Biography
This page uses content from the Ricki Lake biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.
Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968 in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York) is an American actress and tabloid talk show host, best known for her long-running Ricki Lake talk show.
Career
Lake first appeared to audiences when she played the hefty Tracy Turnblad, the main character of the John Waters film Hairspray. Her role as the overweight Red Cross recreation worker "Holly the Donut Dolly" in the television series China Beach gave her additional visibility, and she was eventually chosen to host the eponymous talk show. At the same time, she publicly went on a weight loss regime, ultimately losing around 125 pounds (57 kg).
Talk show
Ricki Lake debuted on 13 September 1993. While it avoided the worst excesses of The Jerry Springer Show, it was not especially serious in tone either. A typical show might present several lower middle class women, each claiming to be "all that" (the show's catchphrase for someone with high fashion and personal appeal) with others debating the assertion. Other shows would present someone in an obviously bad relationship and have Lake recommend, "Dump that zero and get yourself a hero!" Once Lake became a mother, feel-good mother-and-child shows became common.
Lake's talk show has often been the butt of satire. It was repeatedly parodied during the 1990s on Saturday Night Live, with male cast member Jay Mohr impersonating Lake in drag. The show was also parodied fleetingly on Family Guy (the guest on the show was quoted to have said, "Yo, Ricki, that's my girlfriend. She ain't supposed to be havin' no penis!"). In addition, it was mentioned in the chorus of the hit 1998 song "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)" by The Offspring: "So if you don't rate, just overcompensate, at least you know you can always go on Ricki Lake."
In 2000, Lake told Rosie O'Donnell in an interview that she had signed a contract for four 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.
Other roles
Lake was in talks to star in an untitled CBS comedy, but no further episodes were commissioned after the filming of the pilot. Most recently, she has appeared in a recurring role on CBS's long-running sitcom The King of Queens, playing Doug Heffernan's sister, Stephanie.
She has also appeared in the films Cabin Boy, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Serial Mom, Cookie, Mrs. Winterbourne, and Inside Monkey Zetterland, and she often appears in small roles in John Waters films, such as Cecil B. Demented and Cry-Baby.
Personal life
Lake married Rob Sussman on 26 March 1994; she said in a television interview that their attraction had been immediate: "Within an hour and a half of first meeting, we were tearing each other's clothes off." Nonetheless, she filed for separation from Sussman in August 2003. Lake won the first legal round when the judge ruled that the prenuptial agreement signed by the two was valid. Lake and Sussman together have two sons, Milo Sussman, born in 1996, and Owen Tyler Sussman, born in 2001. She gave birth to Owen in the bathtub of her New York home, assisted by a midwife. Lake is currently dating personal trainer Apollo Yiamouyiannis.
When Ricki Lake's divorce hit the press in the summer of 2003, it appeared to have quite the effect on the talk-show star. Lake seemed less into the show as compared to past seasons, and only mentioned that "I am now single" in one episode. Fans also contend they hadn't spotted her in any interviews, either. Amid the Gameshow Marathon show, Lake was a guest on the CBS' Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on May 24, 2006. When asked, Lake said she could safely say she enjoyed every minute, but that she didn't miss her talk show.
Currently
There was talk that Lake is crafting a talk-show comeback, according to Broadcasting & Cable magazine. Rumors suggested the new show, which would have been somewhat similar to her old show, yet somewhat more mature, might have launched as early as September 2006. A source close to the deal, said that, by October 2005, it wouldn't be surprising if a deal was reached. There has been no more developments released publicly on any sort of deal, and Ricki wasn't at NATPE 2006, which diminishes the likelihood of any such show airing in Fall 2006. An associate producer from The Ricki Lake Show stated that Sony Pictures Television/Columbia TriStar, the company that syndicated her previous show, is not involved. Sources say other companies, including TelePictures, which syndicated Jenny Jones' show, are.
Ricki Lake was the host of CBS' Gameshow Marathon, which re-created classic game shows with celebrity contestants. The series premiered on May 31, 2006 and ran through the end of June. She also inked a development deal with Gameshow Marathon production company FremantleMedia for other ventures, including creating and producing future programs and projects. Because of her work on Gameshow Marathon, Lake holds the record for hosting the most game shows, with seven.
She is set to make a cameo in the remake of Hairspray.
External links
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