Ricki Lake Bio
Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American actress, television host, and producer. She rose to prominence playing Tracy Turnblad in John Waters’ 1988 film Hairspray and later became widely known for her syndicated talk show The Ricki Lake Show, which helped define a generation of daytime television with candid interviews and audience-driven programming.
Early Life and Background
Ricki Pamela Lake was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, to Jill and Barry Lake. Her family background is rooted in a secular Jewish household, and she spent portions of her early childhood under the care of her paternal grandmother.
Lake attended Ithaca College for one year before beginning an entertainment career that traces back to the late 1980s. She began working professionally in 1987, pursuing acting roles that led quickly to feature-film opportunities and a national profile.
Path to Celebrity
Lake’s early professional years centered on acting in film and television. Her breakthrough film casting placed her in the lead role of Tracy Turnblad in the John Waters film Hairspray, which gave her immediate visibility and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. That performance established her as a recognizable screen presence and opened further opportunities in both film and television.
Following the success of Hairspray, Lake moved between feature films and television guest roles while developing a public persona that combined approachability and forthrightness. Those qualities later translated into a high-profile transition from acting to daytime talk-show hosting in the early 1990s.
Ricki Lake Career
Early Career (1987–1992)
Lake began her career in the late 1980s and made her feature-film debut with Hairspray in 1988. During this period she worked with a range of filmmakers and actors, appearing in films including Cry-Baby and Serial Mom, and taking roles that demonstrated a facility for both comedy and character work. She also accepted television parts, including recurring and guest appearances that broadened her experience on screen.
These early professional years established Lake as a working actress with a growing résumé of film credits and television appearances. Her work attracted attention from critics and audiences and set the stage for a move into daytime television as a host.
Hairspray Breakthrough (1988–1993)
Ricki Lake’s portrayal of Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray became the defining early credit of her career. The role drew critical notice and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead, marking her as a notable young actor in American independent cinema. Hairspray’s cult status and Lake’s central performance continued to inform her public image throughout subsequent years.
Following Hairspray, Lake continued to work in films and television while preparing for a new direction as a broadcast host. Her approachable on-screen manner and ability to connect with audiences made her a natural candidate for daytime television, where producers were seeking hosts who could engage with controversial and emotionally charged topics.
The Ricki Lake Show Era (1993–2004)
Lake launched The Ricki Lake Show in syndication in September 1993 at age 25 and was widely credited as the youngest person at the time to host a syndicated talk show. The program specialized in guest-driven episodes and studio-audience participation, and it ran in first-run syndication until May 2004. Over its run the show covered personal and social issues, often featuring candid interviews and confrontational moments that became emblematic of 1990s daytime television.
Lake chose to end the first run of her series in 2004, citing a desire to focus on family and other projects. During this era she balanced the demands of daily television production with ongoing engagements in film and occasional special projects, maintaining a high public profile throughout the decade.
Later Projects Era (2006–present)
After her initial talk-show run ended, Lake continued to work across television and film and expanded into producing and documentary work. She hosted the 2006 CBS limited series Gameshow Marathon, appeared in made-for-television films, and produced The Business of Being Born, a documentary released in 2008 that examined midwifery and home birth and reflected Lake’s advocacy on childbirth and women’s health.
Lake coauthored Your Best Birth and helped launch online resources related to birthing choices. She returned to television hosting responsibilities on several occasions, including a 2009 stint hosting the third season of VH1’s Charm School and other guest appearances. In 2011 she competed on the thirteenth season of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in third place.
Lake returned to the daytime talk format with a revived incarnation of The Ricki Lake Show in 2012. Although the revival lasted a single season, Lake won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2013 for her work on the program. In the ensuing years she pursued documentary filmmaking, including the 2018 documentary Weed the People, and continued to appear on television in guest roles and competition programs. In 2022 she launched the podcast Raised by Ricki, which revisits episodes of her earlier show and features interviews with celebrity guests.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lake’s on-screen strengths include an open, candid interview style and an ability to connect directly with studio audiences and guests. Her approach blends empathy with blunt questioning, a combination that has proven effective in both entertainment-focused interviews and issue-driven documentary work. As a host and producer she has shown an interest in personal stories and social topics, particularly childbirth and women’s health.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Lake’s career include the breakout film role in Hairspray, the long-running syndicated talk show that began in 1993, and the Daytime Emmy Award she won in 2013. Other notable moments include producing The Business of Being Born, competing successfully on Dancing with the Stars, and producing and premiering documentary work at film festivals.
Ricki Lake Career Wins
Lake’s verified accolades include a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2013 for The Ricki Lake Show revival. Her early film work earned critical recognition, including an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead for Hairspray.
Daytime Television Highlights
The Ricki Lake Show ran in first-run syndication from September 1993 to May 2004 and established Lake as a prominent daytime host. Her return to the format in 2012 resulted in a single-season revival and a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host in 2013, which stands as a major professional honor in her broadcasting career.
Other Wins & Perfromances
Beyond awards, Lake’s career highlights include a sustained run of feature-film roles in the late 1980s and 1990s, producing and releasing documentaries that received festival screenings, and competitive television appearances such as finishing third on Dancing with the Stars.
Ricki Lake Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Lake was born to parents Jill Lake and Barry Lake in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Her father worked as a pharmacist and her family upbringing and early life in New York shaped her entry into performance and media work.
Personal Life
Lake married illustrator Rob Sussman in 1994 and the couple had two sons, Milo Sebastian Sussman (born 1997) and Owen Tyler Sussman (born 2001). Lake and Sussman divorced in 2004. She later married Christian Evans in 2012 and the marriage was finalized as ended in 2015. In 2022 she married Ross Burningham. Lake has been public about personal health challenges, body-image struggles, and choices around childbirth, and she has channeled much of that experience into her documentary and advocacy work.