Portia de Rossi is an Australian-American actress and Model born on 31 January, 1973. You might know her from her roles in popular TV shows like “Ally McBeal” where she played Nelle Porter from 1998 to 2002. She even won a fancy award for that role! Then there’s “Arrested Development” where she was Lindsay Bluth Fünke from 2003 to 2006 and again in 2013 and 2018-2019. Plus she rocked it as Elizabeth North on “Scandal” from 2014 to 2017.
She didn’t stop there. She also appeared on “Nip/Tuck” as Olivia Lord from 2007 to 2009 and on “Better Off Ted” as Veronica Palmer from 2009 to 2010.
Outside of acting Portia is the boss lady behind General Public an art company. Oh and did I mention she’s married to Ellen DeGeneres the funny lady from TV? Yep, they make quite the power couple!
| Full Name | Portia de Rossi |
| Date of Birth | January 31, 1973 |
| Place of Birth | Horsham, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation | Actress, Model |
| Height | 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) |
| Spouse | Ellen DeGeneres |
| Children | None |
| Net Worth | $50 million |
Portia de Rossi’s Early Life and Education
Portia de Rossi was born as Amanda Lee Rogers in Horsham Victoria, Australia. Her mom Margaret worked as a medical receptionist and her dad Barry Rogers passed away when she was nine. She grew up in Grovedale near Geelong Victoria and started modeling for ads and some TV spots when she was young.
When she was 15 in 1988 she decided to change her name to Portia de Rossi. Later in 2005, she explained that she did it to give herself a fresh start. She picked “Portia” from a character in Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice” and added an Italian last name for a bit of flair.
Portia went to Geelong Grammar School Melbourne Girls Grammar and then studied law at the University of Melbourne.
Career
Portia de Rossi started her acting journey as a maid in a movie called Sirens in 1994. After that, she moved to Los Angeles and got small roles on TV shows. She even got a permanent role in a show called Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher before landing a part in the movie Scream 2. While in the US she worked hard to change her Australian accent.
Her big break came when she joined the main cast of a popular show called Ally McBeal in 1998. She played a lawyer named Nelle Porter. She stayed on the show until it ended in 2002. In 2001 she starred in another movie called Who Is Cletis Tout? alongside Christian Slater. From 2003 to 2006 she was on another TV show called Arrested Development playing Lindsay Bluth Fünke.
Portia de Rossi also acted in other movies and shows like America’s Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story and Cursed. She appeared in Nip/Tuck for a while too. In 2009 and 2010, she played Veronica Palmer on a show called Better Off Ted.
She ranked on lists like Stuff Magazine’s 100 Sexiest Women and Maxim’s 100 Sexiest Women. She was also featured as one of the 100 Most Beautiful in People magazine.
In 2012, ABC announced a new show called The Smart One where she was supposed to play a lead role but the show didn’t happen. However, she did return to Arrested Development for a new season in 2013.
She joined the cast of Scandal in 2014 and became a series regular in the fifth season. Sadly her character was killed off in 2017.
In 2018, she announced her retirement from acting on The Ellen DeGeneres Show although she later said she would make exceptions for future seasons of Arrested Development.
Net Worth
Portia de Rossi has an estimated net worth of $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Portia de Rossi’s net worth comes from her successful acting career. She has starred in popular TV shows like “Arrested Development” and “Ally McBeal,” and has also appeared in various movies. Additionally, she has earned money through endorsements, business ventures, and her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres, who is also very wealthy.
Personal life
Portia de Rossi has been through a lot in her personal life and she’s been pretty open about it.
Back in the late 90s, she was married to a guy named Mel Metcalfe but it wasn’t a good fit. Turns out she got married to him as part of a plan to get a green card but it didn’t work out. She realized it just wasn’t the right thing for her.
Then from 2000 to 2004, she was dating a woman named Francesca Gregorini. Most people in her life didn’t know she was into women until some pictures of them together came out in the tabloids. She didn’t talk much about her relationships or being gay back then.
Things changed when she met Ellen DeGeneres in 2004. They hit it off and started dating. In 2008 Ellen popped the question and they got married in a small ceremony with just close friends and family. Portia even legally changed her name to Portia Lee James DeGeneres in 2010.
In her autobiography “Unbearable Lightness” Portia opened up about her struggles with eating disorders and other challenges in her life. She talked about her battle with anorexia and bulimia and how she was misdiagnosed with lupus.
Both Ellen and Portia decided to go vegan in 2008 but Ellen later said she’s not vegan anymore. They’re big animal lovers and have adopted several rescue pets.
In 2017, Portia made headlines when she tweeted about an uncomfortable experience with actor Steven Seagal during an audition.
Philanthropy
Portia De Rossi helps out lots of different charities. One is called Locks of Love. They make wigs out of real human hair for kids who lose their hair because of things like alopecia.
She also helps FXB International which helps people with AIDS in Africa. Another charity she supports is The Art of Elysium. They help sick kids through art.
De Rossi cares about animals too. She supports Alley Cat Allies a group that helps cats. She and DeGeneres also help out at The Gentle Barn which is a place in California that takes care of animals that have been hurt or mistreated.
