Ellen Lee DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres, is escorted as she runs her leg of the Olympic torch relay in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, June 16, 2004.

Ellen Degeneres, born January 26, 1958, is an actress, comedian, and a talk show host. You may be asking yourself, hero? How? Ellen Degeneres is an environmentalist, animal rights activist, and a peacemaker.

Ellen has loved animals since she was a child. Once asked if you were not in the entertainment industry what would you be doing? Ellen responded, "Veterinarian of course." A vegetarian of many years, Ellen knows meat's no treat for those you eat.

Ellen prides herself on helping the earth. She does her best to live green, and spreads words of change. Ellen expresses herself through laughter. "Laughter brings peace," she says. Laughter makes the world a better place.

Ellen's coming out on television shows an act of bravery. In 1997 DeGeneres was the recipient of the coveted Peabody Award, and she also earned an Emmy for writing the critically acclaimed "Puppy Episode," when her character came out as a gay woman to a record 46 million viewers. After that the show went downhill. Ellen was discriminated against. The result was a clamor among conservatives and the religious right evangelist, Jerry Falwell, who "referred to her in a sermon as 'Ellen DeGenerate.'" Ellen responded: "Really, he called me that? Ellen DeGenerate? I've been getting that since the fourth grade."

As you can see, Ellen is a true hero, maybe not your traditional hero when you think of the word, but she is to me. Hopefully to you as well now. Ellen made it back to television and has now won an incredible 21 Emmies for her daytime talk show.