Ellen Degeneres

Following her public announcement that she was gay, Ellen DeGeneres was at a loss for work in the late 1990s. She - and the character she played - had come out during the fourth season of her moderately successful television sitcom, and her show was canceled shortly thereafter. She thought her career as a comedian might be over. Through perseverance and talent, DeGeneres built a new career for herself as the host of an Academy Award-winning syndicated daytime television show. Ellen DeGeneres tells her story, from her childhood in Louisiana and Texas to her rise as one of the most recognizable faces on television.