Ellen DeGeneres has talked, danced and acted her way through TV sets, from stand-up comedy to sitcoms and eventually one of the top talk-show programs of this generation. Now, she may walk away from the show that transformed her from comedic star to international phenom and philanthropist.
Ellen told The New York Times she hasn't renewed an agreement for her self-titled talk show, which is under contract until 2020. The 60-year-old has an even keel balancing her potential foray out of the talk show business — in the form of Ellen's brother and Ellen's wife.
While getting ready for a new Netflix show next week called "Relatable," DeGeneres chatted with The Times about her life, from breaking into the night club scene, to coming out of the closet on her sitcom, to dancing her way to become one of the highest-paid celebrities in the world (15th this year at $87.5 million, according to Forbes).
Now she tiptoes the line on whether or not she should leave the show that brought so much fame, fortune and awareness to causes dear to her heart.
Her brother, Vance DeGeneres, said Ellen needs to remain in her talk show role as a "positive, unifying voice on television every day" in an age when President Donald Trump remains in office, according to The Times.
And then there's Ellen's wife, Portia de Rossi, who wants Ellen to walk away from the daily grinds of the show and get back to her roots.
"I just think she's such a brilliant actress and standup that it doesn't have to be this talk show for her creativity. There are other things she could tackle," de Rossi said. "I don't see the end of her show as her career ending."
Ellen sees "Relatable" as a chance to dig back into her roots and showcase what eventually made her become a star. She wants to combine her old self with her new self.
"I wanted to show all of me," Ellen said. "The talk show is me, but I'm also playing a character of a talk-show host. There's a tiny, tiny bit of difference."
The "Ellen DeGeneres Show" that began in 2003 has garnered 32 Emmy awards, but Ellen herself has brought in way more hardware and recognition, most notably when she came out out of the closet in 1997 during the self-titled sitcom "Ellen."
Ellen has since been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. She's also one of the longest-running personalities on TV, spanning more than 20-consecutive years.
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