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Portia Lee James DeGeneres (born Amanda Lee Rogers; 31 January 1973), known professionally as Portia de Rossi, is an Australian-American former actress. She played Nelle Porter on the American drama series '' Ally McBeal'' (1998–2002), for which she won a
Screen Actors Guild Award Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1952 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
, Lindsay Bluth Fünke on the American television sitcom '' Arrested Development'' (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019), and Elizabeth North on the American
political thriller A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle, high stakes and suspense is the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. The st ...
series ''
Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
'' (2014–2017). She is the founder and
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...
of the art company General Public. She also portrayed Olivia Lord on the American television drama series ''
Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...
'' (2007–2009) and Veronica Palmer on the American television sitcom ''
Better Off Ted ''Better Off Ted'' is an American satirical sitcom series, created by Victor Fresco, who also served as the show's executive producer. The series ran on the ABC network from March 18, 2009, to January 26, 2010. ''Better Off Ted'' focuses on t ...
'' (2009–2010). De Rossi is married to comedian, actress, and television host Ellen DeGeneres.


Early life

Portia de Rossi was born Amanda Lee Rogers in
Horsham, Victoria Horsham () is a regional city in the Wimmera region of western Victoria, Australia. Located on a bend in the Wimmera River, Horsham is approximately northwest of the state capital Melbourne. As of the 2021 Census, Horsham had a population of 20 ...
, Australia, the daughter of Margaret, a medical receptionist, and Barry Rogers. Her father died when she was nine years old. She grew up in Grovedale, a suburb of
Geelong Geelong ( ) ( Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in the south eastern Australian state of Victoria, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon ...
, Victoria, and modelled for print and TV commercials as a child. In 1988, at age 15, Rogers adopted the name Portia de Rossi, by which she remains best known. In 2005, she explained she had intended to reinvent herself, using the given name of
Portia Portia may refer to: Biology * ''Portia'' (spider), a genus of jumping spiders *'' Anaea troglodyta'' or Portia, a brush-footed butterfly *Portia tree, a plant native to Polynesia Medication A form of birth control made of ethinylestradiol/lev ...
, a character from
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...
,'' and an Italian last name. She was educated at
Geelong Grammar Geelong Grammar School is an Independent school, independent Anglican co-educational Boarding school, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located in Corio, Victoria, Corio on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, ...
School and the
University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb ...
, where she studied law.


Career

De Rossi's first significant role was as a young and impressionable maid in the Australian 1994 film '' Sirens.'' Soon afterward, she moved to Los Angeles and won guest roles on several TV shows and a permanent role in '' Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher,'' before landing a part in the film ''
Scream 2 ''Scream 2'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Elise Neal, ...
.'' During her time in the United States, de Rossi worked to drop her Australian accent. De Rossi garnered international attention when she joined the main cast of '' Ally McBeal'' in 1998, playing lawyer Nelle Porter. She remained with the show until its end in 2002. In 2001, she starred in '' Who Is Cletis Tout?'' alongside Christian Slater. From 2003 to 2006, de Rossi starred as Lindsay Bluth Fünke on Fox Television's '' Arrested Development''. She next portrayed
John F. Kennedy, Jr. John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. (November 25, 1960 – July 16, 1999), often referred to as John-John or JFK Jr., was an American lawyer, journalist, and magazine publisher. He was a son of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Ken ...
's wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, in the made-for-TV movie '' America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story'' in 2003. That same year, she portrayed an Australian reporter who inspires a protest against
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
during a concert tour in '' The Night We Called It a Day.'' In 2005 de Rossi portrayed Zela, a fortune-teller, in the
Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
thriller '' Cursed.'' From 2007 to 2008, de Rossi appeared in ''
Nip/Tuck ''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...
's'' fifth season as Julia McNamara's girlfriend, Olivia Lord. In 2009 and 2010, de Rossi played the high-strung and controlling Veronica Palmer on the ABC show ''
Better Off Ted ''Better Off Ted'' is an American satirical sitcom series, created by Victor Fresco, who also served as the show's executive producer. The series ran on the ABC network from March 18, 2009, to January 26, 2010. ''Better Off Ted'' focuses on t ...
''. In 2011, she appeared in ''Better Off Ted'' cast member Malcolm Barrett's music video for "Revenge of the Nerds", spoofing her character in a cameo alongside other cast members of the series. She ranked 69th in ''
Stuff Stuff, stuffed, and stuffing may refer to: *Physical matter *General, unspecific things, or entities Arts, media, and entertainment Books *''Stuff'' (1997), a novel by Joseph Connolly *''Stuff'' (2005), a book by Jeremy Strong Fictional cha ...
Magazine's'' 100 Sexiest Women, 31 in '' Femme Fatales Sexiest Women of 2003 list, and 24 in ''
Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...
's'' 100 Sexiest Women List in 2004; in late 2006, the magazine '' Blender'' listed her as one of the hottest women of film and TV. In May 2007, she was featured as one of 100 Most Beautiful in a ''
People A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
'' special edition. ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
'' included her and Ellen DeGeneres in their Power A-List couples in 2007. In February 2012, it was announced that ABC had ordered a pilot for a new drama series ''The Smart One'', one of whose executive producers was Ellen DeGeneres, and which featured de Rossi in a leading role. The actress was to star as a "brilliant and successful woman who begrudgingly goes to work for her less-brainy but more popular sister – a former beauty queen, weather girl and now big-city Mayor." But ''The Smart One'' was not picked up for the 2012–2013 season. Six years after the series was canceled by Fox, filming for a revived fourth season of ''Arrested Development'' began in August 2012, and de Rossi reprised her role as Lindsay Bluth Fünke. This fourth season consisted of 15 new episodes, which debuted on
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
on 26 May 2013. Each episode focused on one particular character, with de Rossi's Lindsay featured in Episode 3, "Indian Takers", and Episode 8, "Red Hairing", and also appearing in several other episodes of the season. In July 2014, ABC confirmed that de Rossi was joining season 4 of ''
Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
'', in the role of Elizabeth North. Her recurring role was upgraded to a series regular for the fifth season. In April 2017, in season six, de Rossi's character was killed off in a golf club attack. De Rossi herself made the decision to depart the series. In May 2018, de Rossi announced on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
'' that she would be retiring from acting, though she later elaborated that she would make an exception for future seasons of ''Arrested Development''.


Personal life

De Rossi was married to documentary filmmaker Mel Metcalfe from 1996 to 1999, initially part of a plan to get a
green card A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. ("The term 'lawfully admitted for permanent residence' means the status of having been ...
, though she did not go through with the plan. She said about the marriage that "it just obviously wasn't right for me." In a 2010 interview on ''
Good Morning America ''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. ...
,'' she explained that as a young actress, she was fearful of being exposed as a lesbian. From 2001 to 2004, de Rossi dated director
Francesca Gregorini Francesca McKnight Donatella Romana Gregorini di Savignano di Romagna (born August7, 1968), known professionally as Francesca Gregorini, is an Italian-American screenwriter and film director. Early life Born in Rome, Gregorini is the daught ...
, the daughter of Barbara Bach and the stepdaughter of
Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
. She said that most of her family and ''Ally McBeal'' castmates did not know she was a lesbian until tabloid pictures of the couple were published. She declined to publicly discuss the relationship or her sexual orientation at the time. De Rossi and Gregorini broke up in late 2004 because de Rossi began dating DeGeneres, whom she met backstage at an awards show. In 2005, she opened up publicly about her sexual orientation in interviews with '' Details'' and '' The Advocate.'' She and DeGeneres became engaged when DeGeneres proposed in 2008. They were married at their Beverly Hills home on 16 August 2008, witnessed by their mothers and 17 other guests. On 6 August 2010, de Rossi filed a petition to legally change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres. The petition was granted on 23 September 2010. She became a United States citizen in September 2011. In 2010, de Rossi published her autobiography, titled ''Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain,'' within which she wrote about the turmoil that she had experienced in her life, including suffering from
anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...
and
bulimia Bulimia nervosa, also known as simply bulimia, is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting, and excessive concern with body shape and weight. The aim of this activity is to expel the body of calories eaten ...
and being misdiagnosed with
lupus Lupus, technically known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue in many parts of the body. Symptoms vary among people and may be mild to severe. Commo ...
. She had struggled with the
eating disorders An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Only one eating disorder can be diagnosed at a given time. Types of eating disorders include binge eating ...
for four years while filming ''Ally McBeal.''Alt URL
/ref> To promote the book, she appeared on ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'' and ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
.'' DeGeneres and de Rossi both became vegans in 2008, though DeGeneres subsequently stated that she is no longer vegan in December 2018. They have adopted several rescue animals. In 2017, de Rossi tweeted that actor
Steven Seagal Steven Frederic Seagal (; born April 10, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and martial artist. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan and eventually ended up running his father-in-l ...
exposed himself to her while she was auditioning for one of his films.


Philanthropy

De Rossi supports a variety of charitable organizations, including
Locks of Love Locks of Love is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that provides custom-made hair prosthetics to disadvantaged children up to the age of 21 who have suffered hair loss as a result of medical conditions, such as alopecia, burn trauma, and cancer tre ...
, a group that provides human hair wigs (made from donated ponytails) either free of charge or on a sliding scale based on their own guidelines for children with alopecia and other medical conditions that cause hair loss, such as chemotherapy for certain types of cancer. She has also supported fundraising efforts for FXB International, an African AIDS relief organization, and The Art of Elysium, an art foundation for terminally ill children. An avid animal lover, de Rossi also supports
Alley Cat Allies Alley Cat Allies (incorporated on October 6, 1991) is a nonprofit animal welfare organisation. It advocates for reform of public policies and institutions to better serve the interests of cats. Based in Bethesda, Maryland, the group is best kn ...
, an organization dedicated to protecting and improving the lives of cats. De Rossi and DeGeneres are strong supporters of The Gentle Barn, a California sanctuary for abused animals.


Filmography


Film


Television


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:de Rossi, Portia 1973 births Living people 20th-century Australian actresses 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century Australian actresses 21st-century American women writers Actresses from Victoria (Australia) American autobiographers American film actresses American television actresses American lesbian actresses American lesbian writers Australian autobiographers Australian expatriate actresses in the United States Australian film actresses Australian emigrants to the United States Australian television actresses Australian lesbian actresses Australian lesbian writers LGBT people from California LGBT memoirists People from Geelong Writers from California Writers from Victoria (Australia) Women autobiographers People from Horsham, Victoria People with acquired American citizenship American women non-fiction writers People educated at Melbourne Girls Grammar American women chief executives Actresses from Geelong Actors from Geelong