We don’t see Ellen get emotional too often. Last week we saw her have fun, but usually she sits in her chair with her giant blue eyes looking completely dead while her mouth smiles. It’s a freaky trick. That being said, if there is one person who could make Ellen choke up, it’s Laura Dern.
Dern was on the show to promote Jurassic World Dominion, but I don’t want to give that any more time than I have to, so we won’t be discussing it. What we will be discussing is Dern’s ability to cut right to Ellen’s heart, which is a skill possessed by few people (Portia, George W. Bush).
After the necessary talk of how cool it was to hear dinosaur noises get recreated, Ellen and Dern got to the good stuff. Dern played the pivotal role of an out lesbian named Susan on the famous coming out episode of Ellen’s sitcom, the 25th anniversary of which is next week.
“You’re a very special person to me,” Ellen said. “Thank you for being a part of that chapter and thank you for being a part of this chapter.” Dern said she was “profoundly moved” to have been in the episode.
The Big Little Lies actress then became the interviewer, asking Ellen how she felt about her show coming to an end. “I feel really emotional, some days are easier than other days. Some days I just cry,” Ellen said, foreshadowing the fact that she would soon be having one of those days.
“I love what this show has been, I’m proud of this show,” Ellen said when asked what she was going to do next. “I think everyone who works here is proud to have been a part of something that hadn’t happened in daytime before.” I’m sure the people who were fired for taking bereavement days would agree.
Dern capped the interview off with a monologue that rivals her famous Marriage Story speech:
“I hope you’re able to take in what in these last 19 years it has meant to be in America’s living room every day and the profound cultural shift you have yet again made by allowing the world to get to love the authentic, true you… There is a profound paradigm shift, so I am here to witness yet again another profound paradigm shift and thank you, and I hope you take that in.”
On Instagram, she tried again: “What a journey to witness and celebrate - from The Puppy Episode to now - all that Ellen represents in healing culture’s deeper understanding and inclusion, by being welcomed each day, with so much love, into America’s homes.” Well, it’s the thought that counts.
The whole thing was so profound that when they cut back to Ellen, you could see the tears in her eyes. EllenCam?
Dern then led the audience in a standing ovation.
If this is what the emotional tenor of the last two months of Ellen is going to be, I’m ready. I want to see my girl full-out sobbing while reminiscing about If These Walls Could Talk 2 with Sharon Stone.
