Ellen

Ellen Degeneres on rescuing coyotes, blazing trails, and mouth-to-mouth on a sparrow.

By Mary-Jo Dionne | Photographs by Andrew Eccles

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing." —Helen Keller

Through much of the mid to late nineties, my friends knew not to call me on Wednesday evenings during a particular half hour. For 30 minutes, I had a date with Ellen Morgan, the fictional funny lady brought to life in comedian Ellen DeGeneres' series Ellen. But my sacred Wednesdays were about more than just channel surfing for a laugh. Wednesdays with Ellen, for me, became something of a young writer's church. I was learning my first invaluable professional lessons: Comedy can equal kindness. Hollywood can equal humanity. After multiple episodes of build-up‹including innuendo that had Morgan stepping out of her hall closet‹the world heard words never before uttered by a leading character on TV: "I'm gay." While supporters cheered, not everyone was in favour of her landmark announcement, and ultimately, in 1998, Ellen Morgan took her final bow.

If the late nineties were about coming out, the new millennium was about coming back. After surviving her own brand of both personal and professional hurdles, a stronger, wiser, more into-her-own Ellen emerged in true phoenix-from-the-ashes style. She shone as host of a post-9/11 Emmy Awards. Her ability to captivate a crowd with a mesmerizing blend of comedy and compassion was a sign of things to come: specifically, the September, 2003, launch of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which debuted on the heels of her uber-success as the voice of Dory in the Oscar-winning animated hit Finding Nemo. With more prestigious award-show wins to her credit than you can count on your fingers, toes, and elbows, not to mention accolades that include a stellar performance hosting the 79th Academy Awards, here is an Ellen who has found her groove. Both figuratively and literally.

As I pull my car into the lot of NBC's Studio 11 in Burbank for our noon-time chat about her love for all things animal-esque, the vibe that this is the scene of a heck of a lot of DeGeneres-spawned dancing is palpable. The irony is not lost on me when I am told that today's taping is for Wednesday's show. After all, Ellen and I - and Wednesdays - go back a long way.

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