Rosie O'Donnell Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

R???? O'Donnell ?? ?n ??t?r, ??m?d??n ?nd LGBT ??t?v??t who h?? ??rv?d as h??t ?f 'Th? R???? O'Donnell Sh?w' ?nd 'The View.'

Childhood

Born ?n 1962 in Commack, N?w Y?rk, Rosie O'Donnell b?g?n h?r ??r??r ?? a stand-up ??m?d??n before moving t? television. After her role in th? 1992, O'D?nn?ll went ?n t? furth?r ?u????? ?n the ?m?ll ??r??n, notably with her d??t?m? t?lk ?h?w ?nd l?t?r as co-host of Th? V??w. An outspoken LGBT ??t?v??t, O'Donnell h?? found herself ?n t?bl??d h??dl?n?? for her mult??l? marriages and ??r??n?l ???u??.

E?rl? L?f?

Actress, ??m??, t?lk ?h?w host and ?uth?r R???? O'Donnell w?? born Roseann O'D?nn?ll ?n M?r?h 21, 1962, in Commack, New York. Th? middle ?f five ?h?ldr?n, ?h? ?? th? d?ught?r ?f R????nn and Edw?rd O'D?nn?ll, a h?m?m?k?r ?nd an ?l??tr???l ?ng?n??r, r?????t?v?l?. B??ng ??rt of a large f?m?l? had ?t? ?h?ll?ng??. L?f? got harder wh?n R???? w?? ten ???r? old; h?r mother died of ??n??r, ?nd h?r father took the l??? particularly h?rd.

B???m?ng emotionally d??t?n??d from th? rest of th? family, O'Donnell's father coped b? r?m?v?ng m??t ?f h?? w?f?'? belongings from the family home. One of the few reminders of th??r m?th?r th?t ??????d their f?th?r'? t?u?h w?? ?n ?ld record ??ll??t??n. O'D?nn?ll and her ??bl?ng? often ??ught ??mf?rt by listening to th??r mother's ?lbum?—??rt??ul?rl? th? B?rbr? Streisand records.

Early A?h??v?m?nt?

R???? O'Donnell's l?v? of music ?nd th??t?r d?d not stop with Streisand, ?nd b? h?gh school she h?d ?ff????ll? ??ught th? acting bug. Sh? imitated G?ld? R?dn?r'? ?h?r??t?r f?r a ?k?t, wh??h ??rn?d h?r high ?r???? and h?l??d foster a desire t? ?ur?u? a ??r??r in comedy. B? w?t?h?ng and ?m?t?t?ng ?th?r ??m??? ?u?h as Jerry S??nf?ld, O'D?nn?ll eventually came u? w?th h?r ?wn material ?nd h?n?d h?r m?gn?t?? presence f?r th? ?t?g?.

O'Donnell w?? a ???ul?r ?tud?nt wh? w?? ?l??t?d ?r?m ?u??n, homecoming ?u??n, m??t ??h??l-???r?t?d ?nd class ?r???d?nt b?f?r? gr?du?t??n. Aft?r m?tr??ul?t?ng, she ?mb?rk?d ?n a stand-up comedy t?ur ?r?und th? United States, appearing ?n 49 ?t?t?? ?v?r a five-year ??r??d. It was a problematic and ?nl?ght?n?ng t?m? f?r O'Donnell, wh? ?l?wl? came t? gr??? with th? unh??lth? l?f??t?l? and ??x??t ?l?m?t? of the comedy w?rld.

L?t?r Career

In 1992, ?ft?r ?????r?ng in ??v?r?l t?l?v????n specials, R???? O'Donnell made a much-desired m?v? to f?lm. Sh? made h?r big-screen d?but as Madonna's l?v??bl? ??d?k??k ?n A L??gu? of Their Own, a P?nn? M?r?h?ll-d?r??t?d f?lm. Dur?ng filming, O'D?nn?ll f?rg?d m?n? connections ?nd friendships wh??h served t? ?nh?n?? her ??r??r, including ?n ?ndur?ng relationship w?th ??-?t?r Madonna.

Her role ???wn?d a ?tr?ng of "b??t fr??nd" ??rt?: playing M?g R??n'? closest ??l in 1993'? Sl???l??? in Seattle; co-starring ?l?ng??d? Richard Dreyfuss ?nd Emilio E?t?v?z ?n An?th?r St?k??ut (1993); and m?k?ng a m?m?r?bl? appearance ??r??? fr?m N?t?l?? Portman and T?m?th? Hutton ?? the w???-?r??k?ng h??rdr????r ?n B??ut?ful G?rl? (1996). O'D?nn?ll b?g?n a tr?nd ?f making ?r????w?rth? performances ?n less-than-extraordinary f?lm?.

In 1994, R???? O'Donnell's dream ?f ??rf?rm?ng live ?n stage materialized wh?n ?h? w?? cast ?? R?zz? ?n T?mm? Tune's Br??dw?? r?v?v?l ?f Gr????! H?w?v?r, b?th th? production ?nd O'D?nn?ll'? performance met lukewarm r?v??w?. O'Donnell ?l?? ?x?r????d ??n??rn ?b?ut the m????g? ?f th? ?l??, with ?t? ??x??t premise about a g?rl wh? mu?t tr?n?f?rm herself ?nt? a t?ghtl?-?l?d vamp to g??n ?????t?n?? from her b??fr??nd ?nd his fr??nd?.

Later Career

In 2006, R???? O'Donnell became a m?d?r?t?r on Th? View. H?r ?tr?ng ???n??n? resulted in ??m? controversies, including ?n on-air dispute regarding th? Bu?h administration's ??l????? with th? Iraq War, r??ult?ng ?n a mutu?l agreement to ??n??l h?r ??ntr??t. In 2007, O'D?nn?ll r?l????d her second m?m??r, C?l?br?t? D?t?x, wh??h f??u??? on her ?truggl?? w?th fame and h?r time ?t Th? V??w. From 2009 t? 2011, she h??t?d R???? R?d?? ?n Sirius XM Radio.

In 2011, O'Donnell ??gn?d ?n with th? OWN: O?r?h Winfrey Network t? r?turn t? d??t?m? TV w?th The R???? Show. On M?r?h 16, 2012, the n?tw?rk ??n??ll?d th? ?h?w due t? low r?t?ng?, and th? l??t ?h?w ??r?d on M?r?h 29, 2012. In Jul? 2014, O'Donnell was r?h?r?d t? j??n The V??w as a ??-h??t for th? ??r???' ??ght??nth season. O'D?nn?ll ?nn?un??d in February 2015 h?r decision t? d???rt the ??r??? ?g??n, this time citing personal reasons for h?r d???rtur?.

In November 2000, R???? O'Donnell revealed plans t? leave her talk ?h?w ?ft?r h?r contract ?x??r?t??n ?n 2002. She told ?ud??n??? th?t ?h? h???d to focus more t?m? on h?r n?n?r?f?t ?rg?n?z?t??n, wh??h h?l??d f???l?t?t? the ?r????? ?f ?d??t??n b?tw??n b?rth mothers and ?d??t?v? f?m?l???. Sh? th?n m?d? h??dl?n?? f?r her l?f? in ??rl? 2002, with word th?t she w?uld ?ff????ll? ??m? ?ut ?? a l??b??n in h?r ?ut?b??gr??h? F?nd M?. Part of h?r decision t? ??m? ?ut was fueled b? a d???r? to ?dv???t? on b?h?lf of g?? adoption.

Al?? ?n 2002, O'D?nn?ll ?nn?un??d th?t she would no longer ?r?du?? her n?m???k? m?g?z?n? after a little ?v?r a ???r ?n n?w??t?nd?. Though th? magazine w?? f??rl? well r????v?d, Rosie ??t?d ?d?t?r??l d?ff?r?n??? f?r th? r????n she pulled th? plug, causing R????'? ?ubl??h?r to f?l? a $100 m?ll??n lawsuit for br???h ?f ??ntr??t. O'Donnell later f?l?d a $125 m?ll??n ??unt?r?u?t, ?l??m?ng th? ?ubl??h?r? seized control ?nd f?r??d h?r ?ut. In th? midst ?f the m?d??-h??v? trial th?t ensued, she continued to ?r?du?? h?r Br??dw?? musical, T?b??, about th? life ?f B?? G??rg?. H?w?v?r, after r????v?ng n?g?t?v? r?v??w? ?nd ?ubl???t?, th? show closed just thr?? m?nth? ?ft?r ?t ???n?d.

Hum?n?t?r??n W?rk

In 2003, R???? O'Donnell ?nd Kelli O'D?nn?ll ??ll?b?r?t?d w?th Artistic Director L?r? Kl?ng?r t? ?r??t? R????'? Broadway K?d?, d?d???t?d t? providing fr?? ?n?tru?t??n ?n music ?nd dance t? N?w Y?rk C?t? ?ubl?? ??h??l? or ?tud?nt?. R????'? Br??dw?? K?d? ??rv?? m?r? th?n 4,500 teachers, students, ?nd th??r f?m?l? m?mb?r? at 21 ??h??l?. Curr?ntl?, ?r?gr?m? ?r? ?n Harlem, M?dt?wn W??t, Ch?l???, Lower E??t S?d?, E??t V?ll?g?, ?nd Ch?n?t?wn. All n?t profits fr?m O'D?nn?ll'? 2007 book C?l?br?t? Detox are also b??ng d?n?t?d t? R????'? Br??dw?? K?d?.

Personal Life

In 2004, R???? O'Donnell w?d longtime partner K?ll? Carpenter ?n San Francisco, California. Carpenter ?h?ng?d her last n?m? to O'D?nn?ll, but th??r un??n was l?t?r ?nnull?d b? a California court d??????n. Th? ??u?l? ?l?? enjoyed th? f?r?t ?ru??? ?rg?n?z?d b? their travel bu??n??? R F?m?l? V???t??n?, which ?r??t?? h?l?d??? f?r g???, lesbians ?nd th??r fr??nd? and f?m?l???. Th? v???g? was f??tur?d ?n a d??um?nt?r? ?h?wn on HBO.