Portia De Rossi

Portia De Rossi, born Amanda Lee Rogers in Horsham, Victoria, Australia, on January 31, 1973, began her career as a child model. At the age of 15, she legally changed her name to Portia de Rossi, a decision she made to cultivate a more mature public persona. She studied law at the University of Melbourne before a casting director discovered her from a commercial in 1993, leading to her acting debut in the low-budget comedy “Sirens” (1994), where she played the role of Giddy. Her early career in the United States involved guest roles in television and a part in “Scream 2” (1997).

De Rossi achieved international recognition in 1998 when she joined the cast of “Ally McBeal” as the lawyer Nelle Porter, a role she maintained until 2002. This period also saw her appear in films such as “Stigmata” (1999) and “Who Is Cletis Tout?” (2001). From 2003 to 2006, she starred as Lindsay Bluth Fünke in the television sitcom “Arrested Development,” a role she reprised for subsequent seasons in 2013 and from 2018–2019. Further television credits include playing Olivia Lord in “Nip/Tuck” (2007–2009) and Veronica Palmer in “Better Off Ted” (2009–2010). She became a series regular as Elizabeth North in Shonda Rhimes’ “Scandal” (2014–2017) before her character’s departure.

In 2018, de Rossi announced her retirement from acting to focus on her art company, General Public, which she founded and serves as CEO. General Public aims to make high-quality art accessible through its innovative art curation and publishing platform, including the use of Synographs™. Her entrepreneurial venture has led to collaborations with major brands, leveraging her public profile to support her business endeavors. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2011.