Actors - Rosie O'Donnell

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	Actors - Rosie O'Donnell

Roseanne Teresa O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, actress, and former television talk show host. She was born in Bayside, Queens, New York to Edward J. O'Donnell, an Irish Catholic immigrant from Belfast (from whom she is estranged), and Roseann Murtha, an American of Irish Catholic descent and who died of breast cancer at the age of 38. Rosie O'Donnell was raised in Commack on Long Island (Suffolk County, New York).

Biography

Early life and film career

Rosie O'Donnell briefly attended both Dickinson College and Boston University. O'Donnell began her career performing stand-up comedy around the East Coast, and was soon cast as "Maggie O'Brien" on the sitcom Gimme a Break. Her heavy-set appearance and tomboyish, husky New York accent stood her apart from other actresses and comediennes. She hosted the VH1 stand-up comedy series Stand-Up Spotlight in the late 1980s. She was cast as the lead in her own sitcom in 1992, called Stand by Your Man (a US version of the BBC hit Birds of a Feather), which lasted only briefly due to low ratings.

In the early-90s, O'Donnell starred in a string of comedy films including A League of Their Own
, Another Stakeout
, and Sleepless in Seattle
. In 1994 she played Betty Rubble in the live action movie version of The Flintstones
. Throughout this period, she was highly acclaimed for her performances, but lost ground in the mid-90s with the flops Car 54, Where Are You? and Anne Rice's Exit to Eden
. She also had roles in Now and Then, Beautiful Girls
, and the family movie Harriet the Spy
.

Talk show and magazine

In 1996, she began hosting a daytime television talk show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show. The show proved extremely successful; early on O'Donnell was dubbed "The Queen of Nice." During her tenure, she frequently highlighted various charitable projects, which tended to generate significantly increased donations. O'Donnell was also known for featured extended production numbers from Broadway musicals and is credited with bringing this artform into the living rooms of America. O'Donnell was known for her light-hearted banter with her guests and interactions with the sudience, including the unique daily introduction done by a random member of the audience at the beginning of each program. Her talk show won multiple Emmy awards as did O'Donnell for her hosting duties. It was also her tendency to interview "Superkids", not just the standard celebrities that also brought her critical attention.

In 2000, O'Donnell partnered with the publishers of McCall's to revamp the magazine as Rosie's McCall's (or, more commonly, Rosie). Rather than cover the magazine with thin models, she opted for stories about depression, breast cancer, and foster care. Rosie eventually folded due to difficulties in securing advertising at satisfactory rates. Some problems may have come from Internet-based boycotts of advertisers based on the magazine's perceived political bias.

Leaving talk show and coming out

In 2002, O'Donnell left her talk show, favoring a return to stand-up comedy. The show was then hosted by comedienne Caroline Rhea (The Caroline Rhea Show), but it only lasted one season. Shortly before leaving her show, O'Donnell confirmed the rumors when she came out of the closet as a lesbian. Within the gay community this was common knowledge, and the tabloids had been hinting at it. She claimed various reasons for doing so, including the need for publicity and to put a familiar face to homosexuality, but her primary reason was that as a lesbian adoptive mother (with a long-time lover) she was infuriated that adoption agencies, particularly in Florida, were refusing adoptive rights to able and loving gay parents. She hoped that by coming out, it would increase awareness of this subject.

After leaving her show and coming out, O'Donnell underwent a minor image change. She returned to stand-up comedy, and within her first few shows made fun of various celebrities, among them Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Diana Ross, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Winona Ryder, and Joan Rivers. She also received what was considered by many to be an unflattering, somewhat masculine haircut, remniscent of Cyndi Lauper's hair in the 1980s. The tabloid press again picked up on her life, claiming that she had abandoned the "Queen of Nice" image. O'Donnell pointed out that her stand-up routine had always been very political and abrasive, and that her haircut was a personal choice. She eventually claimed that she had cut her hair in imitation of Boy George, in hopes that he would allow her to produce his stage show Taboo in the United States. If that was the true motive, she was successful, although the show was not, with a failed run on Broadway.

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Actors - Rosie O'Donnell

Biography

Early life and film career

Talk show and magazine

Leaving talk show and coming out

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