<P> DeGeneres started performing stand - up comedy at small clubs and coffee houses . By 1981 she was the emcee at Clyde's Comedy Club in New Orleans . DeGeneres cites Woody Allen and Steve Martin as her main influences at this time . In the early 1980s she began to tour nationally, and in 1982 she was named Showtime's funniest person in America in 1982 . </P> <P> MAY 24, 2017, main article: Ellen DeGeneres Lands New Netflix Stand - Up Special Ellen DeGeneres will appear in a brand new stand up special for Netflix . </P> <P> "It has been 15 years since I did a stand - up special . 15 years," DeGeneres said in a statement . "And I'm writing it now, I can't wait . I'll keep you posted when and where I'm gonna shoot my Netflix special . I'm excited to do it; I'm excited for you to see it ." </P> <P> Ellen's work in the late 1980s and early 1990s included the film Coneheads . DeGeneres starred in a series of films for a show named Ellen's Energy Adventure, which is part of the Universe of Energy attraction and pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot . The film also featured Bill Nye, Alex Trebek, Michael Richards, and Jamie Lee Curtis . The show revolved around DeGeneres' falling asleep and finding herself in an energy - themed version of Jeopardy!, playing against an old rival, portrayed by Curtis, and Albert Einstein . The next film had DeGeneres co-hosting an educational look at energy with Nye . The ride first opened on September 15, 1996, as Ellen's Energy Crisis, but was quickly given the more positive - sounding name Ellen's Energy Adventure . </P>

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