Today, Ellen DeGeneres is a Hollywood fixture. Her talk show has been on the air for 14 seasons, she's won dozens of awards, and her hefty TV and film resume dates back decades. We're used to her as a superstar.
Of course, DeGeneres wasn't always comedic royalty. Many years ago, she was a college dropout working odd jobs and trying to make a name for herself in comedy clubs. And even when she did win recognition and acclaim, her honesty about her sexuality nearly cost her everything.
This is the incredible story of how Ellen DeGeneres rose to the top — and won over America's hearts in the process.
Ellen DeGeneres was born in 1958 and grew up in Louisiana.
Source: IMDb
She left University of New Orleans after one semester and worked odd jobs. She spent time as a house painter, vacuum salesperson, waitress, and even an oyster shucker.
Source: IMDb; Business Insider
But in the '80s, she started doing stand up at comedy clubs. By 1984, she was touring the country and even won Showtime's Funniest Person in America contest.
Source: Wall Street Journal
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