Portia De Rossi

Born

1973-01-31

Birthplace

Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Biography

Portia de Rossi is an Australian-American actress, model, and philanthropist. She is best known for her roles as Nelle Porter on the American drama series Ally McBeal (1998–2002), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award, Lindsay Bluth Fünke on the American television sitcom Arrested Development (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019), and Elizabeth North on the American political thriller series Scandal (2014–2017). De Rossi was born Amanda Lee Rogers in Horsham, Victoria, Australia, on January 31, 1973. She began modeling as a child and appeared in several television commercials. In 1994, she made her film debut in the comedy Sirens. She moved to Los Angeles in 1995 and began appearing in guest roles on television shows such as Ally McBeal and Chicago Hope. In 1998, de Rossi was cast as Nelle Porter on Ally McBeal. The role made her a star and she won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. She also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. De Rossi continued to work steadily after Ally McBeal ended in 2002. She starred in the films Stigmata (1999) and Girl (1998), and she appeared in the television series Arrested Development (2003–2006, 2013, 2018–2019) and Better Off Ted (2009–2010). In 2014, de Rossi was cast as Elizabeth North on the political thriller series Scandal. The role earned her a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. De Rossi is also a philanthropist. She is a supporter of several organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign, the Trevor Project, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. She is also a co-founder of the animal rescue organization Kindred Spirits. De Rossi is married to actress and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. They have been together since 2000 and were married in 2008.