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Ricki Lake

Ricki Lake

Known For Acting
Birthday Sep 21, 1968 (57)
Birthplace Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, USA
Popularity 1 (history)
Updated Sep 17, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

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.

Known For

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Profile
Profile
Filmography

Under the Christmas Tree

Under the Christmas Tree

2021

as Marie

Gemini

Gemini

2017

as Vanessa

Hairspray Live!

Hairspray Live!

2016

as Pinky's Girl

Loving Leah

Loving Leah

2009

as Rabbi Gerry

Hairspray

Hairspray

2007

as Talent Agent

Park

Park

2006

as Peggy

Cecil B. Demented

Cecil B. Demented

2000

as Libby

Jackie's Back!

Jackie's Back!

1999

as Ricki Lake

Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery

Murder She Purred: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery

1998

as Mary Minor 'Harry' Haristeen

Mrs. Winterbourne

Mrs. Winterbourne

1996

as Connie Doyle

Serial Mom

Serial Mom

1994

as Misty Sutphin

Cabin Boy

Cabin Boy

1994

as Figurehead

Skinner

Skinner

1993

as Kerry Tate

Based on an Untrue Story

Based on an Untrue Story

1993

as Velour Gnack

Where the Day Takes You

Where the Day Takes You

1992

as Brenda

Inside Monkey Zetterland

Inside Monkey Zetterland

1992

as Bella the Stalker

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

1992

as Charlotte

The Chase

The Chase

1991

as Tammie

Cry-Baby

Cry-Baby

1990

as Pepper Walker

Babycakes

Babycakes

1989

as Grace

Last Exit to Brooklyn

Last Exit to Brooklyn

1989

as Donna

Cookie

Cookie

1989

as Pia

A Family Again

A Family Again

1988

as Carmen

Hairspray

Hairspray

1988

as Tracy Turnblad

The In Crowd

The In Crowd

1988

as Dancer (uncredited)

Working Girl

Working Girl

1988

as Bridesmaid

No data available

No data available

Weed the People

Weed the People

2018

Executive Producer

Loving Leah

Loving Leah

2009

Co-Executive Producer

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

China Beach

as Holly Pelegrino

Episodes: 22

First Aired: Apr 26, 1988

Gravedale High

as Cleofatra

Episodes: 13

First Aired: Sep 08, 1990

The King of Queens

as Stephanie Heffernan

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Sep 21, 1998

King of the Hill

as Lila (voice)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 12, 1997

The Masked Singer

as Raven (archive footage)

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 02, 2019

Drop Dead Diva

as Susan Semler

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 12, 2009

The Masked Singer

as Raven

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 02, 2019

The Ricki Lake Show

Episodes: 260

First Aired: Sep 10, 2012

Ricki Lake

Episodes: 24

First Aired: Sep 13, 1993

Dancing with the Stars

as Self - Contestant

Episodes: 20

First Aired: Jun 01, 2005

Gameshow Marathon

as Hostess

Episodes: 7

First Aired: May 31, 2006

25 Words or Less

Episodes: 6

First Aired: Aug 06, 2018

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 5

First Aired: Jul 16, 2009

Hollywood Squares

as Self

Episodes: 5

First Aired: Sep 14, 1998

Tamron Hall

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 09, 2019

Sherri

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 12, 2022

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 05, 1988

Celebrity Juice

as Self

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 24, 2008

Pictionary

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 12, 2022

Kate & Allie

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 19, 1984

Late Show with David Letterman

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 30, 1993

Easy to Assemble

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 22, 2008

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jul 16, 2013

The View

as Self - Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 11, 1997

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

as Dream Ghost #1

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 12, 2015

Drop the Mic

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 24, 2017

The Reichen Show

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 11, 2005

Intimate Portrait

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Nov 14, 1993

The Rosie O'Donnell Show

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 10, 1996

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 08, 2003

The View

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 11, 1997

The Jenny Jones Show

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 16, 1991

RuPaul

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 10, 2019

Stars in the House

as Self - Special Guest

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Mar 16, 2020

The Wheel

as Self - Expert

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 19, 2022

The View

as Self - Guest Co-Host

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 11, 1997

Celebrity Family Feud

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jun 21, 2015

Through the Keyhole

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Aug 31, 2013

Live from the Other Side with Tyler Henry

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 17, 2024

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 10 24 5
2024 7 12 20 6
2024 8 9 17 5
2024 9 11 19 5
2024 10 12 35 5
2024 11 7 12 3
2024 12 6 10 3
2025 1 10 25 4
2025 2 5 10 1
2025 3 3 7 1
2025 4 1 1 1
2025 5 2 3 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 1 0
2025 8 1 8 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 1 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 6 851 772
2025 9 915 844

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