Portia de Rossi talks about Ellen DeGeneres, sexuality

September 6, 2005

Actress Portia de Rossi of Arrested Development recently had her "first-ever interview with the gay press", namely The Advocate. In the interview, she talks about her sexuality and romance with comedienne and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

The 32-year-old Australian reveals she recently told her 98-year-old grandmother that she was a lesbian, when visiting back home. Supposedly her grandmother had a change of heart after two minutes, accepting De Rossi's sexuality.

DeGeneres and De Rossi met at an awards show in December 2004, and both immediately broke up with their respective partners. In the May issue of Allure magazine, DeGeneres said she hopes that she and De Rossi "are together for the rest of our lives."

The interview also reveals she turned down lesbian roles, including one opposite Angelina Jolie in a movie called Gia. De Rossi says she is now fine playing gay characters, but will not do sex-scenes, gay or straight.

On why she suddenly feels comfortable on publicly speaking on the topic, "I was thinking, well, the people who need to know I'm gay know, and I'm somehow living by example by continuing on with my career and having a full, rich life, and I am incidentally gay, but it's not a big political platform. I justified it in so many ways."

Another probable reason she consented to the interview is its timing, right before the upcoming season debut of Arrested Development.