Rosie O’Donnell started her career as a stand-up comedian and toured various cities before appearing on the American TV show ‘Star Search’ in 1984. In 1986, she joined the cast of the American sitcom television series ‘Gimme a Break’ as ‘Maggie O'Brien.’ O’Donnell remained a part of the show until 1987. She made her film debut in the 1992 American sports comedy-drama film ‘A League of Their Own’ directed by Penny Marshall. The film opened to critical acclaim and raked in big numbers at the box office. It was even selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2012.
After appearing in television shows like ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ (1992), ‘Stand By Your Man’ (1992), and ‘The Ren & Stimpy Show’ (1994), O’Donnell started her daytime variety television talk show ‘The Rosie O'Donnell Show’ in 1996. The show was a phenomenal success and O’Donnell bagged 11 Daytime Emmy Awards for her performance. ‘The Rosie O'Donnell Show’ ran for 6 years and aired its final episode in May 2002.
O’Donnell went on to appear in shows like ‘Will & Grace’ (2002), ‘Judging Amy’ (2003), ‘Queer as Folk’ (2005), and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ (2005-2011). In 2006, she joined the American talk show ‘The View’ as a moderator. Her time on the show was described as highly controversial with events involving a feud with politician and media personality Donald Trump and several on-air disputes around former United States President George W. Bush’s policies and administration. She left the show in 2007. She was next seen in television series and shows like ‘Drop Dead Diva’ (2009-2010), ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ (2011), ‘The Rosie Show’ (2011-2012), and ‘Impractical Jokers’ (2013).
Apart from television, O’Donnell has also starred in films like ‘The Flintstones’ (1994), ‘Now and Then’ (1995), ‘Harriet the Spy’ (1996), ‘Artists and Orphans: A True Drama’ (2001), ShowBusiness: The Road to Broadway’ (2005), ‘All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise’ (2006), and ‘America’ (2009).
In 2014, she returned to the talk show ‘The View’ as a co-host. She continued to host the show until 2015. In 2021, O’Donnell appeared as ‘Carrie’ in the American drama television series ‘The L Word: Generation Q.’ She will be next seen in the upcoming television series ‘American Gigolo’ where she will play the role of ‘Detective Sunday.’