Humor must not professedly teach, and it must not professedly preach, but it must do both if it would live forever. — Mark Twain

Celebrating Ellen DeGeneres

The All-Star Cast

An all-star cast of actors, performers and musicians celebrate the life and humor of Ellen DeGeneres.

Kristin Chenoweth	Steve Harvey	Sean Hayes	Jimmy Kimmel
John Krasinski	John Leguizamo	Jane Lynch	Jason Mraz
Lily Tomlin	Loudon Wainwright III

Kristin Chenoweth

As an Emmy and Tony Award winner, SAG and People's Choice Award nominee, New York Times Best Selling author, and recording artist, Kristin Chenoweth effortlessly transitions between stage, television, and film. Ms. Chenoweth has received a Best Supporting Actress Emmy for her work on Pushing Daisies and a Tony for her performance in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, as well as nominations for her roles in Fox's comedy Glee and Broadway's Wicked. An Oklahoma Hall of Fame inductee, she continues to tour, in which she performs songs from her latest album Some Lessons Learned, in addition to an array of her most memorable songs and Broadway show tunes. She is currently featured on CBS' The Good Wife and can be seen in the film Hit and Run. In Spring 2013 she will co-star in the film Family Weekend. Her previous film and television credits include RV, Four Christmases, and The West Wing.

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Steve Harvey

Steve Harvey is a media conglomerate personified in a man whose career began doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s. His success as a stand-up comedian eventually led to a long stint as host of It's Showtime at the Apollo. His stand-up success has also led to multiple television shows and movies, as an actor, host, writer, and producer. His career has continued to flourish, becoming a top-rated radio host, fashion entrepreneur, best-selling author, popular game show host on Family Feud, and host of his own new daytime show. In addition to a seven-year stint hosting Apollo, he starred in ABC's Me and The Boys, the WB shows The Steve Harvey Show for six seasons, and SteveHarvey's Big Time Challenge for two seasons. Mr.Harvey has also hit the big screen in movies such as Love Don't Cost a Thing, You Got Served, Johnson Family Vacation, Madea Goes to Jail, and the No. 1 smash Think Like A Man, which was released in 2012 and adapted from his No. 1 book.

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Sean Hayes

Sean Hayes, who received critical acclaim for his roles in theater, television, and film, quickly gained fame as the sarcastic and hilarious, Jack McFarland, on NBC's Will & Grace. In addition to working successfully and simultaneously in theater, film, and television, Mr. Hayes has also added producing to his repertoire. This past spring, Hayes starred in the popular comedy reboot, The Three Stooges. Directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, he played the part of Larry alongside Chris Diamantopoulos as Moe and Will Sasso as Curly. He was recently seen in the action comedy, Hit and Run, written and directed by Dax Shepard. Mr. Hayes has a small yet memorable cameo amidst the cast which includes Kristen Bell, Kristin Chenoweth, and Bradley Cooper. He will also lend his voice to the Monsters, Inc prequel, Monsters University. On television, Mr. Hayes will be making guest appearances on the upcoming seasons of Up All Night and Smash.

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Jimmy Kimmel

As host and executive producer of the Emmy nominated late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live for the ABC Television Network, Jimmy Kimmel is a busy man. Like most talk shows, Jimmy Kimmel Live features celebrity guests, comedy bits, and live music. Unlike most talk shows, it also features Mr. Kimmel's family-including his cousin Sal, his parents and Aunt Chippy. His childhood best friend, Cleto Escobedo, serves as bandleader, alongside his dad, Cleto Escobedo, Sr., on saxophone. Jimmy Kimmel Live airs weeknights at 12:00 a.m. ABC has recently announced that starting on January 8, 2013, the late night staple will air weeknights at 11:35 p.m. He co-created and executive produced the hit MTV2 series' The Andy Milonakis Show and Crank Yankers. In addition, Kimmel co-hosted Comedy Central's The Man Show, served for four seasons as onair prognosticator for Fox NFL Sunday, and co-hosted Comedy Central's long-running and popular game show, Win Ben Stein's Money, for which he received two Emmy nominations and one win for Best Game Show Host in 1999.

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John Krasinski

John Krasinski has established himself as one of the most exciting talents as an actor and director, engaging audiences on both the large and small screen. He will next be seen in the Gus Van Sant directed film, Promised Land where he stars opposite Matt Damon. Mr. Krasinski is also in the early stages of development on the HBO miniseries based on the 1987 book, Life at the Marmont by former co-owner Raymond R. Sarlot and Fred E. Baston. The actor was last seen in Ken Kwapis' Big Miracle, opposite Drew Barrymore, which was released by Universal Pictures. He is perhaps best known for his charming boy-next-door portrayal of Jim Halpert on NBC's hit comedy The Office. Mr. Krasinski's feature film credits include: Something Borrowed, It's Complicated, Away We Go, Leatherheads, Monsters vs. Aliens, Shrek the Third, License to Wed, Smiley Face, For Your Consideration, The Holiday, Dreamgirls<, Kinsey, and the animated film Doogal in which Krasinski voiced three characters.

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John Leguizamo

A multi-faceted performer and Emmy Award winner, John Leguizamo has established a career that defies categorization. With boundless energy and creativity, his work in film, theater, television, and literature covers a variety of genres, continually threatening to create a few of its own. He recently wrapped production in the Ridley Scott's crime drama The Counselor opposite Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, and Javier Bardem and Universal's Kick Ass 2 opposite Nicholas Cage. In the summer of 2012, he reprised his role as the voice of Sid in Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. In 2011 he returned to Broadway with his solo play, directed by Fisher Stevens, Ghetto Klown which followed in the unabashed, uncensored, and uninhibited tradition of his other acclaimed one-man shows: Mambo Mouth, Spic-O-Rama, Freak, and Sexaholix... a Love Story. Additional stage credits include Fugly, which he also wrote and produced. A Midsummer Night's Dream and La Puta Vida at the New York Shakespeare Festival and Parting Gestures at INTAR. Film credits include Love in the Vanishing on 7th Street, The Lincoln Lawyer, The Ice Age Franchise, Love in Time of Cholera,The Happening, Righteous Kill, The Babysitters, The Take, Where God Left His Shoes, Miracle at St. Anna, Land of the Dead, Assualt on Precint 13, Sueno, Spun, Summer of Sam, King of the Jungle, Spawn, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Julliet, Dr. Doolittle, Carlito's Way, and Casualties of War. He earned Golden Globe nomination (Best Supporting Actor) for his performance as a sensitive drag queen in Too Wong Foo: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. He also picked up American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Award nominations for his roles in Moulin Rouge (Best Supporting Actor) and King of the Jungle (Best Lead Actor). He was ALMA's entertainer of the Year 2002. Television credits include Spike TV's limited series The Kill Point, 12 episodes as a guest star in ER during the 2005-06 season, and a guest star arc on My Name is Earl. He has developed a deal with ABC studios to star and executive produce a comedy inspired by his life. His autobiography Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends was released by Harper Collins in October 2006.

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Jane Lynch

Jane Lynch cut her theatrical teeth at The Second City, Steppenwolf Theatre, and in many church basements all of the greater Chicagoland area. Recent film credits include A.C.O.D, Three Stooges, Wreck-It Ralph, Julie & Julia, Shrek Forever After, The Post Grad Survival Guide, Paul, and Brownie Masters. Past film work includes Christopher Guest's For Your Consideration, A Mighty Wind, and Best in Show as well as Role Models, The Rocker, Spring Breakdown, and the animated film Space Chimps, Alvin and the Chipmonks, Walk Hard, Talladega Nights, 40 Year Old Virgin, Margaret Cho's Celeste and Bam Bam, Alan Cumming's Suffering Man's Charity, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Sleepover, and Surviving Eden. Jane can currently be seen in the Ryan Murphy television series Glee on FOX for which she is an Emmy and Golden Globe winner for portraying the iconic television character, Sue Sylvester. Some of her other recent credits include STARZ series Party Down; Lovespring , a Lifetime original series; Desperate Housewivsr; Weeds ; as well as the last season of The L Word opposite Cybill Sheperd. She has recurring toles on Two and a Half Men, Criminal Minds, and The New Adventures of Old Christing. Jane's play Oh sister, My Sister! had runs at the Tamarind Theatre and Bang Theater garnering the LA Weekly Comedic Ensemble of the Year Award. Jane also authored the autobiography Happy Accidents which topped several national best sellers list, including the New York and LA Times

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Jason Mraz

Hailed as one of today's most gifted pop troubadours, Jason Mraz is a photographer, activist, surfer, yogi, student, and teacher. Mr. Mraz has taken his musical journey from coffee houses to global stadiums and now has two Grammy Awards and six Grammy nominations to his credit. His latest album, Love is a Four Letter Word, debuted in the Top 15 in 13 countries including No. 2 in the United States with the first single, "I Won't Give Up" debuting in the No. 1 slot on Billboard's Digital Songs chart one week after its release. Mr. Mraz's previous album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. proved a global blockbuster, earning multiple platinum certifications worldwide. One of the album's hit songs, "I'm Yours" was a momentous No. 1 smash in many formats around the world, earning ASCAP's 2010 Song of the Year award while also setting the record for the longest-running song in the 51-year history of Billboard's Hot 100.

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Lily Tomlin

Lily Tomlin, one of America's foremost comediennes, continues to venture across an everwidening range of media, starring in television, theater, motion pictures, animation, and video. Throughout her extraordinary entertainment career, Ms. Tomlin has received numerous awards, including six Emmys; a Tony for her one-woman Broadway show, Appearing Nitely; a second Tony as Best Actress, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics' Circle Award for her one woman performance in Jane Wagner's The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe; a CableACE Award for executive producing the film adaptation of The Search; a Grammy for her comedy album, This is a Recording, as well as nominations for her subsequent albums Modern Scream, And That's the Truth, and On Stage; and two Peabody Awards-the first for the ABC television special, Edith Ann's Christmas: Just Say Noel and the second for narrating and executive producing the HBO film, The Celluloid Closet. In December 1969 Ms. Tomlin joined the cast of the top-rated Laugh-In and immediately rose to national prominence with her characterizations of Ernestine, the irascible telephone operator, and Edith Ann, the devilish six-year-old. Tomlin had a number of successful movie roles in the 1970s and 1980s, including Robert Altman's Nashville, which earned her an Academy Award nomination. In the fall of 2003 she was honored as the 2003 recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

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Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright III came to fame when "Dead Skunk" became a Top 20 hit in 1972. Born in Chapel Hill, NC in 1946, he had studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon University, but dropped out to partake in the Summer of Love in San Fransico. He wrote his first song in 1968, "Edgar" (about a lobsterman in Rhode Island) and was soon signed to Atlantic Records by Nesuhi Ertegun. Clive Davis lured him to Columbia Records - which released "Dead Skunk." His recording career now consists of 25 albums, also including last year's five disc retrospective 40 Old Years and his most recent studio album 10 Songs For The New Depression (2010). Wainwright's songs have been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Rufus Wainwright, and Mose Allison, among others. He has collaborated with songwriter/producer Joe Henry on the music for Judd Apatow's hit movie Knocked Up, written music for the British theatrical adaptation of the Carl Hiassen novel Lucky You, and composed topical songs for NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered and ABC's Nightline. An accomplished actor, Wainwright has appeared in films directed by Martin Scorsese, Hal Ashby, Christopher Guest, Tim Burton, Cameron Crowe, and Judd Apatow. He has also starred on TV in M.A.S.H. and Undeclared, and on Broadway in Pump Boys and Dinettes. His latest album is Older Than My Old Man Now was produced by Dick Connette and boasts stellar musical collaborations with his many talented family members and friends.

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