Rosie O'Donnell is an American comedian, actress, author, television personality, and producer. She is best known for her hosting duties on the talk shows The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1996–2002) and The View (2006–2007; 2014–2015). She has also won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special, and a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.
O'Donnell was born on March 21, 1962, in Commack, New York. She began her career as a stand-up comedian in the early 1980s. She appeared on the television show Star Search in 1984, which led to her being cast in the sitcom Gimme a Break!. She also had a recurring role on the sitcom Murphy Brown.
In 1996, O'Donnell launched her own syndicated talk show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show. The show was a huge success, and O'Donnell quickly became one of the most popular talk show hosts in the country. She was known for her candid and often controversial interviews, as well as her warmth and humor. The show won several Daytime Emmy Awards, and O'Donnell herself won the award for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 1999.
In 2002, O'Donnell ended her talk show to focus on her family and other projects. She returned to television in 2006 as a co-host of the daytime talk show The View. She left the show in 2007, but returned in 2014. She left the show again in 2015.
In addition to her work in television, O'Donnell has also appeared in a number of films, including A League of Their Own (1992), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and Beautiful Girls (1996). She has also written several books, including Find Me (2002) and Celebrity Detox (2007).