Portia de Rossi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Portia de Rossi
de Rossi in 2019
Born	Amanda Lee Rogers (1973-01-31) 31 January 1973 (age 52) Horsham, Victoria, Australia
Other names	Portia Lee James DeGeneres
Citizenship	Australia United States (since 2011)
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1994–2019, 2022
Spouse(s)	Mel Metcalfe ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 1999)​ Ellen DeGeneres ​ (m. 2008)​
Partner(s)	Francesca Gregorini (2000–2004)
Relatives	Betty DeGeneres (mother-in-law) Vance DeGeneres (brother-in-law)

Portia de Rossi (born Amanda Lee Rogers on January 31, 1973) is an Australian-American former actress. She is famous for her roles in several TV shows. These include playing Nelle Porter in Ally McBeal and Lindsay Bluth Fünke in Arrested Development. She also appeared as Elizabeth North in the series Scandal. Portia de Rossi is also the founder and CEO of an art company called The General Public. She is married to comedian and TV host Ellen DeGeneres.

Early Life and Name Change

Portia de Rossi was born Amanda Lee Rogers in Horsham, Victoria, Australia. Her mother, Margaret, worked as a medical receptionist. Her father passed away when she was nine years old. She grew up in Grovedale, near Geelong, Victoria. As a child, she worked as a model for print ads and some TV commercials.

In 1988, when she was 15, she changed her name to Portia de Rossi. She later explained that she wanted a new name that sounded more grown-up. She chose "Portia" from a character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. She picked an Italian last name to go with it. She went to Geelong Grammar School and Melbourne Girls Grammar. She also studied law at the University of Melbourne.

Acting Career Highlights

Portia de Rossi in 1999

Portia de Rossi's first important acting job was in the 1994 Australian film Sirens. In this movie, she played a young and innocent maid. Soon after, she moved to Los Angeles, USA. There, she got small roles in TV shows and a regular part in Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. She also appeared in the film Scream 2. While living in the United States, de Rossi worked hard to learn an American accent.

Breakthrough Roles

De Rossi became known around the world when she joined the TV show Ally McBeal in 1998. She played a lawyer named Nelle Porter. She stayed on the show until it ended in 2002. In 2001, she acted in Who Is Cletis Tout? with Christian Slater.

From 2003 to 2006, de Rossi starred as Lindsay Bluth Fünke in the TV comedy Arrested Development. In 2003, she also played Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the wife of John F. Kennedy Jr., in a TV movie. That same year, she played an Australian reporter in The Night We Called It a Day.

Later Television Work

In 2005, de Rossi appeared in the thriller movie Cursed. From 2007 to 2008, she was in the fifth season of Nip/Tuck. She played Olivia Lord, who was Julia McNamara's girlfriend.

In 2009 and 2010, de Rossi played Veronica Palmer in the ABC show Better Off Ted. Her character was very strict and in charge. In 2011, she made a funny appearance in a music video. She played a spoof of her character from Better Off Ted.

In 2012, ABC planned a new drama series called The Smart One. Ellen DeGeneres was one of the producers, and de Rossi was set to star. She would play a smart woman who had to work for her less brainy but more popular sister. However, the show was not picked up for a full season.

Six years after Arrested Development was canceled, filming for a new season began in 2012. De Rossi returned to her role as Lindsay Bluth Fünke. This new season had 15 episodes and came out on Netflix in May 2013. Each episode focused on a different character. Lindsay was featured in two episodes and appeared in others.

In July 2014, ABC announced that de Rossi was joining season 4 of Scandal. She played Elizabeth North. Her role became a regular part of the show for the fifth season. In April 2017, her character was written off the show. De Rossi decided to leave the series herself.

In May 2018, de Rossi announced that she was stepping back from acting. However, she said she would still act in future seasons of Arrested Development.

Personal Life

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres in September 2012

Portia de Rossi was married to filmmaker Mel Metcalfe from 1996 to 1999. She later said that this marriage was not right for her.

In late 2004, de Rossi began dating Ellen DeGeneres. They met backstage at an awards show. De Rossi and DeGeneres got engaged in 2008. They were married at their home in Beverly Hills on August 16, 2008. Their mothers and 19 other guests were there. On August 6, 2010, de Rossi asked to legally change her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres. This request was approved on September 23, 2010. She became a citizen of the United States in September 2011.

In 2010, de Rossi wrote a book about her life called Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain. In the book, she shared about difficult times she had experienced. To promote her book, she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

DeGeneres and de Rossi adopted several rescue animals. In November 2024, de Rossi and DeGeneres moved from their home in Montecito, California, to the Cotswolds region of England.

Helping Others

Portia de Rossi supports many charities. One group she helps is Locks of Love. This organization provides high-quality wigs made from human hair. These wigs are for children and teenagers who have hair loss due to medical conditions.

She has also helped raise money for FXB International. This group works to help people affected by AIDS in Africa. She also supports The Art of Elysium, which is an art foundation for children who are very sick. De Rossi also helps Alley Cat Allies, an organization that protects and improves the lives of alley cats. De Rossi and DeGeneres are big supporters of The Gentle Barn. This is a place in California that cares for animals who have been hurt.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Portia de Rossi para niños