Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: No known aliases

Gender: Female

Place of birth: Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 20

TV Involvements: 10


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

Celebrity Family Feud
Average
8

Celebrity Family Feud

(2015) Herself
The Masked Singer
Average
8

The Masked Singer

(2019) Raven (archive footage)
China Beach
Average
7

China Beach

(1988) Holly Pelegrino
Mrs. Winterbourne
Average
7

Mrs. Winterbourne

(1996) Connie Doyle
Last Exit to Brooklyn
Average
6

Last Exit to Brooklyn

(1989) Donna
Gemini
Average
5

Gemini

(2017) Vanessa
Intimate Portrait
Average
5

Intimate Portrait

(1993) Self
Loving Leah
Average
7

Loving Leah

(2009) Rabbi Gerry

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2022 Self - Expert
Ricki Lake
2021 Noelle
2019 Self - Guest
Herself
Raven
Raven (archive footage)
2017 N/A
Vanessa
2016 Pinky's Girl
Self
2015 Dream Ghost #1
Herself
2013 Self
Herself
2012 N/A
2011 Host
2009 Susan Semler
Rabbi Gerry
2008 Herself
N/A
Herself
2007 Linda Dackman
Talent Agent
2006 Peggy
Hostess
2005 Self
Ricki Lake
Self
2004 Herself
2003 Self
2000 Libby
1999 Ricki Lake
1998 Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen
Stephanie Heffernan
1997 Self
Self - Guest Co-Host
Self - Guest
Lila (voice)
1996 Self
Connie Doyle
1994 Misty Sutphin
Figurehead
1993 Self
Kerry Tate
Velour Gnack
N/A
Self - Guest
1992 Bella the Stalker
Brenda
Charlotte
1991 N/A
Tammie
1990 Cleofatra
Pepper Walker
1989 Donna
Pia
Grace
1988 Bridesmaid
Carmen
N/A
Holly Pelegrino
Tracy Turnblad
Dancer (uncredited)
1984 N/A
Year Character Movie/Tv

Production

Creator

Year Role Movie/Tv
2009 Creator
Year Role Movie/Tv

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