33 Facts About Ricki Lake

1.

Ricki Pamela Lake is an American television host and actress.

2.

Ricki Lake 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.

3.

Ricki Lake is known for her talk show, Ricki Lake, which was broadcast internationally from September 1993 until May 2004.

4.

The series was canceled in 2013 after a single season, but Ricki Lake won her first Daytime Emmy Award for the project.

5.

Ricki Lake was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, to a secular Jewish family.

6.

Ricki Lake's parents are Jill and Barry Lake, though Lake was largely brought up by her paternal grandmother, Sylvia Lake, until Sylvia's death in 1978.

7.

Ricki Lake made her film debut as Tracy Turnblad, the lead character in John Waters's 1988 cult classic Hairspray.

8.

Ricki Lake starred in Mrs Winterbourne with Shirley MacLaine and Brendan Fraser, Cabin Boy, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Cookie, and Inside Monkey Zetterland.

9.

Ricki Lake 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.

10.

Ricki Lake had a recurring role on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens as Doug's sister Stephanie.

11.

Ricki Lake 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.

12.

Ricki Lake 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 and Marissa Jaret Winokur to record "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" for the soundtrack.

13.

Ricki Lake later reunited with original Hairspray co-star Deborah Harry for the film Hotel Gramercy Park, which was released in 2008.

14.

Ricki Lake was Lake's first daytime talk show and at 24, she was the youngest person at the time to host one.

15.

In 2000, Ricki Lake told Rosie O'Donnell in an interview that she had signed on for four additional years.

16.

Ricki Lake moved from Los Angeles to New York to tape the 11th season of the show, then returned to California when taping was complete.

17.

Ricki Lake returned to the talk show platform when she hosted a revived version of her original talk show which premiered in September 2012 and was cancelled after one season.

18.

Ricki Lake signed a development deal with Gameshow Marathon production company FremantleMedia for other ventures, including creating and producing future programs and projects.

19.

In October 2007, Ricki Lake appeared in the Lifetime TV movie Matters of Life and Dating.

20.

Ricki Lake 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.

21.

Ricki 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.

22.

Ricki Lake 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.

23.

Ricki Lake returned to television on May 11,2009, succeeding Sharon Osbourne as host for the third season of VH1's Charm School.

24.

On November 10,2010, Ricki 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.

25.

Ricki Lake competed on the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars.

26.

Ricki Lake was partnered with three-time champion Derek Hough and cited Kirstie Alley's appearance as an inspiration to do the show.

27.

Ricki Lake won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2013.

28.

On February 17,2018, Ricki Lake appeared on the British television show Through the Keyhole hosted by Keith Lemon.

29.

Ricki Lake was said to be a last minute addition to the panel with one of the original panellist off sick at short notice.

30.

Ricki Lake met illustrator Rob Sussman in October 1993, on Halloween.

31.

On October 29,2014, Ricki Lake filed for divorce from Evans, citing "irreconcilable differences".

32.

On September 18,2010, Ricki Lake's rented Malibu home was destroyed by a fire.

33.

On January 15,2011, Ricki Lake finished in sixth place in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Luxury Ladies Poker Event, collecting $5,587 of the prize pool.