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
Alma mater	University of Melbourne
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1994–2019
Spouse(s)	Mel Metcalfe ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 1999)​ Ellen DeGeneres ​ (m. 2008)​
Relatives	Vance DeGeneres (brother-in-law) Betty DeGeneres (mother-in-law)

Portia Lee James DeGeneres (born Amanda Lee Rogers; 31 January 1973), known as Portia de Rossi, is an Australian-American retired actress. She is famous for her roles in popular TV shows. These include Nelle Porter in Ally McBeal and Lindsay Bluth Fünke in Arrested Development. She also played Elizabeth North in Scandal. Portia de Rossi is also the founder and CEO of an art company called The General Public. She is married to the well-known 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, a suburb near Geelong, Victoria. As a child, she worked as a model for print ads and TV commercials.

In 1988, when she was 15, Amanda Rogers changed her name to Portia de Rossi. She wanted to create a new identity for herself. She chose the name Portia from a character in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. She picked an Italian last name to go with it. Portia de Rossi went to Geelong Grammar School. She later studied law at the University of Melbourne.

Acting Career Highlights

Portia de Rossi in 1999

Portia de Rossi's first big acting role was in the 1994 Australian film Sirens. In this movie, she played a young and innocent maid. After this, she moved to Los Angeles, USA. She quickly got guest roles in several TV shows. She also got a regular role in Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher. Later, she appeared in the movie Scream 2. While living in the United States, de Rossi worked hard to lose her Australian accent.

Rising to Fame

Portia de Rossi became known around the world when she joined the cast of Ally McBeal in 1998. She played a lawyer named Nelle Porter. She stayed on the show until it ended in 2002. In 2001, she also starred in the film Who Is Cletis Tout? with Christian Slater.

From 2003 to 2006, de Rossi starred as Lindsay Bluth Fünke in the TV show Arrested Development. In 2003, she 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 film The Night We Called It a Day.

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

Later Roles and Retirement

In 2009 and 2010, Portia de Rossi played Veronica Palmer in the ABC show Better Off Ted. Her character was a very strict and controlling office manager. In 2011, she made a fun appearance in a music video. She played a funny version 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 worked for her less brainy but more popular sister. However, the show was not picked up.

In August 2012, filming began for a new season of Arrested Development. Portia de Rossi returned to play Lindsay Bluth Fünke. This new season had 15 episodes and came out on Netflix in May 2013.

In July 2014, de Rossi joined season 4 of Scandal as Elizabeth North. Her role became a regular one for the fifth season. In April 2017, her character was written out of the show. De Rossi decided to leave the series herself.

In May 2018, Portia de Rossi announced that she would be retiring from acting. She said she might make an exception for future seasons of Arrested Development.

Personal Life

Portia de Rossi and her wife, Ellen DeGeneres, in September 2012

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

De Rossi met Ellen DeGeneres backstage at an awards show. They started dating in late 2004. They got engaged in 2008. Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres 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 published her autobiography. It was called Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain. In the book, she wrote about difficult times in her life. To promote her book, she appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

DeGeneres and de Rossi both became vegans in 2008. They have adopted several rescue animals.

Helping Others

Portia de Rossi supports many charities. One of them is Locks of Love. This group provides wigs made from donated hair to children. These wigs help children who have lost their hair due to medical conditions.

She has also helped raise money for FXB International. This organization helps with AIDS relief in Africa. She also supports The Art of Elysium. This foundation uses art to help children who are very sick.

Portia de Rossi loves animals. She supports Alley Cat Allies, an organization that helps protect cats. De Rossi and DeGeneres also strongly support The Gentle Barn. This is a sanctuary in California for animals that have been abused.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Portia de Rossi para niños