Ricki Lake
Acting
Born: September 21, 1968 (age 57) · Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA
Highest Rated
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
Hairspray
2007
Cry-Baby
1990
Working Girl
1988
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
1992
Serial Mom
1994
The King of Queens
1998
King of the Hill
1997
Hairspray
1988
Cecil B. Demented
2000
A Dirty Shame
2004
Drop Dead Diva
2009
Mrs. Winterbourne
1996
Photos (2)
Movies (30)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Charlotte
Working Girl
Bridesmaid
Hairspray
Talent Agent
Cry-Baby
Pepper Walker
Serial Mom
Misty Sutphin
Hairspray
Tracy Turnblad
Jackie's Back!
Ricki Lake
A Dirty Shame
Ricki Lake
Cecil B. Demented
Libby
Mrs. Winterbourne
Connie Doyle
Where the Day Takes You
Brenda
Skinner
Kerry Tate
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Donna
Loving Leah
Rabbi Gerry
Hairspray Live!
Pinkette
Gemini
Vanessa
Park
Peggy
Cabin Boy
Figurehead
Cookie
Pia
Under the Christmas Tree
Marie
The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie
Ricki Lake
Based on an Untrue Story
Velour Gnack
The In Crowd
Dancer (uncredited)
Inside Monkey Zetterland
Bella the Stalker
Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery
Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen
Babycakes
Grace
The Chase
Tammie
Moon Manor
Ricki Lake
More Business of Being Born
Host
Matters of Life & Dating
Linda Dackman
TV Shows (19)
King of the Hill
Lila (voice) · 1 eps
The King of Queens
Stephanie Heffernan · 6 eps
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
2 eps
Pictionary
2 eps
Drop Dead Diva
Susan Semler · 1 eps
The Masked Singer
Raven (archive footage) · 1 eps
Kate & Allie
1 eps
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Dream Ghost #1 · 1 eps
TFI Friday
1 eps
China Beach
Holly Pelegrino · 22 eps
The Ricki Lake Show
260 eps
The Word
1 eps
The Critic
Ricki Lake (voice) · 1 eps
Entertainment Tonight
1 eps
Gravedale High
Cleofatra (voice) · 13 eps
Easy to Assemble
1 eps
Gameshow Marathon
Hostess · 7 eps
The Idiot Box
Daughter · 7 eps
Ricki Lake
24 eps
Self / Appearances (33)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · 8 eps
Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Guest · 2 eps
Hollywood Squares
Self - Panelist · 5 eps
Dancing with the Stars
Self - Contestant · 20 eps
The View
Self - Guest · 1 eps
The View
Self · 1 eps
The View
Self - Guest Co-Host · 1 eps
Sherri
Self - Guest · 2 eps
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self · 2 eps
25 Words or Less
Self · 6 eps
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest · 2 eps
Intimate Portrait
Self · 1 eps
The Masked Singer
Self - Raven · 3 eps
Celebrity Family Feud
Self · 1 eps
Celebrity Juice
Self · 2 eps
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Self · 1 eps
Stars in the House
Self - Special Guest · 1 eps
Drop the Mic
Self · 1 eps
Through the Keyhole
Self · 1 eps
The Rosie O'Donnell Show
Self · 1 eps
Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry
Self · 1 eps
The Wheel
Self - Expert · 1 eps
RuPaul
Self · 1 eps
I Am Divine
Self
Charm School with Ricki Lake
Self - Headmistress · 11 eps
Embrace
Self
The Best of So Graham Norton
Self (archive footage)
Hairspray: The Search for Tracy Turnblad
Self
American Catastrophe: LA Burning -- Special Edition of 20/20
Self (archive footage)
Hairspray: Playing Tracy
Self
It Came from... Baltimore!!
Self
The Business of Being Born
Self
The Roots of 'Hairspray'
Self
Producing (7)
The Ricki Lake Show
Producer
Loving Leah
Co-Executive Producer
Charm School with Ricki Lake
Producer
Big Rock Burning
Executive Producer
Weed the People
Executive Producer
More Business of Being Born
Executive Producer
The Business of Being Born
Producer
