Ricki Lake

This article is about the person. For the talk show, see Ricki Lake (TV series).
Ricki Lake

Lake in May 2015
Born Ricki Pamela Lake
(1968-09-21) 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)
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.

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 had 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 played Tracy Turnblad in the 2007 movie musical remake) and Marissa Jaret Winokur (who played Tracy Turnblad in the Broadway musical based on the original 1988 film) to record "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" for the soundtrack. The song is played during 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.

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.[5][6][7]

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.[8]

2006–2010: Other projects

Lake at the premiere of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story in 2007

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.[9] 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.[10] The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and Red Envelope released the film in New York, L.A. and San Francisco in October;[11] it also screened in Australia.[12]

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".[12] 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.[13]

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.[14] 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.[15][16] 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.[17]

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.[18]

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.[8] It was cancelled after one season.[19] 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."[20]

Dancing with the Stars performances

Personal life

Lake met illustrator-bartender Rob Sussman in October 1993, on Halloween. The couple married in Las Vegas on March 26, 1994.[21] 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.[22] Lake filed for legal separation from Sussman on August 13, 2003,[23] and their divorce was finalised on November 10, 2004.[24]

Lake began dating Christian Evans in the summer of 2009.[24] They became engaged in August 2011,[25] and married on April 8, 2012.[26] On 29 October 2014, Lake filed for divorce from Evans, citing "irreconcilable differences".[27] In December 2014, however, they announced they had put their divorce on hold.[28]

In May 2007, Lake pursued a "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).[29] In November 2007, Lake cited sexual abuse as a child as a reason for her obesity.[30] On September 18, 2010, Lake's rented Malibu home was destroyed by fire. She and her sons escaped without injury.[31] 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.[32]

Filmography

Lake in April 2007, at the premiere of The Business of Being Born
Film
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
Television
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. 1 2 "Ricki Lake Biography (1968-)". FilmReference.com.
  2. ↑ "Shopping In Syndication Hell". Newsweek. February 5, 1995. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  3. ↑ Zoglin, Richard (January 30, 1995). "Talking Trash". Time. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  4. ↑ Corliss, Richard (February 29, 1988). "Cinema: Buxom Belles in Baltimore 'Hairspray'". Time. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
  5. ↑ Werts, Diane (December 6, 1993). "Respect earns Ricki Lake success on TV". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2010-10-30.
  6. ↑ Cagle, Jess (December 30, 1994). "Entertainer 8: Ricki Lake". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
  7. ↑ Ikenberg, Tamara (February 28, 1999). "Gen-X Cinderella has the knack". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2012-04-11.
  8. 1 2 Albiniak, Paige (April 20, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: Ricki Lake Returning to Daytime". Broadcasting & Cable.
  9. ↑ Bonawitz, Amy (June 15, 2006). "Ricki Lake Is Back In The Game". CBS News. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  10. ↑ "The Business of Being Born (2008) – Movie Details". Yahoo! Movies.
  11. ↑ "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.
  12. 1 2 "Benefit Screening: The Business of Being Born". Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
  13. ↑ "Ricki Lake: Ricki Lake On The Business Of Being Born". The Huffington Post. April 17, 2007.
  14. ↑ "Your Best Birth". Hachette Book Group. Archived from the original on 2009-04-22.
  15. ↑ "Ricki Lake Is the New Headmistress of VH1's Third Installment of Charm School". VH1 Press Release. Futon Critic. February 5, 2009.
  16. ↑ "VH1's Charm School with Ricki Lake". VH1.com.
  17. ↑ "Donahue, Sally, Geraldo, Montel, Ricki: Talk Show Hosts Together For The First Time". Oprah.com. November 8, 2010.
  18. ↑ Albiniak, Paige (March 14, 2011). "EXCLUSIVE: Ricki Lake Poised for a 2012 Comeback". Broadcasting & Cable.
  19. ↑ "Ricki Lake's talk show cancelled". 3news. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  20. ↑ Yamato, Jen (February 12, 2014). "Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein Push 'Sweetening The Pill' Birth Control Doc". Retrieved March 10, 2014.
  21. ↑ Castro, Peter (May 23, 1994). "Down the Alleys With...Ricki Lake". People. 41 (19). Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  22. ↑ Silverman, Stephen M. (2001). "Lake's Water Baby". People. Retrieved 2009-05-15. Note: Archived article erroneously dated August 22, 1997.
  23. ↑ "All Talked Out: After Nine Years of Marriage and Two Kids, Ricki Lake Separates from Her Husband". People. September 8, 2003.
  24. 1 2 McNeil, Liz (May 23, 2010). "Ricki Lake Has a New Boyfriend". People.
  25. ↑ Schwartz, Alison (August 11, 2011). "Ricki Lake Is Engaged". People.
  26. ↑ McNeil, Liz (April 10, 2012). "Ricki Lake Elopes". People.
  27. ↑ Finn, Natalie. "Ricki Lake Files for Divorce From Husband Christian Evans After 2 Years of Marriage". eonline.com. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  28. ↑ 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.
  29. ↑ "Ricki Lake learned to lose weight the right way". Access Hollywood. MSNBC.com. May 9, 2007.
  30. ↑ "Ricki Lake Gets Personal In New Book About Childbirth". Access Hollywood. May 26, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2010.
  31. ↑ "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.
  32. ↑ Sanger, David E. (January 15, 2011). "2011 PCA: Kristin Bihr wins Luxury Ladies Event". PokerStarsBlog.com. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
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