Rosie O’Donnell

Roseann O'Donnell is an American comedian, actress, television personality, author, and advocate. She gained early recognition in stand-up comedy and achieved her breakthrough on the television series Star Search in 1984. O'Donnell is best known for hosting her syndicated daytime talk show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, from 1996 to 2002, which earned multiple Daytime Emmy Awards and established her public reputation for philanthropic efforts.

O'Donnell was born on March 21, 1962, in Commack, New York, to Roseann Teresa and Edward Joseph O'Donnell. Raised Catholic, she was the third of five children in a family with a history of abuse and alcoholism. Her mother died from breast cancer in 1973. While attending Commack High School, O'Donnell was voted homecoming queen, senior class president, and class clown, and she began developing her comedy skits. After graduating in 1980, she briefly attended Dickinson College and Boston University.

From 1979 to 1984, O'Donnell toured as a stand-up comedian in clubs. After her appearance on Star Search, she made her television acting debut on Gimme a Break! in 1986 and hosted VH1's Stand-up Spotlight. She made her feature film debut in A League of Their Own in 1992. Her other film appearances include Sleepless in Seattle, The Flintstones, Exit to Eden, Beautiful Girls, Wide Awake, and voicing the character Terk in Disney's Tarzan.

In 1996, O'Donnell launched The Rosie O'Donnell Show through her production company, KidRo Productions. The talk show was known for guest banter, Broadway musical features, and audience interactions. During her run, O'Donnell became an outspoken advocate for gun control following the Columbine shootings, leading to high-profile discussions on her show. She left the program in 2002 and hosted the Survivor: Marquesas reunion special later that year.

O'Donnell served as moderator and co-host on the daytime talk show The View from 2006 to 2007. She brought a news-focused slant to the show, engaging in on-air political discussions regarding the Bush administration and the Iraq War, alongside a public feud with Donald Trump. She later hosted Rosie Radio on Sirius XM Radio from 2009 to 2011 and The Rosie Show on OWN from 2011 to 2012. After a brief return to The View in 2014, she starred on the comedy series SMILF from 2017 to 2019.

O'Donnell publicly came out as a lesbian in 2002 and became an advocate for lesbian rights and gay adoption. She has written several memoirs, including Find Me in 2002 and Celebrity Detox in 2007. She utilized a three million dollar advance from her first book to establish her For All foundation to support charitable projects. Additionally, she became a partner in R Family Vacations and a regular contributor to The Advocate magazine, which named her Person of the Year in 2002.

In early 2025, O'Donnell moved to Ireland and applied for Irish citizenship through descent. In July 2025, Donald Trump threatened to revoke her United States birthright citizenship.