Pineapples: Rosie o ' Donnell and Oprah Winfrey Network Essays

Submitted By deejulius
Words: 931
Pages: 4

Dickinson TXsvdayusvybfyuasbiuoBFAIUSBIUBIUBWIUBFAWHVHUVVGVGVGCGFACFtv- gasXXFTVBIUBIYUVYTVYTBHUBHUVVTBHUJBCFGVBJNKNGYXAWSE GHJMK,LPNBTRZAWXDCVK,Roseann "Rosie" O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962)[2] is an American comedian, actress, author and television personality. She has also been a magazine editor and continues to be a celebrity blogger, LGBT rights activist, television producer and collaborative partner in the LGBT family vacation company R Family Vacations.

O'Donnell started her comedy career while still a teenager and her big break was on the talent show Star Search in 1984. A TV sitcom and a series of movies introduced her to a larger national audience and from 1996 to 2002, she hosted The Rosie O'Donnell Show, which won multiple Emmy awards. During this time, she wrote her first memoir, Find Me, and developed the nickname "Queen of Nice" as well as a reputation for philanthropic efforts. She used the book's $3 million advance to establish her For All Kids foundation and promoted other charity projects, encouraging celebrities on her show to also take part.

O'Donnell came out, stating "I'm a dyke!" two months before finishing her talk show run, saying that her primary reason was to bring attention to gay adoption issues. O'Donnell is a foster and adoptive mother. She was named "Person of the Year" in a 2002 cover story by The Advocate with an in-depth interview by the magazine's editor-in-chief, Judy Wieder. In May 2003, she became a regular contributor to the magazine. She continues to do charity work and remains involved with LGBT and family-related issues.

In 2006, O'Donnell became a moderator on The View. Her strong opinions resulted in several notable controversies, including an on-air dispute regarding the Bush administration's policies with the Iraq War, resulting in a mutual agreement to cancel her contract. In 2007, O'Donnell released her second memoir, Celebrity Detox, which focuses on her struggles with fame and her time at The View. From 2009 to 2011, she hosted Rosie Radio on Sirius XM Radio. In 2011, O'Donnell signed on with the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network to return to daytime TV with The Rosie Show. The network cancelled the show due to low ratings on March 16, 2012, and the last show aired on March 29, 2012.

Contents [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Early work
2.2 The Rosie O'Donnell Show
2.3 The View
2.4 2007–2011
2.5 The Rosie Show and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
3 Other ventures
3.1 Rosie magazine
3.2 Books
3.3 R Family Vacations
3.4 Broadway production
4 Charitable work
5 Personal life
5.1 Coming out
5.2 Marriage and children
5.3 Health
6 Works
7 Nominations and awards
8 References
9 External links
Early life[edit]
O'Donnell, the third of five children, was born and raised in Commack, Long Island, New York.[3][4] She is the daughter of Roseann Teresa (née Murtha), a homemaker, and Edward Joseph O'Donnell, an electrical engineer who worked in the defense industry.[4] O'Donnell's father had immigrated from County Donegal, Ireland during his childhood, and her mother was Irish American; O'Donnell was raised Catholic.[1][5] Four days before her 11th birthday, on March 17, 1973, O'Donnell's mother died of breast cancer.[2] While she attended Commack High School, O'Donnell was voted homecoming queen, prom queen, senior class president and class clown.[3] It was during high school that she began exploring her interest in comedy, beginning with a skit performed in front of the school in which she imitated Gilda Radner's character Roseanne Roseannadanna.[2] After graduating in 1980, O'Donnell briefly attended Dickinson College, later transferring to Boston University, before ultimately dropping out of college.[3]

Career[edit]
Early work[edit]
O'Donnell toured as a stand-up comedian in clubs from 1979 to 1984.[6] She got her first big break on Star Search, explaining on Larry King Live:[7]

I was 20 years old, and I