Ricki Lake
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
Credits
- 2024 · Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry as Self
- 2022 · The Wheel as Self - Expert
- 2022 · Sherri as Self - Guest
- 2022 · Pictionary as
- 2022 · Moon Manor as Self
- 2021 · Under The Christmas Tree as Noelle
- 2020 · Stars in the House as Self - Special Guest
- 2019 · Tamron Hall as Self - Guest
- 2019 · RuPaul as Self
- 2019 · The Masked Singer as Raven (archive footage)
- 2019 · The Masked Singer as Raven
- 2018 · 25 Words or Less as
- 2017 · Drop the Mic as Self
- 2017 · Gemini as Vanessa
- 2016 · Hairspray Live! as Pinky's Girl
- 2016 · Embrace as Self
- 2015 · Crazy Ex-Girlfriend as Dream Ghost #1
- 2015 · Celebrity Family Feud as Self
- 2013 · Through the Keyhole as Self
- 2013 · Whose Line Is It Anyway? as Self
- 2013 · I Am Divine as Self
- 2012 · The Ricki Lake Show as
- 2011 · More Business of Being Born as Host
- 2009 · Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen as Self - Guest
- 2009 · Drop Dead Diva as Susan Semler
- 2009 · Loving Leah as Rabbi Gerry
- 2008 · Celebrity Juice as Self
- 2008 · Easy to Assemble as
- 2008 · The Business of Being Born as Self
- 2007 · Matters of Life & Dating as Linda Dackman
- 2007 · Hairspray as Talent Agent
- 2006 · Park as Peggy
- 2006 · Gameshow Marathon as Hostess
- 2005 · The Reichen Show as Self
- 2005 · The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie as Ricki Lake
- 2005 · It Came from... Baltimore!! as Self
- 2005 · Dancing with the Stars as Self - Contestant
- 2004 · A Dirty Shame as Self
- 2003 · The Ellen DeGeneres Show as Self
- 2000 · Cecil B. Demented as Libby
- 1999 · Jackie's Back! as Ricki Lake
- 1998 · Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery as Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen
- 1998 · The King of Queens as Stephanie Heffernan
- 1998 · Hollywood Squares as Self
- 1997 · The View as Self - Guest
- 1997 · The View as Self
- 1997 · The View as Self - Guest Co-Host
- 1997 · King of the Hill as Lila (voice)
- 1996 · The Rosie O'Donnell Show as Self
- 1996 · Mrs. Winterbourne as Connie Doyle
- 1994 · Serial Mom as Misty Sutphin
- 1994 · Cabin Boy as Figurehead
- 1993 · Intimate Portrait as Self
- 1993 · Skinner as Kerry Tate
- 1993 · Based on an Untrue Story as Velour Gnack
- 1993 · Ricki Lake as
- 1993 · Late Show with David Letterman as Self - Guest
- 1992 · Inside Monkey Zetterland as Bella the Stalker
- 1992 · Where the Day Takes You as Brenda
- 1992 · Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Charlotte
- 1991 · The Jenny Jones Show as
- 1991 · The Chase as Tammie
- 1990 · Gravedale High as Cleofatra
- 1990 · Cry-Baby as Pepper Walker
- 1989 · Cookie as Pia
- 1989 · Last Exit to Brooklyn as Donna
- 1989 · Babycakes as Grace
- 1988 · Working Girl as Bridesmaid
- 1988 · A Family Again as Carmen
- 1988 · LIVE with Kelly and Mark as
- 1988 · China Beach as Holly Pelegrino
- 1988 · Hairspray as Tracy Turnblad
- 1988 · The In Crowd as Dancer (uncredited)
- 1984 · Kate & Allie as