Ellen DeGeneres Interviews Portia de Rossi

March 16, 2009 will go down in history as either an important day in gay and lesbian relationships or, if you're like me, it'll be just another Monday.

I'm not a regular Ellen TV show watcher, the show's just a bit too light entertainment for me, but Ellen herself is one of the funniest comedians around, so I'll watch once in a while.

I was very interested when Ellen announced that she would be having her partner and wife, Portia de Rossi, on the show. Not because she's Ellen's partner but because she's kind of the 'forgotten' Aussie in America. She's not known in Australia in the same way as Nicole Kidman or Simon Baker or even Julian McMahon whom Portia stared alongside in the US TV show Nip/Tuck. Perhaps it's her openness about being a lesbian or perhaps it's because she's mostly played supporting roles rather than lead, I don't know? Whatever the reason she's been consistently working as an actress in the USA since she first appeared on the US TV show Alley Mcbeal in 1998.

Hence to see her on Ellen's show last Monday was something to look forward to. Especially since she has a new comedy show premiering called Better Off Ted.

I've never seen Portia do comedy. She's known for playing cold but determined and driven female characters and, by the sounds of things, Better Off Ted isn't going to be a stretch other than the comedy angle.

Anyway, if Ellen and Portia's rehearsal video, which aired on Ellen's show the Friday prior to the interview, is anything to go by Portia's fantastic at comedy. In fact I found the rehearsal video to be even more interesting and fun than the official interview.

Rehearsal
by chinesedaughter

The official interview on the Monday was a lot of fun too and Portia stayed on to play a round of the Newly Wed Game and to sing Sonny and Cher's, I got you babe. You can see those clips on Ellen's TV show site.

Interview about shoes and traveling
by chinesedaughter

Getting back to my opening sentence, for those of you that feel Ellen and Portia's appearance together on TV as a happily married, same sex couple was a milestone, you may like to read Ellen DeGeneres interviews Portia de Rossi, who "also happens to be my wife" from Gay and Lesbian web site, After Ellen.

I can see how Ellen and Portia are helping to bring same sex relationships into main stream acceptance without being too in your face about it. Sort of a softly, softly approach. However I don't want to go into that too much here. Sure it was a lot of fun seeing Ellen interviewing her partner/wife but really I was just interested to finally see Portia being herself, having never seen her in an interview before.

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