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.
as Self (archive footage)
as Self (archive footage)
as Self(1 ep)
as Self - Expert(1 ep)
as Self - Guest(2 eps)
as Ricki Lake
as Marie
as Self - Special Guest(1 ep)
as Self - Guest(2 eps)
as Self(1 ep)
as Raven (archive footage)
as Self(4 eps)
as Self(6 eps)
as Self(1 ep)
as Vanessa
as Pinkette
as Self
as Dream Ghost #1(1 ep)
as Self(1 ep)
as Self
as Self(1 ep)
as Self(1 ep)
as Host
as Self - Guest(9 eps)
as Susan Semler(1 ep)
as Self - Headmistress(11 eps)
as Rabbi Gerry
as Self(2 eps)
as Self
as Self
as Self
as Linda Dackman
as Talent Agent
as Peggy
as Hostess(7 eps)
as Self(1 ep)
as Ricki Lake
as Self
as Self - Contestant(20 eps)
as Self (archive footage)
as Ricki Lake
as Carpenter Hero (voice)(1 ep)
as Self(2 eps)
as Libby
as Ricki Lake
as Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen
as Stephanie Heffernan(6 eps)
as Self - Panelist(5 eps)
as Self(1 ep)
as Self - Guest(1 ep)
as Self(1 ep)
as Self - Guest Co-Host(1 ep)
as Lila (voice)(1 ep)
as Self(1 ep)
as Connie Doyle
as Misty Sutphin
as Ricki Lake (voice)(1 ep)
as Figurehead
as Self(1 ep)
as Kerry Tate
as Velour Gnack
as Self - Guest(2 eps)
as Bella the Stalker
as Brenda
as Charlotte
as Daughter(7 eps)
as Tammie
as Cleofatra (voice)(13 eps)
as Pepper Walker
as Pia
as Donna
as Grace
as Bridesmaid
as Carmen
as Holly Pelegrino(22 eps)
as Tracy Turnblad
as Dancer (uncredited)
