Talk-show host, stand-up comedian and TV and movie actress, Ellen DeGeneres, never intended to be any of those things. In fact, she really wanted to be a veterinarian, until she realized that she would need advanced education to succeed in that profession.

DeGeneres was born a Southern girl, in New Orleans, Louisiana, on January 26, 1958, to middle class parents, Betty Jane and Elliott. During her childhood, she spent more time laughing at her brother Vance, who later created “Mr. Bill” for Saturday Night Live, than getting the yucks herself. In fact, her early teenage years were not much of a laughing matter, as her parents divorced when she was 13, and she and her brother were separated when DeGeneres moved with her mother to Atlanta, Texas, and her brother stayed behind with her father.

In her later teen years, DeGeneres was molested by her new stepfather and would escape to the local hospital to get away from him.

DeGeneres’ career in comedy began by chance, back in New Orleans, when she suffered through a fearful speaking engagement and found out she was actually humorous when frightened. She found laughter in her life stories and began to share them in small local comedy clubs, with great success. Later she toured across the country performing her comedy act, and was named Showtime’s Funniest Person in America, in 1982. DeGeneres caught the eye of Johnny Carson, and had the honor of being the first woman to score an interview with Carson immediately after her performance on the Tonight Show.

Television roles soon followed, with small parts on the sitcom Open House, as an impressionist, and on the short-lived comedy Laurie Hill. In 1994, ABC offered DeGeneres the role of bookstore owner Ellen Morgan, in the sitcom These Friends of Mine, later renamed Ellen. In 1997, during the fourth season, on “The Puppy Episode,” the show became extremely controversial when Ellen announced that she was a lesbian. The show ended a year later, amidst criticism that the series had too much gay content.

Ellen regained her television footing in 2003, as the endearing talk-show host of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which garnered her a total of 12 Daytime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Talk Show and Outstanding Talk Show Host. She was slated to become the replacement judge on American Idol, following Paula Abdul’s departure from the much-loved reality show about aspiring singers.

Throughout the years, DeGeneres became accustomed to the big screen, as well as TV, and filmed a number movies, which include Mr. Wrong, Goodbye Lover, Dr. Dolittle, EDtv and The Love Letter. But none was as special as her voice characterization of Dory, in the heart-warming story about a lost fish, in the animated film Finding Nemo.

DeGeneres suffered through a number of failed relationships through the years. After a three-year coupling with Anne Heche ended, DeGeneres was despondent, but soon recovered and entered into a relationship with Alexandra Hedison, which lasted another three years. Finally finding someone to whom she could commit, DeGeneres and actress Portia de Rossi were married in 2008, and DeGeneres professed to be “the luckiest girl in the world.”