The Impactful Characters

Kali

Kali is an outspoken, spunky, and flirtatious young cali-girl with killer vocabulary. She lived next to De Rossi and her husband Mel Metcalfe in an apartment in Santa Monica. She is very into fashion and art. Vogue is her addiction. Kali is short with voluptuous burgundy hair. When De Rossi got her role in Ally McBeal, Kali was the one De Rossi turned to to get help with fashion.

Michael Rogers

Michael is Portia De Rossi's brother. He is a comedic and tender guy who is rather close to Portia. After De Rossi's husband, Metcalfe, ran away with her brother's wife, they moved in together and cared for one another. Michael was the one who snapped De Rossi into reality: without help, she would die. He also supported her through all of her struggles.

Margaret Rogers

Margaret is Portia's mother. She is a say-it-like-it-is kind of person. Her and Portia are close also. Margaret and Michael teamed up to get Portia help.

Suzanne

Suzanne is a professional, caring, and gentle nutritionist who has the capability of getting to the nitty-gritty. She is explained as a constant barrier for De Rossi because of her persistence to increase her daily calorie intake. However she is mentionable for her constant bombardment to De Rossi's "anorexia bubble" that isn't reality. Now that De Rossi is free from her disease she can see how crucial Suzanne was.

Ellen DeGeneres

Portia met Ellen at a photo shoot in 2004. Ellen DeGeneres is a comedian with her own talk show. She is a very loving and kind person. Ellen, being openly gay, helped Portia with her confusing thoughts about being a lesbian. Her unconditional love and acceptance of Portia helped her overcome anorexia. They eventually married in 2008.

Why is this unbearable story, Unbearable Lightness?

Portia De Rossi began counting calories at age twelve. With modeling and acting putting a spotlight on her life, she felt she had to be fit for her pictures and roles. She also used self punishment to deal with her ashamed and fearful feelings of being a lesbian.

Everyday was a difficult and tedious process of making sure calories were at an exact 300 and trying to get rid of the intense feelings of guilt and self-betrayal. De Rossi pushed herself to the breaking point by not only starving herself, but by turning to compulsive physical exercise and eventually to purging. She also exhausted her spirits by thinking worthless and critical thoughts about herself and stuggling with the fact that she is a lesbian.

Unbearable Lightness is a very unique way to express De Rossi's struggle with anorexia. Her life with the disease was indeed unbearable, since she wanted help in a way, but would never say anything. Also, the fact that her body was falling apart without proper nutrients. She could also be described as light at a mere 82 pounds. It could also be viewed as metaphor for her painful fight with her spirit after constant self hate and feeling of shame.

Portia De Rossi

Portia De Rossi, originally Amanda Rogers, was born on January 31st, 1973 in Melbourne, Australia and was raised in Geelong, Australia. At twelve-years-old she decided she wanted to be a model. After her mother had tried to talk her out of the idea, De Rossi was determined to prove that she was capable of anything, and came back to her mother's car with "good news" which was a booked modeling job. She continued to model until she graduated from high school and decided to become a lawyer. In 1993 she took a big interest in acting and was cast in a low budget film, Sirens. She continued acting and has been cast in Scream 2, Stigmata, and Cursed. Her acting career took off when she landed a role in the television series Ally McBeal. She is also known for starring in Arrested Development.

Since the start in the modeling business at age twelve, De Rossi began counting calories. At age sixteen she was also aware of the fact that she was a lesbian. Overcome by her fear of tabloids finding out her sexuality, her calorie counting progressed into anorexia and bulimia. After collapsing in Toronto at only 82 pounds, her family knew she needed help. A continuous struggle with eating and being a lesbian dragged her down. In 2004 De Rossi met Ellen DeGeneres and they began dating. De Rossi claims Ellen saved her life with her acceptance and was at her heaviest weight with her. De Rossi and DeGeneres married on August 16th, 2008.

De Rossi wrote the book about her struggles and published it in 2010. This is her first book.

"Unbearable Lightness"

De Rossi, Portia. Unbearable Lightness. Atria Books. 1 Nov. 2010.

Why in the world did I pick that book??

       Why did I choose Alive? I'd say morbid curiosity. Who wouldn't find a book about desperate people,post plane crash, eating each other to survive,interesting?