Ricki Lake
| Ricki Lake | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lake in May 2015 | |
| Born |
Ricki Pamela Lake September 21, 1968 Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, television host, producer |
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Rob Sussman (m. 1994–2004) Christian Evans (m. 2012–14) |
| Children | 2 |
Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968)[1] is an American actress, producer, and Emmy Award-winning television presenter. She is best known for her talk show which was broadcast internationally 1993–2004.[2][3][4] In autumn 2012, Lake embarked on a second syndicated talk show endeavor airing on weekdays.
Early life
Lake was born to Barry (a pharmacist) and Jill (a homemaker) Lake, both are Ashkenazi Jews, in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York,[1] but was largely brought up by her paternal grandmother, Sylvia Lake, until Sylvia's death from breast cancer in 1978. According to her IMBD profile, Lake attended Hastings High School through the end of her sophomore year, graduated from the Professional Children's School and attended Ithaca College for one year.[5]
Career
Acting
Lake made her film debut as Tracy Turnblad, the lead character in John Waters' 1988 cult-classic Hairspray. Lake also starred in other Waters films including Cry-Baby (with Johnny Depp and Susan Tyrrell), Cecil B. Demented (with Melanie Griffith and Stephen Dorff), and Serial Mom (with Kathleen Turner and Sam Waterston). She starred in Mrs. Winterbourne with Shirley MacLaine and Brendan Fraser, 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 guest-starred on television series including Drop Dead Diva and a voice role on King of the Hill, and starred in the television movie Baby Cakes.
She has a cameo appearance in the 2007 remake of the original cult-classic Hairspray as a William Morris talent agent, and teamed up with star Nikki Blonsky, who had played the role of Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 movie musical remake, and Marissa Jaret Winokur, who had played the role of Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical based on the original 1988 film, to record "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" for the soundtrack, which is played at the film's end credits.
She later reunited with original Hairspray co-star Deborah Harry for the film Hotel Gramercy Park, which was released in 2008. Lake is currently filming her next feature film titled Angel, to be released in theaters in 2012.
Talk shows
Ricki Lake was Lake's first daytime talk show and at 24, she was the youngest person at the time to host one (that record would later be broken by eight-year-old Philippine child actress Ryzza Mae Dizon in 2013). The show specialized in topics involving invited guests and incorporated questions and comments from a studio audience.[6][7][8]
The show debuted in syndication on September 13, 1993, and ended first-run episodes on May 25, 2004. In 2000, Lake told Rosie O'Donnell in an interview that she had signed on for four additional years. Although Sony 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 to California when taping was complete. Lake returned to the talk show platform when she hosted a second talk show which premiered in September 2012 and was cancelled after one season.[9]
2006–2010: Other projects
After her talk show had wrapped production on its final season, Lake went on to host the 2006 CBS limited series Gameshow Marathon, which re-created classic game shows with celebrity contestants.[10] She also signed a development deal with Gameshow Marathon production company FremantleMedia for other ventures, including creating and producing future programs and projects. In October 2007, Lake appeared in the Lifetime TV movie Matters of Life and Dating. Lake also had a cameo in the 2007 film Hairspray as a talent agent and also sang "Mama I'm A Big Girl Now" with Nikki Blonsky and Marissa Jaret Winokur for the film's end credits.
The Business of Being Born, Lake's documentary about home birth and midwifery, was released in limited markets on January 18, 2008.[11] The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and Red Envelope released the film in New York, L.A. and San Francisco in October;[12] it also screened in Australia.[13]
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".[13] 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.[14]
She performed in the CBS television special Loving Leah in January of that year. Lake also jointly wrote a book on the world of natural childbirth and birthing options, along with Abby Epstein and Jacques Moritz, Your Best Birth, which was published by Wellness Central on May 1, 2009.[15] 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, succeeding Sharon Osbourne as host for the third season of VH1's Charm School.[16][17] 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 ever appeared together on one show since their programs left the air.[18]
2011–present
In March 2011, reports said that three television studios, Twentieth Television, Universal Media Studios and CBS Television Distribution, were interested in bringing Lake back to the talk-show realm in 2012. This after Lake began appearing on various programs in which she expressed a desire to return to the genre.[19]
Lake 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. Lake achieved tremendous success on the show, not only by consistently scoring high, but also by losing 20 pounds (9.1 kg) due to her dancing. After making the finals, Lake was announced as the contestant in third place, losing to TV personality Rob Kardashian and actor and Army veteran J. R. Martinez, despite having higher scores than both.
On April 20, 2011, Lake signed with Twentieth Television to develop The Ricki Lake Show, which premiered in September 2012. The new program has a more Oprah-like format than that of her former talk show.[9] It was cancelled after one season.[20] Lake won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2013.
As of February 2014, Lake is working with director Abby Epstein on a documentary about the dangers of hormonal birth control, titled Sweetening the Pill. The film is based on Holly Grigg-Spall's upcoming 2015 book titled Sweetening The Pill Or How We Became Hooked On Hormonal Birth Control. The film will explore the flurry of lawsuits related to these methods, as well as alternative options such as Natural Family Planning. Lake and Epstein said, "now [hormonal birth control is] making women sick and so our goal with this film is to wake women up to the unexposed side effects of these powerful medications and the unforeseen consequences of repressing women's natural cycles."[21]
Personal life
Lake met illustrator-bartender Rob Sussman in October 1993, on Halloween. The couple married in Las Vegas on March 26, 1994.[22] They have two sons: Milo Sebastian Sussman (b. August 22, 1997), and Owen Tyler Sussman (b. June 18, 2001), whose water birth was actually shown in The Business of Being Born, the documentary, described above, that she also produced.[23] Lake filed for legal separation from Sussman on August 13, 2003,[24] and their divorce was finalised on November 10, 2004.[25]
Lake began dating Christian Evans in the summer of 2009.[25] They became engaged in August 2011,[26] and married on April 8, 2012.[27] On 29 October 2014, Lake filed for divorce from Evans, citing "irreconcilable differences".[28] In December 2014, however, they announced they had put their divorce on hold.[29]
In May 2007, Lake pursued an "new routine" resulting in 24 pounds (11 kg) of weight loss, taking her down to 120 pounds (54 kg). In the early 1990s, her weight peaked at 260 pounds (120 kg).[30] In November 2007, Lake cited sexual abuse as a child as a reason for her obesity.[31] On September 18, 2010, Lake's rented Malibu home was destroyed by fire. She and her sons escaped without injury.[32] On January 15, 2011, Lake finished in sixth place in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Luxury Ladies Poker Event, collecting $5,587 of the prize pool.[33]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Hairspray | Tracy Turnblad | |
| 1988 | The In Crowd | Dancer | Uncredited |
| 1988 | Working Girl | Bridesmaid | |
| 1989 | Cookie | Pia | |
| 1989 | Baby Cakes | Grace | |
| 1989 | Last Exit to Brooklyn | Donna | |
| 1990 | Cry-Baby | Pepper Walker | |
| 1992 | Where the Day Takes You | Brenda | |
| 1992 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Charlotte | Uncredited |
| 1992 | Inside Monkey Zetterland | Bella the Stalker | |
| 1993 | Skinner | Kerry Tate | |
| 1994 | Cabin Boy | Figurehead | |
| 1994 | Serial Mom | Misty Sutphin | |
| 1996 | Mrs. Winterbourne | Connie Doyle/Patricia Winterbourne | |
| 2000 | Cecil B. Demented | Libby | |
| 2004 | A Dirty Shame | Herself | Cameo |
| 2006 | Park | Peggy | |
| 2005 | The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie | Herself | Cameo |
| 2007 | Hairspray | Talent agent | |
| 2008 | The Business of Being Born | Herself (the actual water birth of her second son, Owen Tyler Sussman, is shown) |
Executive producer (also narrated) |
| 2009 | Loving Leah | Rabbi Gerry |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Kate & Allie | Teri | 1 episode |
| 1988 | ABC Afterschool Special | Carmen | 1 episode |
| 1989 | Baby Cakes | Grace | Television movie |
| 1989 | Starting Now | Ricki Ross | Television series pilot |
| 1989–1990 | China Beach | Holly Pelegrino | 13 episodes |
| 1990 | Gravedale High | Cleofatra (Voice) | Unknown episodes |
| 1991 | The Chase | Tammie | Television movie |
| 1991 | Riders in the Sky | Broadway Baby | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Based on an Untrue Story | Velour | Television movie |
| 1993–2004 | Ricki Lake | Host | First syndicated talk show |
| 1998 | Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery | Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen | Television movie |
| 2000–2001 | The King of Queens | Stephanie Heffernan | 6 episodes |
| 2004 | Higglytown Heroes | Carpenter Hero (Voice) | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Gameshow Marathon | Host | 7 episodes |
| 2006 | King of the Hill | Lila (Voice) | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Matters of Life and Dating | Linda | Television movie Executive producer |
| 2009 | Loving Leah | Rabbi Gerry | Television movie Co-executive producer |
| 2009 | Charm School with Ricki Lake | Head-mistress | 10 episodes |
| 2010 | Drop Dead Diva | Susan Semler | 1 episode |
| 2010 | The Oprah Winfrey Show | Herself | Guest, "Talk Show Reunion" |
| 2011 | Dancing with the Stars | Herself/Contestant | Season 13/Third Place |
| 2012–2013 | The Ricki Lake Show | Host | Second syndicated talk show |
| 2016 | Crazy Ex-Girlfriend | Dream Ghost | 1 episode |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Daytime Emmy Awards | Won | Outstanding Talk Show Host | The Ricki Lake Show |
| 1994 | Nominated | Outstanding Talk Show Host | Ricki Lake | |
| 1989 | Independent Spirit Award | Best Female Lead | Hairspray |
References
- 1 2 "Ricki Lake Biography (1968-)". FilmReference.com.
- ↑ "Shopping In Syndication Hell". Newsweek. February 5, 1995. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
- ↑ Zoglin, Richard (January 30, 1995). "Talking Trash". Time. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
- ↑ Corliss, Richard (February 29, 1988). "Cinema: Buxom Belles in Baltimore 'Hairspray'". Time. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
- ↑ "Ricki Lake Biography". IMDB.com. Retrieved 2016-03-13.
- ↑ Werts, Diane (December 6, 1993). "Respect earns Ricki Lake success on TV". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
- ↑ Cagle, Jess (December 30, 1994). "Entertainer 8: Ricki Lake". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
- ↑ Ikenberg, Tamara (February 28, 1999). "Gen-X Cinderella has the knack". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
- 1 2 Albiniak, Paige (April 20, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: Ricki Lake Returning to Daytime". Broadcasting & Cable.
- ↑ Bonawitz, Amy (June 15, 2006). "Ricki Lake Is Back In The Game". CBS News. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
- ↑ "The Business of Being Born (2008) – Movie Details". Yahoo! Movies.
- ↑ "Ricki Lake's The Business of Being Born to Be Released in October". Variety. MovieWeb.com. August 29, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-01.
- 1 2 "Benefit Screening: The Business of Being Born". Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
- ↑ "Ricki Lake: Ricki Lake On The Business Of Being Born". The Huffington Post. April 17, 2007.
- ↑ "Your Best Birth". Hachette Book Group. Archived from the original on 2009-04-22.
- ↑ "Ricki Lake Is the New Headmistress of VH1's Third Installment of Charm School". VH1 Press Release. Futon Critic. February 5, 2009.
- ↑ "VH1's Charm School with Ricki Lake". VH1.com.
- ↑ "Donahue, Sally, Geraldo, Montel, Ricki: Talk Show Hosts Together For The First Time". Oprah.com. November 8, 2010.
- ↑ Albiniak, Paige (March 14, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: Ricki Lake Poised for a 2012 Comeback". Broadcasting & Cable.
- ↑ "Ricki Lake's talk show cancelled". 3news. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
- ↑ Yamato, Jen (February 12, 2014). "Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein Push 'Sweetening The Pill' Birth Control Doc". Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- ↑ Castro, Peter (May 23, 1994). "Down the Alleys With...Ricki Lake". People 41 (19). Retrieved 2009-05-14.
- ↑ Silverman, Stephen M. (2001). "Lake's Water Baby". People. Retrieved 2009-05-15. Note: Archived article erroneously dated August 22, 1997.
- ↑ "All Talked Out: After Nine Years of Marriage and Two Kids, Ricki Lake Separates from Her Husband". People. September 8, 2003.
- 1 2 McNeil, Liz (May 23, 2010). "Ricki Lake Has a New Boyfriend". People.
- ↑ Schwartz, Alison (August 11, 2011). "Ricki Lake Is Engaged". People.
- ↑ McNeil, Liz (April 10, 2012). "Ricki Lake Elopes". People.
- ↑ Finn, Natalie. "Ricki Lake Files for Divorce From Husband Christian Evans After 2 Years of Marriage". eonline.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ↑ Birkinbine, Julia. "Ricki Lake and Husband Christian Evans Postpone Divorce After He Says They'd "Never" Get Back Together". closerweekly.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ↑ "Ricki Lake learned to lose weight the right way". Access Hollywood. MSNBC.com. May 9, 2007.
- ↑ "Ricki Lake Gets Personal In New Book About Childbirth". Access Hollywood. May 26, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
- ↑ "Ricki Lake and family escape death as fire burns down beachside vacation home in 30 minutes". Daily Mail (London). 19 September 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
- ↑ Sanger, David E. (January 15, 2011). "2011 PCA: Kristin Bihr wins Luxury Ladies Event". PokerStarsBlog.com. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
External links
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