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There have been a lot of daytime talk show hosts that have come and gone over the years. It’s very rare that you find one that ends up sticking around and gaining a large audience, but there have been a few that have done just that. Ellen DeGeneres is one of those people that found massive success in daytime television after years of being a famous comedian and sitcom actress. Now, DeGeneres is seemingly hosting everything and is one of the highest paid people on television.

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DeGeneres was born on January 26, 1958 in Metairie, Louisiana, and grew up in the state until her teenage years where she went to Texas. After finishing high school, DeGeneres came back to Louisiana and was working several odd jobs while also trying to make a name for herself as a stand-up comedian for the first time. It didn’t take long for DeGeneres to go on tour, gathering a following and getting invited to appear on several talk shows.

DeGeneres made her acting debut in 1989 with the shows “Duet” and “Open House”, which aired for two seasons. After appearing in the movie “Coneheads” and the show “Laurie Hill”, Degeneres landed her own sitcom in 1994 with “Ellen”. The series was a successful one, airing more than 100 episodes during its run before finishing in 1998. It also had a huge moment in television history as DeGeneres had come out as gay.

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It was a big moment for Degeneres, “because it stripped everything away,” she said. “The whole world was talking about me. You know, if you’re going to be honest with yourself, you have to admit that you go into show business wanting people to talk about you and wanting everyone to know who you are. But that also means that there are going to be a whole bunch of people who don’t like you. No matter who you are.”

At that time, DeGeneres revealed that she was in a relationship with actress Anne Heche. The two would part ways in 2000. DeGeneres would eventually begin a relationship with actress Portia de Rossi of “Arrested Development” fame. It’s been a long lasting relationship, and the two tied the knot in 2008 officially. 

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For the rest of the 1990s, DeGeneres had several guest appearances on television while also hosting the Grammy and Emmy Awards. She had also been in movies such as “Goodby Lover”, “EDtv” and “The Love Letter”. During the early 2000s she’d add a popular voice role in “Finding Nemo”, as well as the 2016 sequel “Finding Dory”.

Meanwhile on television, DeGeneres would get another sitcom called “The Ellen Show”, but it wouldn’t last for long. However, DeGeneres started a daytime talk show called “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that has been on the air since 2003. It’s been the most successful of the daytime shows over the past 20 years, making DeGeneres a household name for an entirely new generation. On top of that, DeGeneres has had hosting duties at the Academy Awards and “Ellen’s Game of Games” and was even a judge for a season of “American Idol”.

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Someone that opened the door for DeGeneres to find success in daytime talk television is Oprah Winfrey, and in 2014, DeGeneres expressed her gratitude to Winfrey on her 60th birthday. On her talk show, DeGeneres revealed that she had gotten a sequin portrait of Winfrey done, trying to coax Winfrey into coming on the show instead of mailing her the gift.

“I spent a lot of time on it. Pretty,” DeGeneres said during the big reveal. “Each one hand-done. Took me months to do that thing...Oprah is my friend. I have her number because I stole it from Stedman’s phone when I was at their house one time.” It wasn’t the first (or last) time that DeGeneres had gotten a gift for her famous friends, which has been a big highlight of her show to this point.

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“I’m definitely happier than I’ve ever been,” DeGeneres says when reflecting on her show and the friendships that she’s made along the way. “I assume tomorrow I’ll be happier than today, because things are great. I have a great career and I have wonderful fans who really are supportive and loyal - because I’m not hiding anything from them. So, on the spectrum of happiness, I’m pretty high up there.”

As for why she takes on so many gigs at once, “I like being busy and juggling a lot of things at the same time,” DeGeneres said. “I get bored easily, so I need a lot to do...We’ve had just about everybody on the show that I can possibly imagine. But there are always new, interesting people coming up.”