Ricki Lake
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 21, 1968 (age 58)
- Birthplace
- Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA
Biography
Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American television host and actress. She is known for her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray, for which she received a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. She is also known for her talk show, Ricki Lake, which was broadcast internationally from September 1993 until May 2004. When the show debuted, she was 24 and credited as being the youngest person to host a syndicated talk show at the time. In late 2012, Lake began hosting a second syndicated talk show, The Ricki Lake Show. The series was canceled in 2013 after a single season, but Lake won her first Daytime Emmy Award for the project. She also starred in other Waters films including Cry-Baby, Cecil B. Demented, and Serial Mom. She starred in Mrs. Winterbourne, Cabin Boy, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Cookie, and Inside Monkey Zetterland. She joined the cast of the Vietnam War drama series China Beach as a Red Cross volunteer, Holly "the Donut Dolly" Pelegrino, for the show's third season. She also had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens as Doug's sister Stephanie. She also had a cameo in the 2007 film Hairspray as a talent agent and sang "Mama I'm A Big Girl Now" with Nikki Blonsky and Marissa Jaret Winokur for the film's end credits. In 2008, her documentary about home birth and midwifery, The Business of Being Born, was released. She also jointly wrote a book, Your Best Birth, on the world of natural childbirth and birthing options, along with Abby Epstein and Jacques Moritz, which was published in 2009. Lake and Epstein also launched MyBestBirth.com, an online social network, powered by Ning, intended to allow parents and medical professionals to dialogue about varying birthing options and resources. She returned to television on May 11, 2009, succeeding Sharon Osbourne as host for the third season of VH1's Charm School. On November 10, 2010, Lake joined fellow talkers Phil Donahue, Sally Jessy Raphael, Geraldo Rivera, and Montel Williams as guests of Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Winfrey Show, marking the first time those hosts appeared together on one show since their respective programs left the air. She competed on the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with three-time champion Derek Hough and cited Kirstie Alley's appearance as an inspiration to do the show. In October 2019, she began competing in The X Factor: Celebrity. In March 2018, at SXSW, Lake and Epstein premiered their documentary film Weed the People, examining the use of cannabis as medicine and its status as a Schedule I prohibited drug in the United States. The film focused in particular on the use of cannabis in the treatment of pediatric cancer.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
New Line: Independent Legacies
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
She Married Her Murderer: The Susan Cox Powell Story
Movie · as Judy Cox
American Catastrophe: LA Burning -- Special Edition of 20/20
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Moon Manor
Movie · as Ricki Lake
Sherri
TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps
The Wheel
TV · as Self - Expert · 1 ep
Pictionary
TV · 2 eps
Under the Christmas Tree
Movie · as Marie
Stars in the House
TV · as Self - Special Guest · 1 ep
The Tamron Hall Show
TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps
The Masked Singer
TV · as Raven (archive footage), Self
RuPaul
TV · as Self · 1 ep
25 Words or Less
TV · as Self · 6 eps
Gemini
Movie · as Vanessa
Drop the Mic
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Embrace
Movie · as Self
Hairspray Live!
Movie · as Pinkette
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
TV · as Dream Ghost #1 · 1 ep
Celebrity Family Feud
TV · as Self · 1 ep
I Am Divine
Movie · as Self
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Through the Keyhole
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Ricki Lake Show
TV · 260 eps
More Business of Being Born
Movie · as Host
Loving Leah
Movie · as Rabbi Gerry
Drop Dead Diva
TV · as Susan Semler · 1 ep
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV · as Self - Guest · 9 eps
Charm School with Ricki Lake
TV · as Self - Headmistress · 11 eps
The Business of Being Born
Movie · as Self
Easy to Assemble
TV · 1 ep
Celebrity Juice
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Matters of Life & Dating
Movie · as Linda Dackman
Hairspray
Movie · as Talent Agent
Hairspray: Playing Tracy
Movie · as Self
The Roots of 'Hairspray'
Movie · as Self
Hairspray: The Search for Tracy Turnblad
Movie · as Self
Park
Movie · as Peggy
Gameshow Marathon
TV · as Hostess · 7 eps
It Came from... Baltimore!!
Movie · as Self
The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie
Movie · as Ricki Lake
Dancing with the Stars
TV · as Self - Contestant · 20 eps
The Reichen Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
A Dirty Shame
Movie · as Ricki Lake
The Best of So Graham Norton
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
Higglytown Heroes
TV · as Carpenter Hero (voice) · 1 ep
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV · as Self · 2 eps
Cecil B. Demented
Movie · as Libby
Jackie's Back!
Movie · as Ricki Lake
Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery
Movie · as Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen
The King of Queens
TV · as Stephanie Heffernan · 6 eps
Hollywood Squares
TV · as Self - Panelist · 5 eps
The Entertainment Biz
TV · as Self · 1 ep
King of the Hill
TV · as Lila (voice) · 1 ep
The View
TV · as Self - Guest, Self - Guest Co-Host · 1 ep
Mrs. Winterbourne
Movie · as Connie Doyle
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
TV · as Self · 1 ep
TFI Friday
TV · 1 ep
Serial Mom
Movie · as Misty Sutphin
Cabin Boy
Movie · as Figurehead
The Critic
TV · as Ricki Lake (voice) · 1 ep
Based on an Untrue Story
Movie · as Velour Gnack
Skinner
Movie · as Kerry Tate
Ricki Lake
TV · 24 eps
Late Show with David Letterman
TV · as Self - Guest · 2 eps
Intimate Portrait
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Where the Day Takes You
Movie · as Brenda
Inside Monkey Zetterland
Movie · as Bella the Stalker
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Movie · as Charlotte
The Chase
Movie · as Tammie
The Jenny Jones Show
TV · 1 ep
The Idiot Box
TV · as Daughter · 7 eps
Cry-Baby
Movie · as Pepper Walker
Gravedale High
TV · as Cleofatra (voice) · 13 eps
The Word
TV · 1 ep
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Movie · as Donna
Cookie
Movie · as Pia
Babycakes
Movie · as Grace
The In Crowd
Movie · as Dancer (uncredited)
A Family Again
Movie · as Carmen
Working Girl
Movie · as Bridesmaid
Hairspray
Movie · as Tracy Turnblad
China Beach
TV · as Holly Pelegrino · 22 eps
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV · 2 eps
Kate & Allie
TV · 1 ep
Entertainment Tonight
TV · 1 ep