Being a single mother is tough, but being a mom while trying to jump start your career is even harder. Donna Mahoney was juggling both on her own when her boyfriend at the time up and left without a word. Donna found herself on her own, determined to be the best mother - with or without him. On July 14th, 1987, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, and named her after both her parents who had been there for her: Elliot Charlene.

From the moment she could speak and form complete sentences, Ellie wanted to do nothing but entertain people. Getting anyone to laugh at her jokes, whether they were something she heard on the television or one she read on the back of a Popsicle stick was the highlight of her day. The title of 'class clown' was given to her as soon as her mother had enrolled her into elementary school, and she often found herself in trouble for talking too much or from goofing off.It wasn't until her mother became a cast member of Saturday Night Live that she finally saw what she wanted to do: be an actress. Getting paid to do something she already loved? What more could you ask for?

Her mother wasn't having it though; she knew the struggles that came with getting into the industry, having gone through it herself, and didn't want her little girl to face the same rejection that she had. At the time, Ellie was too young to understand why her mother was being so "unfair", but it didn't let that stop her. Her room was filled with notebooks of ideas for comedy sketches, her bookcases filled with television shows and movies that starred strong comedic ladies like Carol Burnett and Mary Tyler Moore. One day, she wanted to be a house hold name like them, and she was determined to make it happen, with or without her mother's blessing.

As a teenager, she became more and more in love with the idea of being an actress. School plays and talent shows where she would perform stand up acts were not cutting it. It was then that she struck up a deal with her mother to let her go on a trip to Los Angeles during pilot season. If she somehow landed an audition, Donna promised her that she would let her do whatever she wanted. She spent months going on auditions after audition, she finally landed a role: Maeby Funke on the cult hit Arrested Development.

In 2006, Fox canceled the show, and it was back to the real world for Ellie. She enrolled in NYU, where she majored in English. When she wasn't working odd jobs here and there through out the city and praying she wouldn't be recognized (which rarely did happen, thank God), she went on the occassional audition. The acting bug never really left, and it came full force once she graduated four years later. Even though she was in a few minor roles here and there over the years, her next claim to fame didn't come until she was contacted by HBO to play Shoshanna on a show called Girls.

Between Girls' success and the revival of Arrested Development, she's been a happy camper with her life. Some would point out - and have done so - that most of the credits on her resumes have been bit parts or the faithful sidekick, but Ellie's never been one to care. As long as she's at work, she's happy.