As the leading producer of custom rubber watch straps, Rubber B consistently strives to innovate and improve on our existing product catalog, which features custom rubber watch straps for watches from leading watchmakers around the globe, such as Rolex, Tudor, Panerai, and Audemars Piguet. For this particular blog post, we’re going to further explore the life of one of America’s most believed comedians – Ellen DeGeneres.
Having had one of the most successful talk shows in the country (and which is now onto its final season) for the last 19 years, it certainly feels as if Ellen DeGeneres has been a part of our collective conscious forever. However, every famous person has to start somewhere, and considering that she is also a noted luxury watch enthusiast, we thought it would be worthwhile to take a closer look at how Ellen DeGeneres got her start in show business, as well as her sublime watch collection.
Who is Ellen DeGeneres?
Ellen DeGeneres was born on January 26th, 1958 in Metairie, Louisiana to Elizabeth Jane, a speech therapist, and Elliot DeGeneres, an insurance agent. Her brother is Vance DeGeneres, a musician, producer, and former contributor to “The Daily Show” from 1999 to 2001.
Her parents would eventually divorce, and she would end up moving with her mother and stepfather to Atlanta, Texas while her brother remained in Louisiana with their father. She would graduate from Atlanta High School in May of 1976 and then move back to Louisiana to study at the University of New Orleans, where she would major in communication studies.
However, she would leave after only one semester, resulting in her working a series of odd jobs, including waitress, house painter, hostess, and bartender.
Early Show Business Success
DeGeneres eventually realized that she had a passionate interest in pursuing stand-up comedy as her full-time career and began performing at small clubs and coffee houses around New Orleans. By 1981, she would become the regular emcee at Clyde’s Aft
With an act influenced by the styles of Woody Allen and Steve Martin, DeGeneres would often tell stories about her childhood and past job experiences. Audiences would respond enthusiastically to her, and she would eventually be given the opportunity to tour around the country as a headlining comedian. By 1984, Showtime would go on to name her the “Funniest Person in America,” and she would also go on to produce two solo one-hour specials, “The Beginning,” and “Here and Now,” for HBO as well.
Mainstream Success With Her First Sitcom and Film Roles
After several years of being a nationally recognized touring comic and acting in small parts on television, Ellen DeGeneres was given her own sitcom in 1994 on ABC, which lasted for five seasons. Originally titled “These Friends of Mine,” the show was later retitled “Ellen” for its subsequent seasons. The title was changed in order to avoid confusion with NBC’s “Friends.”
The show was very popular due to its relatable style of observational comedy, with many critics calling it a “female Seinfeld.” However, DeGeneres would drop a massive bombshell soon enough that would permanently alter the course of her career.
While her sitcom was at the height of its success, she would appear in several film roles, including starring in the 1996 comedy “Mr. Wrong” and the 1999 film “EDtv.” However, toward the end of the fourth season of the show, DeGeneres decided to come out, ultimately choosing to do so on a very memorable episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
She would also have her character come out on the sitcom, with Laura Dern portraying the object of her affection. However, while gay activists groups and allies were very excited about this moment, there was a significant amount of backlash towards both DeGeneres and the network with regards to this choice.
The show would last for only one more season afterward, primarily because advertisers pulled their ads from the show and cost the network a significant amount of money. For several years following this, both DeGeneres and Dern would be the victim of a de facto blacklist as a result of this, though in the ensuing years, the moment has become a watershed one in television history.
Resurgence and Enduring Popularity
In 2003, she would begin hosting “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” one of the longest-lasting and most successful daytime television shows in the history of the format. The show would not only revive DeGeneres’s career, but considerably increase her net worth as well – today, she is worth almost 100 million dollars.
In 2018, after not performing stand-up comedy for 15 years, she returned to the format with a one-hour special entitled “Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable.”
What Kind of Watches are in Ellen Degeneres’s Watch Collection?
Ellen is also a noted watch collector and has been collecting luxury timepieces for several years now. While she collects watches from a variety of different watchmakers, including Patek Philippe, she is primarily known for her amazing collection of Rolex watches, including some truly rare pieces.
She is known to own several Rolex GMT-Master timepieces, including the 50th-anniversary model, which comes in a striking 18k yellow gold. She is also the proud owner of a Rolex Daytona Ceramic, which is one of the most coveted models that Rolex produces. She also owns a Rolex Yachtmaster as well, which is one of the largest watches that Rolex currently makes.
Ellen Degeneres is a big fan of Rolex watches , in the picture above she is wearing the Rolex Daytona in yellow gold.
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All of our watch bands are made from 100% vulcanized rubber and manufactured in Switzerland by industry professionals with decades of experience behind them. All of Rubber B’s straps are also non-toxic and non-allergenic, ensuring a quality product that is sure to last for years to come.
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