Laura Dern looks back on what she calls one of the most meaningful moments of her career and opens up about her experience supporting Ellen DeGeneres during a groundbreaking chapter in television history.
Talking about Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers’ Las Culturistas podcast, Dern reflected on the cultural weight of appearing in the two-part episode of the 1997 sitcom Ellen in which DeGeneres’ character came out as a sexual orientation, marking the first time a main character did so on television.
In a discussion of representation, Dern said that real change often only happens when someone is willing to go first, even before society is ready.
She explained that culture eventually catches up with storytelling, but only because someone takes the first step.
Nearly 30 years later, Dern said she continues to meet people who tell her the episode helped them understand themselves or find the courage to come out.
At the same time, she was honest about the personal cost of being a part of that moment.
“I had the honor and privilege to be a part of Ellen DeGeneres’ upcoming episode called The puppy episodeand it was a huge moment,” Dern said.
She noted that in retrospect, people often assume it was celebrated immediately, but the reality was far more complicated and painful.
When the episode aired in April 1997, Dern said the expectation was that it would lead to empathy and acceptance. She recalled the assumption that the audience would open their hearts, embrace their loved ones and allow culture to develop naturally.
Instead, the reaction was intense and hostile.
That backlash affected everyone involved, including DeGeneres and other guest stars.
Dern revealed that those connected to the episode faced several years of heightened security, along with bomb threats and the loss of sponsors and advertisers in what she described as a chaotic period.
“The world said ‘No, no, no,'” she said, adding that DeGeneres ultimately lost her show and that it took years for things to change.
Despite that, Dern believes the long-term impact proves why it’s important to take risks in storytelling.
She pointed to her strong queer fan base and recalled being honored at the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards when she was celebrated as an icon.
She said moments like that show how far the culture has come.
Dern recalled holding DeGeneres’ hand when she said the words out loud for the first time on screen, calling it “one of the most incredible experiences of my life”.
Although Dern said she never hesitated to participate in the episode, she acknowledged that both she and DeGeneres were professionally affected afterward.
Still, she said there has been “no greater gift” than being there in that moment and supporting DeGeneres through an emotional and historic scene that would go on to shape television and representation for generations.
Recently, DeGeneres has marked personal milestones with his wife, Portia de Rossi.
The couple, who married in 2008 and renewed their vows in 2023, regularly share tributes to each other online.
DeGeneres has described her wife as “the greatest gift,” a reflection of the life she has built years after the pivotal episode first aired.
For Dern, the experience remains a powerful reminder of why representation matters, even when the cost feels overwhelming in the moment.
She believes that culture is shaped precisely by those who are brave enough to move forward before the rest of the world is ready.
