O'Donnell, Rosie (1962—)

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O'Donnell, Rosie (1962—)

Stand-up comic Rosie O'Donnell has transformed the definition of "talk show" since her syndicated debut in 1996. Rather than falling into the trap of sensationalized fisticuffs and searing emotionalism á la Jerry Springer and Jenny Jones, O'Donnell has created a show that feels as comfortable as one's own living room. Her star-struck reaction to her guests seems to mirror that of her viewers, and her ease with guests and audiences alike creates an atmosphere of having a few friends over to visit. O'Donnell often confesses that she does not sing well. Yet, she sings often and loud, and the viewers love it—and her. She refuses to apologize for her weight and has become a positive role model for females of all ages. The adjective most often used to describe O'Donnell is "real."

Born in Flushing, New York, and brought up in Commack, on Long Island, Rosie O'Donnell's early years were typically middle class and suburban. Her Irish Catholic father was an electrical engineer, and her mother was the president of the Parent Teacher Association. The middle of five children, O'Donnell reveled in her tightly knit family. This typical suburban lifestyle ended abruptly when her mother was diagnosed with what was believed to be pancreatic cancer in 1972—O'Donnell has since said that she believes her mother died of breast cancer. Edward O'Donnell chose to hide the seriousness of his wife's illness, telling the children that she had hepatitis. Therefore, the O'Donnell offspring were unprepared when their mother died at the age of 39. Roseann O'Donnell was buried on her daughter Rosie's eleventh birthday. Either believing that he was helping his children or blinded by his own grief, O'Donnell's father refused to let the children openly grieve for their mother, nor were they allowed to attend her funeral. When her father turned to alcohol to ease his pain, O'Donnell, by all accounts, was forced to mother her four siblings.

While she was nurtured by both teachers and neighbors, Rosie O'Donnell turned to the fantasy world of movies and television to give her the family life that she needed; she particularly liked stories in which families regenerated themselves after the loss of a parent. Her favorite fantasy parents were the Von Trapps from The Sound of Music, the Bradfords from Eight Is Enough, and the Bradys from The Brady Bunch. To Rosie, her mother's death became the defining point of her life, leaving her with the certainty that she, too, would die at a young age. She has frequently said that she associated being thin with being sick. Eating was, therefore, a way to avoid illness and, ultimately, death.

Despite the problems with her home life, O'Donnell continued to do well at school. She was popular with her classmates and was named homecoming queen, prom queen, and senior class president. She was also an all-round athlete, and continues to be interested in sports today. Even as a teenager, O'Donnell understood that humor brought her the attention that she craved. This recognition of her ambition and talent led her to become a stand-up comic at the age of 16. She won recognition for her abilities on Star Search on five separate occasions. This exposure paved the way for her stint as Nell Carter's neighbor on Gimme A Break and her hosting of VH-1's Stand-Up Spotlight.

By the time that Rosie O'Donnell appeared in A League of Their Own in 1992, she had won a loyal following. She cemented her popularity with supporting leads in Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Another Stakeout (1993), Car 54, Where Are You? (1994), The Flintstones (1994), Now and Then (1995), and Beautiful Girls (1996). Realizing her life-long ambition to star on Broadway, Rosie O'Donnell spent a year playing Rizzo in Grease in 1994. The following year, O'Donnell decided that it was time for a new direction in her life. She had recently adopted a son, Parker Jarren, and wanted to spend more time with him than her movie career allowed. She presented herself to Disney, but they were not interested. Fortunately for her fans, Warner Brothers proved to have more foresight and signed her to a contract. The Rosie O'Donnell Show was born, providing a breath of much needed fresh air amid the tawdry sensationalism of daytime television. In 1998 O'Donnell adopted a daughter, Chelsea Belle, and has said that she wants to adopt more children. She has continued to act in movies during breaks from her talk show. O'Donnell played a nanny in Harriet, the Spy and a nun in Wide Awake (1998), and she provided the voice of Turk in Disney's Tarzan (1999); she is also negotiating to star in a television movie about the life of comedienne Totie Fields.

Throughout the late 1990s, O'Donnell won both popular and critical acclaim. She won a Day Time Emmy for Best Talk Show Host in 1997 and tied with Oprah Winfrey for that honor in 1998. She has almost single-handedly rejuvenated the theater industry with her championship of Broadway and served as host for the Tony Awards in 1997 and 1998.

It is her love of children, however, that defines the essence of Rosie O'Donnell. She has demonstrated that she is still young at heart with her hosting of the Kid's Choice Awards for Nickelodeon. The sale of her book Kids Are Punny and the Rosie O'Doll by Tyco have generated at least a million dollars for her For All Kids Foundation. When Scope named her one of the least kissable celebrities, O'Donnell won her revenge by negotiating a deal with Listerine, whereby they donated $1,000 to her foundation every time she kissed a guest on her show. Rosie O'Donnell has proved that audiences are still comfortable with talk shows such as those of Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, and Dinah Shore. Dubbed the "Queen of Nice" by Newsweek, she has also demonstrated that "nice" girls do win.

—Elizabeth Purdy