The Nutcracker Prince (1990, as Mousequeen), Happily Ever After (1990, as Mother Nature), and Casper's Scare School (2006, as Aunt Spitzy). She voiced characters in several television series, including Robot Chicken , Family Guy , Wait Till Your Father Gets Home , Captain Planet , Cow and Chicken , Hey Arnold! as Arnold's grandpa's sister Mitzi, The Powerpuff Girls , Animaniacs , Jimmy Neutron as Jimmy's grandmother, The Wild Thornberrys , and King of

2940-1036: A week from Universal Studios Orlando in March 2007. Skits included DeGeneres going on the Hulk Roller Coaster Ride and the Jaws Boat Ride. DeGeneres was placed on bed rest in May 2007 due to a torn ligament in her back. She continued hosting her show from a hospital bed, tended to by a nurse, explaining "the show must go on, as they say." Guests sat in hospital beds as well. On May 1, 2009, DeGeneres celebrated her 1000th episode with celebrity guests such as Oprah Winfrey , Justin Timberlake and Paris Hilton , among others. Jennifer Aniston and Justin Timberlake surprised DeGeneres on her 2,000th show in December 2015. DeGeneres replaced Paula Abdul as

3038-414: Is a powerful art form. As a pioneering woman in the stand-up field, she inspired many female comedians including Joan Rivers , Lily Tomlin , Ellen DeGeneres , Margaret Cho and Roseanne Barr . Diller herself was influenced by comedy books and appropriated from sources like The Lockhorns . Barr, who listened to Diller's records as a child, called her a true artist and revolutionary, saying, "It

TarcherPerigee - Misplaced Pages Continue

3136-629: Is also known as an awards host having successfully hosted the Academy Awards twice in 2007 and 2014 , the Grammy Awards twice in 1996 and 1997 , and the Primetime Emmy Awards twice in 2001 and 2005 . She has authored four books and started her own record company, Eleveneleven , as well as a production company, A Very Good Production . She also launched a lifestyle brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, which comprises

3234-467: Is an American retired comedian, actress, television host, writer, and producer. She starred in the television sitcoms Ellen (1994–1998) and The Ellen Show (2001–2002). She also hosted the syndicated television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003–2022), for which she received 33 Daytime Emmy Awards . DeGeneres' stand-up comedy career started in the early 1980s and included a 1986 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . As

3332-421: Is the only time I have that stillness... it gives me this peaceful feeling, and I love it so much. I can't say enough good things about it. All the benefits that you can achieve from sitting still and going within—it really is a beautiful experience. David Lynch is such a wonderful man to start this foundation to help people." In November 2017, it was announced that President Donald Trump would begin allowing

3430-555: The Digit Fund , to launch a line of tees and footwear to help gorillas. On August 15, 2018, it was announced that DeGeneres would partner with Walmart to launch a fashion collection under the brand name EV1, a low-cost alternative to her ED Ellen DeGeneres product. The collection officially launched on September 10, 2018, with price points under $ 30. In November 2004, DeGeneres appeared, dancing, in an ad campaign for American Express . Her most recent American Express commercial,

3528-618: The Digit Fund . This gift was part of a new arm of the Digit Fund now called the "Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund". In July 2020, ten former employees of The Ellen DeGeneres Show accused DeGeneres of creating a "toxic" on-set atmosphere of "racism, fear, and intimidation", including failing to address executives sexually harassing female employees and making "racist micro-aggressions and abuse" to or about employees of color, firing employees for taking medical and bereavement leave, and replacing her own crew with non- union workers during

3626-715: The Presidential Medal of Freedom . In 2020 she received the Carol Burnett Award at the Golden Globes for her work on television, becoming the first recipient after its inaugural namesake Carol Burnett . As a standup, she has released the HBO specials The Beginning (2000) and Here and Now (2003) as well as the Netflix specials Relatable (2018) and For Your Approval (2024). DeGeneres

3724-717: The Red Cross and said, 'I have an act. Where do you want it?' They sent me to the veterans hospital at the Presidio , where I pushed a piano into a room that had four guys in it. I played, sang, told jokes while they yelled, 'Leave us alone; we're already in pain!' At age 37, on March 7, 1955, at the North Beach, San Francisco basement club, The Purple Onion , she made her professional stand-up debut. Up until then, she had only tried out her jokes for fellow PTA members at nearby Edison Elementary School. Maya Angelou , who

3822-633: The Sherwood Music Conservatory of Columbia College Chicago , but decided against a career in music after hearing her teachers and mentors play with much more skill than she thought that she would be able to achieve, and transferred to Bluffton College where she studied literature, history, psychology, and philosophy. In 1939, she met Sherwood Diller, the brother of a classmate at Bluffton, and they eloped , marrying in Bluffton on November 4, 1939. Diller did not finish school and

3920-585: The University of New Orleans , where she majored in communication studies . After one semester, she left school to do clerical work in a law firm with a cousin, Laura Gillen. Her early jobs included a stint at J. C. Penney and waitressing at TGI Fridays and another restaurant. She also worked as a house painter , a hostess and a bartender. She relates much of her childhood and career experiences in her comedic work. DeGeneres started performing stand-up comedy at small clubs and coffee houses. By 1981, she

4018-463: The "Lifetime Achievement" award from her hometown of Lima, Ohio, as part of a panel of comedians. Diller died at home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on August 20, 2012, at age 95, from heart failure . She was cremated, and her ashes were scattered at sea. Diller was one of the first solo female comedians in the U.S. to become a household name. She stated that making people laugh

TarcherPerigee - Misplaced Pages Continue

4116-403: The 11th, and that the singer's soccer jersey has the number 11. She mentioned that she had been looking for videos of performances on YouTube to start her label. The first act she signed to the label was Chance. Forbes estimated DeGeneres's 2020 earnings at US$ 84 million and her net worth at US$ 370 million, making her the 12th-highest-paid entertainer in the world. In 2015, she was named

4214-402: The 1970s and filled her Brentwood, California home with her portraits and still lifes. In 2003, at age 86, she held the first of several "art parties," selling her artwork along with her stage clothes and costume jewelry. Diller credited much of her success to a motivational book, The Magic of Believing (1948) by Claude M. Bristol, which gave her confidence at the start of her career. She

4312-495: The 2016 sequel to Finding Nemo . DeGeneres's first regular TV role was in a short-lived Fox sitcom called Open House , a spin-off of the show Duet . She played the role of Margo Van Meter, a receptionist at the Juan Verde Real Estate company. The show co-starred Alison LaPlaca and Mary Page Keller . In 1992, producers Neal Marlens and Carol Black cast DeGeneres in their sitcom Laurie Hill , in

4410-707: The 5 years since the August 2018 update, albeit dipping to 32nd place. DeGeneres is a fan of the NFL but does not follow one team; she has shown support for the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers , and she attended a 2011 Saints practice session dressed as Packers Hall of Famer Don Hutson . In 1997, DeGeneres came out as a lesbian. The disclosure of her sexual orientation sparked intense interest by American tabloids. The contentiousness of

4508-560: The 50th-most-powerful woman in the world by Forbes and came second on the World Pride Power list. As of August 2, 2018, she had more than 76 million followers on Twitter and 55.8 million followers on Instagram , making her the tenth-most-followed user on Twitter and the 29th- most-followed user on Instagram ; however, as of November 2023, she slipped down to 75 million Twitter followers (now known as X), placing her 14th, while her Instagram followers have grown to 139 million in

4606-574: The Albert H. Small Documents Gallery at the National Museum of American History displayed Diller's file and some of the objects that became synonymous with her comedic persona—an unkempt wig, wrist-length gloves, cloth-covered ankle boots, and a bejeweled cigarette holder. Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( / d ə ˈ dʒ ɛ n ər ə s / də- JEN -ər-əs ; born January 26, 1958), also known mononymously as just Ellen ,

4704-710: The Grass . She appeared in many television series, featuring in numerous cameos as well as her own short-lived sitcom and variety show. Some of her credits include Night Gallery , The Muppet Show , CHiPs , The Love Boat , Cybill , and Boston Legal , plus 11 seasons of The Bold and the Beautiful . Her voice-acting roles included the monster's wife in Mad Monster Party , the Queen in A Bug's Life , Granny Neutron in The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius , and Thelma Griffin in Family Guy . Diller

4802-609: The Hill . She also played Peter Griffin's mother, Thelma, on Family Guy in 2006. Citing advanced age and a lack of "lasting energy," Diller retired from stand-up in 2002. Her final performance was at the Suncoast that year in Las Vegas, Nevada. At the time she stated, "If you can't dance to comedy, forget it. It's music." The 2004 documentary Goodnight, We Love You: The Life and Legend of Phyllis Diller , directed by Gregg Barson,

4900-680: The Homely Friendmaker —dressed in a housecoat to offer absurd "advice" to homemakers. The 15-minute series was a Bay Area Radio-Television production, directed for television by ABC's Jim Baker. Diller also worked as a copywriter, later, director of promotion and marketing, at KSFO radio in San Francisco and a vocalist for a music-review TV show called Pop Club , hosted by Don Sherwood . "It took two years of nagging by my husband to get me onto that stage," she (Diller) told Nachman . Finally, she said, she "sat down, called

4998-480: The Official TV of The Ellen DeGeneres Show for a fifth consecutive season. The New York Times profiled DeGeneres in 2018 as she faced the decision of renewing her talk-show contract and was exploring other outlets for her creativity, including her Netflix comedy special Relatable , which spoofs her kind image. They noted she felt boxed in with a reputation of always being nice, and the host who danced all

SECTION 50

#1732793281059

5096-556: The Oscar nominees but also to tickle the audience at home." Regis Philbin said in an interview that "the only complaint was there's not enough Ellen." DeGeneres was nominated for an Emmy Award as host of the Academy Awards broadcast. On August 2, 2013, it was announced that DeGeneres would host the Academy Awards on March 2, 2014, for the second time. A selfie orchestrated by 86th Academy Awards host Ellen DeGeneres during

5194-701: The Right Side of the Brain " by Betty Edwards ; Bikram's Beginning Yoga Class by hot yoga guru Bikram Choudhury ; the English translation of Austrian mountaineer and Nazi SS sergeant Heinrich Harrer 's Seven Years in Tibet (originally published in German in the 1940s); and The Aquarian Conspiracy by Marilyn Ferguson . He "discovered" many of these authors through his ongoing relationship with Michael Murphy ,

5292-519: The U.S. Starting in 1959 and throughout the 1960s, she released multiple comedy albums, including the titles Wet Toe in a Hot Socket! , Laughs , Are You Ready for Phyllis Diller? , and The Beautiful Phyllis Diller . From 1961 to 1965, Phyllis Diller lived in Webster Groves, Missouri , a suburb of St. Louis . Several of her children had stayed with Sherwood's relatives in St. Louis, and

5390-604: The air. For much of the duration of the show, DeGeneres was known for dancing with the audience at the beginning of the show and during commercial breaks. She often gave away free prizes and trips to be in her show's studio audience with the help of her sponsors. DeGeneres later stated that she stopped dancing as it became an expectation and too much of a burden. DeGeneres celebrated her thirty-year class reunion by flying her graduating class to California to be guests on her show in February 2006. She presented Atlanta High School with

5488-590: The audience. DeGeneres received wider exposure on November 4, 2001, when she hosted the televised broadcast of the Emmy Awards . Presented after two cancellations due to network concerns that a lavish ceremony following the September 11 attacks would appear insensitive, the show required a more somber tone that would also allow viewers to temporarily forget the tragedy. DeGeneres received several standing ovations for her performance that evening, which included

5586-427: The blindfolded panel (including Sammy Davis Jr. ) were able to discern Diller's identity in three guesses. Diller made regular cameo appearances, making her trademark wisecracks on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In . Self-deprecating to a fault, a typical Diller joke had her running after a garbage truck pulling away from her curb. "Am I too late for the trash?" she'd yell. The driver's reply: "No, jump right in!" She became

5684-621: The broadcast is the fifth-most retweeted tweet ever. DeGeneres said she wanted to homage Meryl Streep 's record 17 Oscar nominations by setting a new record with her, and invited other Oscar celebrities to join them. The resulting photo of twelve celebrities broke the previous retweet record within forty minutes and was retweeted over 1.8 million times in the first hour. By the end of the ceremony it had been retweeted over 2 million times, less than 24 hours later, it had been retweeted over 2.8 million times. As of May 2017 , it has been retweeted over 3.4 million times. The group selfie effort

5782-545: The co-founder of Esalen Institute, who also published several books with Tarcher and served on the board of Esalen for years. Over the years the company expanded to include nonfiction books of all types. Putnam purchased the company in 1991, and the offices were moved to New York. Tarcher remained head of the company until early 1996, when Joel Fotinos was named publisher. The firm merged with sister imprint Perigee to form TarcherPerigee in 2015. Tarcher died in Los Angeles in 2015 from complications of Parkinson's disease . He

5880-665: The decade, Diller's books on domestic life featured her self-deprecating humor. The titles include Phyllis Diller's Housekeeping Hints , Phyllis Diller's Marriage Manual , and The Complete Mother . In 1981 she published The Joys of Aging & How to Avoid Them . Her autobiography, Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse – My Life in Comedy , co-written with Richard Buskin, was published in 2006. In it, Diller told of an unhappy childhood with undemonstrative, emotionally withholding parents, and an equally unhappy first marriage. From these beginnings, her performing style—telling rapid-fire jokes—emerged, which she compared to music: "One joke followed

5978-477: The early days of the COVID-19 pandemic . The allegations, which the employees made anonymously to Buzzfeed News , followed previous reports of hostile and bullying behavior, such as a former employee's allegation that DeGeneres fired him for setting up a GoFundMe page to cover medical costs not covered by their workplace health insurance. Months earlier, comedian and podcaster Kevin T. Porter published

SECTION 60

#1732793281059

6076-500: The field of 'success literature' TarcherPerigee publishes authors such as Napoleon Hill , Michael Muhammad Knight , Wallace D. Wattles , Dale Carnegie , and James Allen. Among the imprint's authors in the field of mind, body, and spiritualism are Robin Norwood , Stephen Mansfield , Betty Edwards , Heinrich Harrer , Marilyn Ferguson (author of The Aquarian Conspiracy ), Bikram Choudhury, and Jim Knipfel . This article about

6174-486: The focus of CoverGirl advertisements starting in January 2009. The beauty campaign was DeGeneres's first. In spring 2012, DeGeneres became the spokesperson for J. C. Penney in a tour and advertising campaign. On May 26, 2010, DeGeneres announced on her show that she was starting her own record label entitled "eleveneleven". She explained her choice of name, claiming that she often sees the number 11:11 when looking at her clocks, that she found singer Greyson Chance on

6272-623: The following year. Shortly after, her mother married Roy Gruessendorf, a salesman. Betty Jane and Ellen moved with Gruessendorf from the New Orleans area to Atlanta, Texas . Vance stayed with his father. When she was 15 or 16 years old, DeGeneres was molested by her stepfather. Gruessendorf used her mother's recent breast cancer diagnosis as an excuse to touch her inappropriately, saying he needed to examine her breasts for lumps. Eventually, he tried to break down her door and sexually assault her, prompting her to run away from home and spend

6370-454: The host of The Tonight Show . The same year she had a cameo appearance portraying herself in an episode of Boston Legal . In 2011, she appeared in an episode of her friend Roseanne Barr 's reality show Roseanne's Nuts . In January 2012, she recorded a version of Charlie Chaplin 's song " Smile " with Pink Martini 's Thomas Lauderdale for the album Get Happy . Publishing her first best seller in 1966 and releasing more throughout

6468-569: The humor with a hearty cackle to show she was in on the joke. At the time, Diller said, "They had no idea what I was. It was like—'Get a stick and kill it before it multiplies!'" Her first national television appearance was as a contestant on Groucho Marx 's quiz show You Bet Your Life in 1958. Multiple bookings on the Jack Paar Tonight Show led to an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show , which brought her national prominence as she continued to perform stand-up throughout

6566-553: The importation of elephant trophies from Africa. In response, DeGeneres created a hashtag campaign in partnership with her brand, ED Ellen DeGeneres, to donate to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust . She also created a T-shirt with her brand whose proceeds also go to the organization. In January 2018, for DeGeneres's 60th birthday, de Rossi gifted her a permanent gorilla home in Rwanda built in her name for

6664-527: The line: "What would bug the Taliban more than seeing a gay woman in a suit surrounded by Jews?" In August 2005, DeGeneres hosted the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony held on September 18, 2005. This was three weeks after Hurricane Katrina , making it the second time she hosted the Emmys following a national tragedy. She also hosted the Grammy Awards in 1996 and in 1997. On September 7, 2006, DeGeneres

6762-488: The media coverage stunted her professional career and left her "mired in depression". In her book Love, Ellen , DeGeneres's mother Betty describes being initially shocked when DeGeneres came out, but she has since become one of her strongest supporters; she is also an active member of PFLAG and spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign 's Coming Out Project. The same year she came out, DeGeneres started

6860-590: The night in a hospital. DeGeneres told her mother about the abuse a few years later, but Betty did not believe her, and remained married to Gruessendorf for 18 years afterward. She finally realized that DeGeneres had been telling the truth when his accounts of his behavior toward his stepdaughter kept changing. Gruessendorf died in 1997. DeGeneres graduated from Atlanta High School in May 1976, after completing her first years of high school at Grace King High School in Metairie. She moved back to New Orleans to attend

6958-546: The oldest, Peter, attended Washington University . In the early '60s, Diller performed at the Bon Soir in Greenwich Village, where an up-and-coming Barbra Streisand was her opening act. She was offered film work and became famous after co-starring with her mentor Bob Hope , who described her as "a Warhol mobile of spare parts picked up along a freeway." They worked together in films such as Boy, Did I Get

7056-562: The organization's efforts in animal protection legislation. In 2009, PETA named her their "Woman of the Year". In April 2013, she donated $ 25,000 to stop Ag-Gag anti-whistleblower legislation in Tennessee, which would prohibit undercover investigators from recording footage of animal abuse on farms. In 2010, DeGeneres served as campaign ambassador to Farm Sanctuary 's Adopt-A-Turkey Project, asking people to start "a new tradition by adopting

7154-542: The other with a flow and a rhythm. ... Everything had a natural feel to it." In the early 1990s, Diller had many short, humorous pieces published in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine . Diller had studied the piano for many years and was an accomplished player but decided against a career in music after hearing her teachers and mentors play with much more skill than she thought that she would be able to achieve. She still played in her private life, however, and owned

7252-440: The role of Nurse Nancy MacIntyre. The series was canceled after only four episodes, but Marlens and Black soon cast her in their next ABC pilot, These Friends of Mine , which they co-created with David S. Rosenthal . Inspired by her comedy career, These Friends of Mine was renamed Ellen after the first season. The ABC show was popular in its first few seasons due in part to DeGeneres's style of observational humor ; it

7350-556: The same-sex marriage ban in California, DeGeneres and de Rossi were engaged, and married in August 2008, at their home in Beverly Hills, California , where they live with their four dogs and three cats. The passage of Proposition 8 cast doubt on the legal status of their marriage, but a subsequent California Supreme Court judgment validated it because it occurred before November 4, 2008. On August 6, 2010, de Rossi filed

7448-439: The second to last in a succession of replacements for Carol Channing in the title role, which included Ginger Rogers , Martha Raye , Betty Grable , and Pearl Bailey . After Diller's stint, Ethel Merman took over the role until the end of the show's run in December 1970. Diller continued working in television throughout the 1970s and 80s, appearing as a judge on premiere and subsequent episodes of The Gong Show and as

7546-511: The short-lived TV series The Pruitts of Southampton (1966–1967); later retitled The Phyllis Diller Show , a half-hour sitcom on ABC . She received a Golden Globe nomination in 1967 for her role in Pruitts . Diller hosted a variety show in 1968 titled The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show . Beginning December 26, 1969, she had a three-month run in Hello, Dolly! (opposite Richard Deacon ), as

7644-639: The stand-up circuit, Diller never fully left the entertainment industry. In 2005, she was featured as one of many contemporary comics in The Aristocrats . Diller, who avoided blue comedy , did a version of an old, risqué vaudeville routine, in which she describes herself passing out when she first heard the joke, forgetting the actual content of the joke. On January 24, 2007, Diller appeared on The Tonight Show and performed stand-up before chatting with Jay Leno . Leno has stated that Diller would infrequently call him to contribute jokes during his time as

7742-670: The subject five times before one sentence had finished. For her performance as Dory, DeGeneres won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress , Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie from the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards , and the Annie Award from the International Animated Film Association, for Outstanding Voice Acting. She was also nominated for a Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress . She also provided

7840-630: The time. DeGeneres—who acknowledges that she has always been overly sensitive—fretted how her audience would react when she no longer wanted to dance. Her Christian Scientist upbringing included her father's psyche , "He was a very fearful man, he couldn't hear or engage with anything unpleasant." On May 12, 2021, DeGeneres announced that she would end her talk show following the conclusion of its nineteenth season in 2022. The show aired its final episode on May 26, 2022, with Jennifer Aniston , Pink and Billie Eilish appearing as guests, while Portia de Rossi and other members of DeGeneres' family sat in

7938-887: The voice of the dog in the prologue of the Eddie Murphy feature film Dr. Dolittle . Her win of the Saturn Award marked the second time the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films has given an acting award to a voice performance; Robin Williams had previously won the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the Genie in Aladdin . DeGeneres reprised her role in Finding Dory ,

8036-586: The yard and bury me." The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery gave her an award for bringing plastic surgery "out of the closet." In 2003, after hearing of the donation of Archie Bunker 's chair to the Smithsonian Institution , Diller opened her doors to the National Museum of American History . She offered them some of her most iconic costume pieces, as well as her gag file, a steel cabinet with 48 file drawers with more than 50,000 jokes she had written on index cards during her career. In 2011,

8134-422: Was 83. TarcherPerigee publications cover a broad spectrum of topics in the areas of wellness, self-improvement, spirituality, esoterica, occultism, creativity, social consciousness, prosperity, and more. Recent bestsellers include 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl , Ultramarathon Man , The Dumbest Generation , The Wonder of Boys , Energy Medicine , The Power of Kindness , and Think & Grow Rich. In

8232-420: Was already performing at the club, wrote that Diller "would not change her name because when she became successful she wanted everyone to know it was, indeed, her herself". Her first professional show was a success and the two-week booking stretched out to a record 89 consecutive weeks. Diller had found her calling and eventual financial success while her husband's business career failed. She explained, "I became

8330-537: Was born (55 and 36, respectively) and Diller attended several funerals while growing up. The exposure to death at a young age led her to an early appreciation for life and she later realized that her comedy was a form of therapy. Diller attended Lima's Central High School, discovering early on she had comic gifts. Later, Diller observed, "I was always a pro— even as a little tiny kid. I was an absolutely perfect, quiet, dedicated student in class. But outside of class, I got my laughs." Diller studied piano for three years at

8428-452: Was born Phyllis Ada Driver in Lima, Ohio on July 17, 1917, the only child of Perry Marcus Driver, an insurance agent, and Frances Ada (née Romshe). She had German and Irish ancestry (the surname "Driver" had been changed from "Treiber" several generations earlier). She was raised Methodist but was a lifelong atheist, even in childhood. Her father and mother were older than most when she

8526-408: Was launched in February 2017, and a cat line was introduced later that year. In November 2017, the brand launched a collection to benefit DeGeneres' #BeKindToElephants campaign featuring a tee and baby one piece, donating 100% of the proceeds to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust . Then, DeGeneres created a line with her brand to benefit the newly created Ellen DeGeneres Wildlife Fund, a member of

8624-401: Was married and divorced twice. She had six children from her marriage with her first husband Sherwood Anderson Diller, and she outlived two of her grown children. Diller's second husband was actor Warde Donovan, whom she married on October 7, 1965. She filed for divorce three months later, after discovering Donovan was bisexual and an alcoholic, but they reconciled on the day before the divorce

8722-465: Was often referred to as a "female Seinfeld ". Ellen reached its height of popularity in April 1997, when DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on The Oprah Winfrey Show . Her character on the sitcom also came out of the closet to her therapist , played by Oprah Winfrey . The coming-out episode, titled " The Puppy Episode ", was one of the highest-rated episodes of the show. The series returned for

8820-428: Was one of the first female comics to become a household name in the U.S., credited as an influence by Joan Rivers , Roseanne Barr , and Ellen DeGeneres , among others. She had a large gay following. She was also one of the first celebrities to openly champion plastic surgery , for which she was recognized by the cosmetic surgery industry. Diller contributed to more than 40 films, beginning with 1961's Splendor in

8918-492: Was parodied by Lego and Matt Groening with The Simpsons . It beat the previous record, which was held by Barack Obama , following his victory in the 2012 presidential election . On December 3, 2011, DeGeneres headlined the third annual "Change Begins Within" gala for the David Lynch Foundation held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. DeGeneres represents a line of products on QVC ,

9016-870: Was primarily a homemaker, taking care of their five children (a sixth child died in infancy). During World War II, Sherwood worked at the Willow Run B-24 Bomber Plant , in Ypsilanti Charter Township, Michigan . In 1945, Sherwood Diller was transferred to Naval Air Station Alameda Alameda, California , where he was an inspector. Diller began working as the women's editor at a small newspaper, and as an advertising copywriter for an Oakland department store. In 1952, Diller began working in broadcasting at KROW radio in Oakland, California . In November of that year, she filmed several 15-minute episodes of Phyllis Dillis,

9114-419: Was quickly given the more positive-sounding name Ellen's Energy Adventure . The ride closed permanently on August 13, 2017. DeGeneres provided the voice of Dory, a friendly fish with short-term memory loss , in the 2003 animated Disney / Pixar film Finding Nemo . The film's director, Andrew Stanton , said that he offered the role to DeGeneres because he had seen an episode of her show where she changed

9212-714: Was selected to host the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, which took place on February 25, 2007. This makes her the first openly gay person to have hosted the event. During the Awards show, DeGeneres said, "What a wonderful night, such diversity in the room, in a year when there's been so many negative things said about people's race, religion, and sexual orientation. And I want to put this out there: If there weren't blacks, Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars, or anyone named Oscar, when you think about that." Reviews of her hosting gig were positive, with one saying, "DeGeneres rocked, as she never forgot that she wasn't just there to entertain

9310-424: Was shot on the night of her last performance. It follows Diller to a press conference, backstage, and into her home, to cover the story of her career. Rip Taylor , Don Rickles , Roseanne Barr , Red Buttons , Jo Anne Worley and Lily Tomlin are featured, discussing Diller's comedy legacy. Diller suffered a heart attack in 1999, and hasn't done stand-up since being fitted for a pacemaker. Although retired from

9408-481: Was the emcee at Clyde's Comedy Club in New Orleans. DeGeneres cites Woody Allen and Steve Martin as her main influences at this time. In the early 1980s she began to tour nationally, and in 1984 she was named Showtime 's funniest person in America. DeGeneres lists Lucille Ball , Carol Burnett and Bob Newhart among her comedic influences. After a 15-year hiatus from performing comedy, DeGeneres appeared in

9506-528: Was timeless, that wacky, tacky character she created; the cigarette holder was genius, paradoxically regal. She was a victorious loser hero, the female iteration of Chaplin's Little Tramp ." Fellow comic Joan Rivers paid tribute to Diller's early-career woman's point of view, saying, "She was the first one that there was such rage and such anger in her comedy. She had the anger that is now in all of us. And that's what made it so funny because she spoke for all these women that were sitting home with five children and

9604-435: Was to become final. The couple divorced in 1975. Robert P. Hastings was her partner from 1985 until his death on May 23, 1996. In a 2000 interview, she called him the love of her life, saying that he admired her for being an independent person. The character of "Fang," the husband whom she frequently mentioned in her act, sprang from an appropriation of elements of the comic strip The Lockhorns . Diller portrayed herself as

#58941