Ellen DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana, U.S.
Ellen Lee DeGeneres was born on January 26, 1958, in Metairie, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans. She was raised in a middle-class family, the daughter of an insurance agent father and a speech therapist mother, and grew up steeped in the culture and humor of the American South.
Her childhood, including her parents' divorce when she was a teenager, shaped much of the observational, self-deprecating comedic style she would later become famous for. She briefly attended the University of New Orleans, studying communications, before dropping out to pursue a series of odd jobs, including work as a house painter, waitress, and vacuum cleaner salesperson.
These early experiences of ordinary American life would later become fodder for her stand-up comedy routines, which emphasized relatable, everyday observations delivered in a calm, conversational tone rather than aggressive punchlines. From this modest beginning in Louisiana, DeGeneres would go on to become one of the most influential comedians, actors, and television hosts in American history, and a pioneering figure for LGBTQ+ visibility in mainstream media.