The It List

Ellen Degeneres
The Out Girl

Age: 39 Why her?: Even before she became TV's leading lesbian, DeGeneres had crafted a memorable comic persona: a self-effacing, loose-limbed goofball addicted to the non sequitur. How she does it: DeGeneres is the fastest comedian in the West, according to Ellen director Gil Junger. Focused and efficient, she often finishes rehearsing way ahead of schedule at 2 p.m. In fact, DeGeneres once memorized a 50-page script in about three hours. "I've never seen anything like it," says Junger. When shooting, DeGeneres usually improvises on the second take. "She catches herself by surprise," says Junger. "She's said to me, 'I don't know where it comes from.' More often than not, the second take is the one we'll use." What's next: A role as a police detective in Warner Bros.' Goodbye Lover, for which DeGeneres had to pad her clothing for a heavier look. "She plumped up beautifully," boasts director Roland Joffe. "Ellen claimed she was wearing a fruit basket in her bra, but I don't believe that's true."

Carol Leifer
The Real Elaine

Age: 40 Why her?: One of the few women who's thrived in the frat-house world of sitcom writing, she wrote for Seinfeld (eventually going on to produce) and is credited with being the model for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Elaine Benes. "People say that because I dated Jerry and then we remained good friends," demurs Leifer, who has also served as a writer-producer on HBO's The Larry Sanders Show. Leifer does admit to a number of "Elaine ideas" on Seinfeld, including the bit in which Elaine poses as a beard for a gay man (based on the comic's real-life experience). What inspires her: Austerity. "An office should feel like the prison in Papillon," she says. Creative crutch: Her comedy notebook. "I have it so if something happens, or if somebody says something funny, I write it down," says Leifer. "It's in my purse. I don't want to be a total nerd and have it sticking out of my back pocket." What's next: For the WB sitcom she's executive-producing this fall, Alright Already, Leifer stars as an optical shop owner. "I wanted to create a show for every woman who doesn't work at a magazine," she quips.

Andy Richter
Best Bud
Conan O'Brien
Late Bloomer

Ages: O'Brien, 34, and Richter, 30 Why them? Thanks to inventive sketches and the pleasantly stilted (almost sexual) relationship between O'Brien and his ultra-ironic sidekick, NBC's Late Night has blossomed into the most cunning talk show around. The duo infuse the show with a fly-your-freak-flag sensibility and react like giddy schoolchildren to the goings-on. "We kind of feel like contest winners," confides Richter, "and now that we've been invited into the magic kingdom, why not order up a few kegs and invite some friends over?" What inspires them: Loopy comedy comes from a loopy environment, of course. O'Brien prowls the halls serenading his staff with demented tunes; writers scribble on the walls and toss around unsecured objects. "During rehearsals, Andy and I try to outdo each other by being offensive," O'Brien notes. "He'll start talking about sacrificing babies or diarrhea, and I'll scream things into the microphone at my desk, trying to hurt the guy's ears in the booth." Creative crutches: O'Brien: His guitar. Richter: Naps. What's next: "Andy and I want to make a really overindulgent buddy cop movie," says O'Brien.