Portia de

Portia Lee James DeGeneres is an Australian-American actor and model with the pseudonym Portia de Rossi. Her name was changed legally at the age of 15, taking the name 'Portia' from the Shakespearean production 'The Merchant of Venice'. She then adopted the Italian title 'de Rossi' which she found to be beautiful. Portia says that she believes it's the most brave thing she's done. The struggle she had with her sexuality spurred her to change her name. Her career in the film industry began when she starred in the romantic comedy film "Sirens. She was in the film with Hugh Grant. In addition, she appeared in a variety of American films and television shows like Too Something, Nick Freno, the Licensed Teacher, Arrested Development, as well as, Better Off Ted. She was famous for her character in a Boston-based lawyer, named Nelle Porter in the popular comedy on television called Ally McBeal. Her character was the show's primary comic relief.