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Rosie O'Donnell

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Rosie O'Donnell
O'Donnell at a tailgate party before a Barbara Streisand concert.
Born
Roseann Theresa O'Donnell
Years active1979 - present
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Spouse(s)Kelli Carpenter
Later legally voided, the two are still a couple.
WebsiteRosie.com

Roseann Teresa O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962 in Bayside, Queens, New York) is an Emmy-award winning American talk show host, television personality, comedian, film, television, and stage actress.

After beginning as a stand-up comic, O'Donnell gained notice for hosting her own daytime talk show The Rosie O'Donnell Show, from 1996 to 2002. Currently, she is co-host and moderator of the ABC talk show, The View.

Early life

Four days before her 11th birthday, on March 17, 1973, her mother died of breast cancer.[1]

In high school, she began exploring her comic interests beginning with a high school skit in which she imitated Gilda Radner’s character Roseanne Rosannadanna.[1]

After graduating, O'Donnell briefly attended Dickinson College, later transferring to Boston University but dropped out to pursue comedy. Rosie toured standup clubs from 1979 to 1984.[2] Her heavy-set appearance and tomboyish, husky Long Island accent stood her apart from other actresses and comediennes. She got her first big break on Star Search, explaining on Larry King Live:[3]

I was 20 years old, and I was at a comedy club in Long Island. This woman came over to me and she said, I think you're funny. Can you give me your number? My dad is Ed McMahon. I was like, yeah, right. I gave her my father's phone number. I was living at home, I'm like, whatever. And about three days later, the talent booker from Star Search called and said, we're going to fly you out to L.A. [...] I won, like, five weeks in a row. And it gave me national exposure.

After this success, she moved on to television sitcom comedy, making her series debut as Nell Carter's neighbor on Gimme a Break! in 1986.

In 1988, she transitioned to VH1, where she hosted Stand-up Spotlight, a showcase for up-and-coming comedians. She soon after made her feature film debut in A League Of Their Own.

Magazine

In 2000, O'Donnell partnered with the publishers of McCall's to revamp the magazine as Rosie's McCall's (or, more commonly, Rosie). The magazine was launched as a competitor to fellow talk show hostess Oprah Winfrey's monthly magazine. Rosie covered issues including depression, breast cancer, foster care, and other socially relevant matters.

Rosie the magazine folded in 2003. At the time, difficulties in securing advertising at satisfactory rates was given as a reason for the magazine becoming defunct.

In late 2003, O'Donnell entered into a legal battle with the publishers of Rosie magazine. They claimed that the failure of the magazine was due to O'Donnell's uncooperative, rude and violent behavior within the magazine's offices. They claimed that by removing herself from the magazine's publication, she was in breach of contract. O'Donnell claimed that there was no way she could in good conscience continue to be a part of the magazine, because they were moving away from her vision.

The trial received considerable press coverage. O'Donnell would often give brief press interviews outside of the courtroom responding to various allegations. Of note was a former magazine colleague and breast cancer survivor who testified that O'Donnell said to her on the phone that "people who lie die of cancer".[4] Ultimately, the judge ruled against both sides and dismissed the case.

In 2006, O'Donnell responded to a question on the Ask Ro Section of her website in which she stated that she would love to do another magazine. O'Donnell also said she has written a new book, due out this summer. It is to be called Celebrity Detox.

Autobiography

In 2002, O'Donnell also published an autobiography entitled Find Me. In addition to cataloging her childhood and early adulthood, the book delved into O'Donnell's relationship with a woman with Multiple Personality Disorder who posed as an under-aged teen who had become pregnant by rape. The book was critically acclaimed and reached number two on the New York Times bestseller list.

Disclosure of sexuality

Shortly before leaving her talk show, O'Donnell confirmed the rumors about her sexuality when she came out of the closet as a lesbian. Within the gay community this was common knowledge[citation needed], and the tabloids had been hinting at it.[citation needed] In her January 31, 2002, appearance on the gay-themed sitcom Will & Grace, she played a lesbian character. She claimed various reasons for coming out, 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 partner) she was infuriated that adoption agencies, particularly in Florida, were refusing adoptive rights to able gay parents. She hoped that by coming out, she would increase awareness of this subject.

Image change

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 a somewhat masculine haircut. O'Donnell told the press that her haircut was meant to mimic the haircut of former Culture Club backup singer Helen Terry.[5] She subsequently attributed the haircut as a way to emulate Boy George, in hopes that he would allow her to produce his stage show Taboo in the United States. O'Donnell subsequently did invest in and produce the show, but it was an expensive failure on Broadway.

Family life

On February 26, 2004, O'Donnell entered legal union with her partner Kelli Carpenter, a former Nickelodeon marketing executive, in San Francisco, some two weeks after mayor Gavin Newsom authorized the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Her decision to marry Carpenter came after O'Donnell blasted President Bush over his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment. The license was later voided by the California Supreme Court.

The couple are parents to adopted children Parker Jaren (born May 25, 1995), Chelsea Belle (born September 20, 1997), and Blake Christopher (born December 5, 1999). Their fourth child, Vivienne Rose (who was conceived through sperm donation) was born November 29, 2002 to Carpenter.

Television comeback

The View

During the 2006 Daytime Emmy Awards, Barbara Walters announced that O'Donnell would become a co-host on the talk show The View.

On September 5, 2006, she officially replaced Meredith Vieira as the moderator of the show. On the March 6, 2007 episode of The View, O'Donnell mentioned Wikipedia saying that the online encyclopedia is usually accurate, unless you "get there right after a crazy person" who writes "Rosie O'Donnell is from Norway and she eats turtles."

Charities

Personal contribution

On December 15, 2006 Elizabeth Birch, Executive Director for the Rosie's For All Kids Foundation confirmed that $50 million dollars from her five year contract with the Rosie O'Donnell Show were donated in an irrevocable trust to charity.

Rosie's For All Kids Foundation

Since 1997, Rosie's For All Kids Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in Early Childhood Care and Education program grants to over 900 nonprofit organizations that provide opportunities for thousands of America’s kids. Through the Cutie Patootie™ Center capital grants program, 27 early education centers in large cities across the United States have received nearly $8 million to expand their services. On October 30, 2006 The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children honored Rosie O’Donnell at its 2006 gala for her commitment to protecting endangered children.[6] "It's our privilege to be honoring and hosting Rosie," said NYSPCC president David Stack in a statement. "Her Rosie's for All Kids Foundation has awarded more than $22 million in grants to over 1,400 child-related organizations, and that's just one of her many impressive activities on behalf of children."

On November 1, 2006 ABC-TV Nightline aired a video report[7] about the opening of The Children's Plaza and Family Center in Renaissance Village, a FEMA trailer park in Louisiana. This was an emergency response initiative of Rosie's For All Kids Foundation with the help of many local nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses, all efforts were to assist the families displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Rosie's Broadway Kids

In 2003 Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell collaborated with Artistic Director Lori Klinger to create this organization, dedicated to providing high quality instruction in music and dance at no cost to New York City public schools or students. Eighty-five percent of students who participate in Rosie’s Broadway Kids are from low-income families. Rosie’s Broadway Kids serves more than 4,500 teachers, students, and their family members at 21 schools. Currently programs are in Harlem, Midtown West, Chelsea, Lower East Side, East Village, and Chinatown

Controversies

Gun control controversy

O'Donnell is an outspoken supporter of gun control and a major figure in the Million Mom March. During the April 19, 1999, broadcast of her talk show, she stated, "You are not allowed to own a gun, and if you do own a gun, I think you should go to prison." O'Donnell has since regretted making the remarks and has attempted to reconcile her stance by remarking, "I don't personally own a gun." In 1999, O'Donnell interviewed actor Tom Selleck, who was promoting a film. During the promotional interview, in what some critics perceived as an "ambush", O'Donnell confronted him about his stance on guns and his involvement with the NRA, making it an infamously tense TV moment.[8] According to Selleck, the two had agreed not to discuss the topic prior to his appearance on the show. O'Donnell maintains that Selleck and his publicist had been informed that the topic would be discussed. However, she did subsequently say on her show that the interview did not go as she hoped it would.

Also in May 1999, Bernadette Peters and the rest of the cast from Annie Get Your Gun was to appear for taping and perform the song "Anything You Can Do". O'Donnell insisted that the line "I can shoot a partridge with a single cartridge" be removed from the song. Peters refused, and the cast sang a different song without Peters. Later in 1999, O'Donnell discontinued her contract with Kmart as their spokeswoman, because of her opinion of the large retailer's sale of firearms.


Clay Aiken / Kelly Ripa Controversy

On November 20, 2006, O'Donnell raised controversy when she commented on Live with Regis and Kelly co-host Kelly Ripa's actions during a taping of her own show. Ripa and guest co-host Clay Aiken bantered causing Aiken to jokingly put his hand over Ripa's mouth, as if to stop her from talking, while she was conducting an interview. Seeing that Ripa didn't appreciate his joke, Aiken said, "Oh, I'm in trouble." Ripa responded, "No, I just don't know where that hand's been, honey." Ripa's comment caused O'Donnell to call Ripa a homophobe, saying "Now listen, to me that was a homophobic remark. If that was a straight man, if that was a cute man, if that was a guy that she didn't question his sexuality, she would have said a different thing". Within minutes, Ripa was on the phone, responding to O'Donnell's comments and defending her reactions to the mouth-covering incident by saying she was concerned as it was in fact "cold and flu season" and Aiken had been shaking hands with audience members before the show. According to Barbara Walters, both O'Donnell and Ripa have spoken and moved on from the incident. Aiken, who has declined to publicly discuss his sexuality, did not comment.

"Ching-chong" controversy

On December 5, 2006, O'Donnell raised controversy. She made a comment in reference to the publicity a November 29, 2006 appearance on The View by Danny DeVito had garnered. O'Donnell indicated that she was amazed that the controversy had become such a prevailing topic,[9] and joked that it was being talked about as far away as China. "You know, you can imagine in China it's like, 'Ching-chong, ching-chong. Danny DeVito. Ching-chong, ching-chong-chong. Drunk. The View. Ching-chong.'"[10]

The remarks sparked considerable media backlash, as Rosie's comments were interpreted as a "mockery of the Chinese language."[11] The offended groups further noted that O'Donnell is herself indignant against comments that "she has perceived ... as being negative against a particular community,"[12] a reference to her stance against any kind of homophobic taunting or jokes. [13]

O'Donnell's initial response via her publicist was, "She's a comedian in addition to being a talk show co-host. I certainly hope that one day they will be able to grasp her humor."[14]

On December 14, 2006 O'Donnell said on The View, "To anyone who was offended at my Chinese, Asian, pseudo-Japanese, sounded a little Yiddish accent that I was doing, you know, it was never [my] intent to mock, and I'm sorry for those who felt hurt or were teased on the playground." She followed up the statement by warning those offended that she may do it again, saying, "But I'm also gonna give you a fair warning that there's a good chance I'll do something like that again, probably in the next week — not on purpose. Only 'cause it's how my brain works.""[15][16] The groups who had spoken out against O'Donnell's comments on December 5 were not satisfied with O'Donnell's response. [17]

On February 24, 2007, O'Donnell wrote a more comprehensive apology on her blog with respect to this incident as a reply to the featured YouTube video "an open letter to all the rosie o'donnells" by Beau Sia.[18]:

i apologize
for any and all pain
caused to any and all
by my comments
ignorance
lack of compassion - empathy
understanding

u r right
i didn't get it

i know
my intent was not to harm
yet obviously i did

there ya have it[19]

Donald Trump controversy

On December 20, 2006, O'Donnell criticized billionaire Donald Trump on The View a day after he appeared before reporters with Miss USA, Tara Conner, to announce sympathetically that "everyone deserves a second chance" and that he would allow her to continue acting as Miss USA, despite her violation of pageant guidelines by partying and drinking.[20] In response to O'Donnell's comments, Trump began a media blitz that included Access Hollywood, Extra, Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360, The O'Reilly Factor and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Works

Television

Theatre

Filmography

Award ceremonies

Autobiography

Awards

Daytime Emmy Awards

  • 1997 Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host, Rosie O'Donnell

Emmy Awards

  • 1999 Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special, 52nd Annual Tony Awards

References

  1. ^ a b Rosie O'Donnell Biography, Biography.com
  2. ^ Rosie O'Donnell profile, E! Online
  3. ^ "Highlights of Interviews With Rosie O'Donnell", CNN Larry King Weekend, March 16, 2002
  4. ^ Cancer survivor: Rosie O'Donnell told her liars 'get cancer'
  5. ^ http://hollywood.outsidethebeltway.com/category/notables/rosie-odonnell/
  6. ^ http://www.yourlifemagazine.com/town.html
  7. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2622927
  8. ^ Transcript: Tom Selleck Visits "The Rosie O'Donnell Show", NRAWinningTeam.com
  9. ^ http://youtube.com/watch?v=UnSuZz3gWuE
  10. ^ Serpe, Gina (2006-12-14). "Rosie Really Sorry for "Ching-Chong" Crack". E! News. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  11. ^ http://www.aaja.org/news/mediawatch/2006_12_08_01/
  12. ^ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,235842,00.html
  13. ^ Chung, L.A. , `Ching-chong' joke spreads ignorance, The Mercury News 2006-12-06, retrieved on 2007-01-20
  14. ^ http://www.nypost.com/seven/12092006/gossip/pagesix/rosie_to_asians__loosen_up_pagesix_.htm
  15. ^ Carlson, Erin. "Group not satisfied with Rosie's apology". Associated Press.
  16. ^ http://hotair.com/archives/2006/12/14/video-rosie-apologizes-for-ching-chong/
  17. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2727198&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
  18. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJCkHu3trKc
  19. ^ http://www.rosie.com/blog/2007/02/24/beau-sia/
  20. ^ Dagostino, Mark (2006-12-20). "Rosie Slams Trump, The Donald Fires Back". People Magazine. Retrieved 2007-02-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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