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Portia de Rossi

Biography

Portia de Rossi

Overview

  • Born
    January 31, 1973 · Geelong, Victoria, Australia
  • Birth name
    Amanda Lee Rogers
  • Nickname
    • Amanda
  • Height
    5′ 8″ (1.73 m)

Biography

  • Portia de Rossi was born and raised in Geelong, Australia. Originally born Amanda Rogers, at 15 she changed her name to Portia, saying that it was the most daring thing she had ever done up until that point. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Melbourne, and studied law. Although she studied diligently, in 1993, Portia found herself giving special notice to a casting director who saw her in a commercial, and she soon auditioned for Sirens (1994), a low budget comedy starring Hugh Grant. She was cast in the role of Giddy, one of the three gorgeous models in the movie. It wasn't until 1997, however, that Portia at last began to attract real attention. She turned an unforgettable role as Murphy in Scream 2 (1997), and in 1998 she joined the cast of Ally McBeal (1997) as the "Ice Queen", Nelle Porter. She has also worked on such projects as Stigmata (1999), Girl (1998), and The Invisibles (1999), and she has appeared on several magazine covers, including Shape. After more than a decade of hard work, Portia is finally beginning to win real recognition, not only for her long golden tresses, but also for her wonderful talent.
    - IMDb mini biography by: bcnu_84@hotmail.com

Family

  • Spouses
      Ellen DeGeneres(August 16, 2008 - present)
      Mel Metcalfe(1996 - 1999) (divorced)
  • Children
      No Children
  • Parents
      Margaret Rogers
      Barry Rogers
  • Relatives
      Perry Rogers(Niece or Nephew)
      Eva Rogers(Niece or Nephew)
      Michael Rogers(Sibling)

Trademarks

  • Very long wavy blonde hair

Trivia

  • Legally changed her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres on September 23, 2010, taking the last name of her spouse Ellen DeGeneres.
  • First husband Mel Metcalfe left her to be with de Rossi's brother Michael Roger's wife, Renee Kappos. Metcalfe and Kappos eventually married.
  • Admitted to have married her first husband Mel Metcalfe mainly in order to obtain a Green Card for a permanent stay in the US. De Rossi didn't acknowledge her attraction towards women when they married.
  • Her wedding with Ellen DeGeneres on August 16, 2008, took place at their house in Beverly Hills, California, and was attended by her mother and brother and by Ellen's parents.
  • Her father died when she was nine years old.

Quotes

  • In high school I had sex with girls quite a few times. They were straight women who I convinced to jump in the sack with me.
  • I'm living by example by continuing on with my career and having a full, rich life, and I am incidentally gay.
  • I love being able to wear dresses and clothes that make me feel feminine and beautiful, and I love the fact that I don't have to all the time; I can wear a tank and jeans.
  • My feelings for Ellen overrode all of my fear about being out as a lesbian. I had to be with her, and I just figured I'd deal with the other stuff later.
  • Everyone is their own kind of lesbian. To think there's a certain way to dress or present yourself in the world is just one more stereotype we have to fit into.

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