With a photo like this one, it doesn't seem too difficult:
How does anyone go from making $87.5 million this year and risking that to shift into a new "mean" image? Portia De Rossi, her wife, says, “I just think she’s such a brilliant actress and standup that it doesn’t have to be this talk show for her creativity. There are other things she could tackle.”
True, there are other things, but acting? Good luck finding a movie for Ellen to star in. Judging by this photo, perhaps James Bond?
When you've hit it big in daytime, much like Oprah, the last thing you want to do is venture off into unloved territory. Not an easy decision for someone who climbed the ladder all the way to the TOP, having come from almost nothing.
Here's the article.