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After being Ellen DeGeneres’ housewife since quitting acting seven years ago, Portia de Rossi is tempted to return to TV, insiders say, as bigwigs behind HBO’s hot-button The White Lotus named her their dream cast member for season 4.
Pals say that the 52-year-old beauty, who previously starred on Ally McBeal and Arrested Development, is tired of hiding out in the English countryside as a homemaker and is keen to revive her career, but they predict it will cause all kinds of trouble with Ellen, 67, if she takes the gig.
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“Ellen is not happy about the idea of Portia going off for five months to act on a streaming show,” says an insider. “The makers of The White Lotus understand that. The previous seasons have all been filmed at luxury resorts where the actors, if they want to, can bring along their loved ones for what amounts to a free vacation.”
Actor Sam Rockwell, who is the real-life partner of White Lotus star Leslie Bibb, even got cast in the show, making a surprise cameo in season 3.
According to the insider, Portia would fit into the romantic drama perfectly, as she already has loads of ensemble TV acting experience.
Sources say Portia has chatted about doing the show with Ellen, and that’s got the former talk queen bee’s stinger out of joint.
“People think Ellen was the one who coaxed Portia to put her acting career on hold, but that’s not accurate. Portia was the one who decided to step back from acting.”
“Portia is her own woman and makes her own decisions, and when the right acting opportunity comes along for her, she doesn’t need Ellen’s permission to say ‘yes.’”
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As Globe readers know, Ellen and Portia split from the U.S. for the English countryside in November 2024 following Donald Trump’s reelection to a second term.
They recently bought a new, more contemporary home after running into too many issues with their first house.
Adds the insider, “Ellen has no intention of leaving home and staying in some remote resort with a bunch of actors and their mates. She doesn’t want to tag along, and she doesn’t want Portia to go either.”
“She wants things just the way they are, and that kind of stubbornness could prove fatal to the marriage.”