Ricki Lake
Lake in May 2015
Born	Ricki Pamela Lake (1968-09-21)September 21, 1968 (age 56) Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.
Education	Ithaca College (attended)
Occupations	Television host actress producer
Years active	1987–present
Known for	Tracy Turnblad –Hairspray Ricki Lake The Ricki Lake Show
Spouses	Rob Sussman ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2004)​ Christian Evans ​ ​ (m. 2012; div. 2015)​ Ross Burningham ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	2

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 filmHairspray, for which she received a nomination for theIndependent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead. She is also known for hertalk show,Ricki Lake, which was broadcast internationally from September 1993 until May 2004.^[1][2][3] When the show debuted, Lake 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 firstDaytime Emmy Award for the project.

Lake was born inHastings-on-Hudson, New York, to asecular Jewish family.^[4][5] Her parents are Jill (a homemaker) and Barry Lake (apharmacist), though Lake was largely brought up by her paternal grandmother, Sylvia Lake, until Sylvia's death in 1978.^{[citation needed]}

Lake attendedIthaca College for one year.^[6]

Lake made her film debut as Tracy Turnblad, the lead character inJohn Waters' 1988 cult classicHairspray.^[7] Lake also starred in other Waters films includingCry-Baby (withJohnny Depp andSusan Tyrrell),Cecil B. Demented (withMelanie Griffith andStephen Dorff), andSerial Mom (withKathleen Turner andSam Waterston). She starred inMrs. Winterbourne withShirley MacLaine andBrendan Fraser,Cabin Boy,Last Exit to Brooklyn,Cookie, andInside Monkey Zetterland.

She joined the cast of theVietnam War drama seriesChina Beach as aRed Cross volunteer, Holly "theDonut Dolly" Pelegrino, for the show's third season. She also had a recurring role on the CBS sitcomThe King of Queens as Doug's sister Stephanie. She guest-starred on television series includingDrop Dead Diva and a voice role onKing of the Hill, and starred in thetelevision movieBaby Cakes. She had a cameo appearance in the 2007 remake of the original cult-classicHairspray as aWilliam Morris talent agent, and teamed up with starNikki Blonsky (who played Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 movie musical remake) andMarissa Jaret Winokur (who played Tracy Turnblad in theBroadway musical based on the original 1988 film) to record "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" forthe soundtrack. The song is played during the film's end credits. She later reunited with originalHairspray co-starDebbie Harry for the filmHotel Gramercy Park, which was released in 2008.

Ricki Lake was Lake's first daytimetalk show and at 24, she was the youngest person at the time to host one. The show specialized in topics involving invited guests and incorporated questions and comments from a studio audience.^[8][9][10]

The show debuted in syndication on September 13, 1993, and ended first-run episodes on May 25, 2004. In 2000, Lake toldRosie O'Donnell in an interview that she had signed on for four additional years. AlthoughSony Pictures Television had many stations contracted through the 2004–2005 season, Lake decided to end the show in August 2004, citing (among other things) a desire to spend time with her family. She moved from Los Angeles to New York to tape the 11th season of the show, then returned toCalifornia when taping was complete. Lake returned to the talk show platform when she hosted a revived version of her originaltalk show which premiered in September 2012 and was cancelled after one season. Lake's talk show often discussed controversial psychological topics, including those related to family dynamics and the impact of trauma on parent-child relationships.

^[11]

After her talk show had wrapped production on its final season, Lake went on to host the 2006CBS limited seriesGameshow Marathon, which re-created classicgame shows with celebrity contestants.^[12] She also signed a development deal withGameshow Marathon production companyFremantleMedia for other ventures, including creating and producing future programs and projects. In October 2007, Lake appeared in the Lifetime TV movieMatters of Life and Dating. Lake also had a cameo in the 2007 filmHairspray as a talent agent and also sang "Mama I'm A Big Girl Now" withNikki Blonsky andMarissa Jaret Winokur for the film's end credits.The Business of Being Born, Lake's documentary abouthome birth andmidwifery, was released in limited markets on January 18, 2008.^[13] The film premiered at theTribeca Film Festival and Red Envelope released the film in New York, L.A. and San Francisco in October;^[14] it also screened in Australia.^[15]

The Business of Being Born included footage and details of Lake's own "life-changing" home-birthing experience and followed a midwife going about her work.Tribeca called it "The Inconvenient Truth of Childbirth".^[15] Lake described it as her life's work for the last three years and expressed hopes that the film educated and empowered people to really know their choices in childbirth.^[16] She performed in the CBS television specialLoving Leah in January of that year. Lake also jointly wrote a book on the world ofnatural childbirth and birthing options, along withAbby Epstein and Jacques Moritz,Your Best Birth, which was published by Wellness Central on May 1, 2009.^[17] 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. Lake returned to television on May 11, 2009, succeedingSharon Osbourne as host for the third season ofVH1'sCharm School.^[18][19] On November 10, 2010, Lake joined fellow talkersPhil Donahue,Sally Jessy Raphael,Geraldo Rivera, andMontel Williams as guests ofOprah Winfrey onThe Oprah Winfrey Show, marking the first time those hosts appeared together on one show since their respective programs left the air.^[20]

In March 2011, reports said that three television studios,Twentieth Television,Universal Media Studios andCBS Television Distribution, were interested in bringing Lake back to the talk-show realm in 2012. This was after Lake began appearing on various programs in which she expressed a desire to return to the genre.^[21] Lake competed on the 13th season ofDancing with the Stars. She was partnered with three-time championDerek Hough and citedKirstie Alley's appearance as an inspiration to do the show. Lake achieved tremendous success, consistently achieving high scores. After making the finals, Lake was announced as the contestant in third place, losing to television personalityRob Kardashian and actor and Army veteranJ. R. Martinez, despite having higher scores than either.

On April 20, 2011, Lake signed with Twentieth Television to developThe Ricki Lake Show, which premiered in September 2012. The new program had a moreOprah-like format as compared to her earlier talk show.^[11] It was cancelled after one season.^[22] Lake won theDaytime Emmy forOutstanding Talk Show Host in 2013.^[23]

On December 7, 2016, Lake made a cameo in the television musicalHairspray Live!^[24] On February 11, 2017, Lake appeared as a guest judge on the British talent showLet It Shine withGary Barlow,Dannii Minogue, andMartin Kemp on theBBC.^[25] On February 17, 2018, Lake appeared on the British television showThrough the Keyhole hosted byKeith Lemon.

In March 2018, atSXSW, Lake and Epstein premiered their documentary filmWeed the People, examining the use ofcannabis as medicine and itsstatus as a Schedule I prohibited drug in the United States.^[26] The film focused in particular on the use of cannabis in the treatment ofpediatric cancer.^[27]

On February 6, 2019, she was revealed to be "Raven" in theFox seriesThe Masked Singer during itsfirst season.^[28] She performed "Rainbow" byKesha,^[29] "Bad Romance" byLady Gaga^[30] and "Brave" bySara Bareilles.^[31] In October 2019, she began competing inThe X Factor: Celebrity.^[32]

On October 28, Ricki made a guest appearance on the ITV Daytime programLoose Women. Ricki was said to be a last minute addition to the panel with one of the original panellists off sick at short notice.

In 2022, Lake launched a podcast,Raised by Ricki, in collaboration withLemonada Media.^[33] Lake and co-host Kalen Allen discuss previous episodes ofRicki Lake and interview celebrity guests.^[34]

Lake has discussed drastic weight changes in interviews, including swings of up to 100 pounds and extreme diets that left her "fainting on, like, the spot. I'd be standing up and then black out and not remember anything."^[35]

Lake met illustrator Rob Sussman in October 1993, onHalloween. The couple married inLas Vegas on March 26, 1994.^[36] They have two sons: Milo Sebastian Sussman (born 1997), and Owen Tyler Sussman, whosewater birth, in 2001, was shown inThe Business of Being Born, which Lake also produced.^[37][38] The couple filed for divorce in August 2003;^[39] it was finalized on February 25, 2004.^[40]

In November 1994, Lake was arrested for staging an anti-fur demonstration againstKarl Lagerfeld.^[41] Lake was charged with trespassing andcriminal mischief; however, she ultimately pled guilty to an amended charge ofdisorderly conduct.^[42][43]

Lake began dating jewelry designer Christian Evans in mid-2009.^[40] They became engaged in August 2011,^[44] and married on April 8, 2012.^[45] On October 29, 2014, Lake filed for divorce from Evans, citing "irreconcilable differences".^[46] In December 2014, however, they announced they had put their divorce on hold;^[47] it was finalized in 2015.^[48]

On September 18, 2010, Lake's rentedMalibu home was destroyed by a fire. She and her sons escaped without injury.^[49]

On January 15, 2011, Lake finished in sixth place in thePokerStars Caribbean Adventure Luxury Ladies Poker Event, collecting $5,587 of the prize pool.^[50]

On January 1, 2020, Lake posted a picture on her social media accounts, in which she revealed that she had been dealing with hair loss that had resulted from years of depression, weight loss, pregnancy, and the use of chemicals in her hair dating back to her work inHairspray (Lake confirmed that it was her actual hair that was used during the filming: "I went fromHairspray to 'Hairless'"), which caused her to finally cut her receding hair and then reveal her new buzz-cut (she also noted that her first talk show, in which they did outrageous hairstyle episodes, was another factor in her decision). Lake said the struggle had been "debilitating, embarrassing, painful, scary, depressing, lonely," noting that "there have been a few times where I have even felt suicidal over it. Almost no one in my life knew the level of deep pain and trauma I was experiencing". Lake assured everyone that she had not been diagnosed with other medical conditions related to the hair loss, and wanted to embrace her new look, saying that "I am liberated. I am free. I am releasing and letting go. I am brave. I am beautiful. I am love".^[51][52]

In February 2021 she announced that she was engaged to Ross Burningham. They married in January 2022.^[53]

On January 8, 2025, Lake lost her home in thePalisades Fire.^[54]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toRicki Lake.

• Ricki Lake atIMDb 
• Ricki Lake at theInternet Off-Broadway Database

• Jewish American actresses
• American cannabis activists
• Actresses from New York (state)
• American film actresses
• Film producers from New York (state)
• American game show hosts
• American television actresses
• Television producers from New York (state)
• American women television producers
• American television talk show hosts
• Ithaca College alumni
• Living people
• Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host winners
• Participants in American reality television series
• People from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• American women film producers
• 21st-century American Jews
• 1968 births

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