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| Rosie Brings "Nice" to Hollywood By Cathy Lu
She allows herself to be featured on the cover of a magazine for large women. She is still shocked when she gets recognized in public. She also has the kind of unfailing sense of morals and family values that would seriously disappoint the editorial staff of the "National Enquirer." But most of all, in an industry rife with prima donnas and people who too easily think that their greatness defies words, Rosie’s just plain nice. What has it gotten her? For starters, her own talk show, two Emmys as best talk show host, and in what she would consider the coup de grace of her career, an interview with her childhood idol Barbra Streisand. The original goal of "The Rosie O’Donnell Show" was to be a Merv Griffin for the ’90s, but those involved got more than they bargained for. The network received a big dose of ratings, and lonely housewives got a best friend for one hour in the afternoon. "Rosie brings herself to the table -- her fears, her joys , her addictions, her computer-like mind, her vulnerability," says one fan, Jack. "It's like sitting down to spend time with a best friend … There is a bond between her and the audience. She exudes personality, she shares relatable life experiences, she's lovable yet brash, weak but strong." Much of the public’s comfort with Rosie has to do with how openly she will talk about anything -- including her rocky childhood. Her mother passed away from breast cancer when Rosie was 10, and her father refused to acknowledge or discuss the death while she and her four siblings were growing up. Without a mother, and with an emotionally removed father, Rosie turned to TV. She started watching shows that centered around happy family lives, like "The Brady Bunch" and "The Partridge Family." Comedy became a cure-all for the tragedies the family never spoke of. Her disjointed family life may explain her deep attachment to her two adopted children, Parker and Chelsea. It’s certainly the main reason "The Rosie O’Donnell Show" was conceived. Three years ago, when O’Donnell came home from filming "Harriet the Spy," she found that her son hadn’t seen her in so long that he wouldn’t come near her. The next day, O’Donnell called her agent and demanded a career change that would keep her close to home. O’Donnell’s sincerity and "do-the-right-thing" attitude are certainly appreciated by her entourage of fans. As Tammi, another Rosie devotee, puts it, "Her candor is unexpected and always honest. She is quick-witted, strong and not dictated by what society thinks of her. Rosie is truly her own person." |
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