Ricki Lake, Talk Show Host Bio
“Jonas’s commitment to help homeless youth at such a young age is inspiring.” Ricki Lake, The Ricki Lake Show
A pop culture icon who has built a career on her candid, “straight talk” sensibility and her authentic, relatable nature, Ricki Lake has maintained a worldwide fan base that is a true cross-section of age and ethnicity. Her approachable appeal has charmed international movie and television audiences for more than two decades, and she has managed to reinvent herself at every stage of her career. As “Tracy Turnblad,” the zaftig heroine of the original John Waters’ film HAIRSPRAY, Lake made an acting debut that positioned her as an “entertainer to watch” in Hollywood. Later, with a surprise turn as a talk show host, she met with unprecedented success and earned her place as a beloved media personality across the globe.
Ricki made her much-anticipated return to TV with The Ricki Lake Show, an all-new talk show from Twentieth Television in September 2012. Lake has also completed work on a memoir, NEVER SAY NEVER: FINDING A LIFE THAT FITS, for Simon & Schuster’s Atria imprint, on shelves now. She has, in addition, become an online voice for mothers, providing editorial contributions to outlets including Momformation – all while showcasing her dancing ability as a beloved finalist on Season 13 of ABC’s DANCING WITH THE STARS.
Some of her latest roles – surprisingly, an independent filmmaker, family advocate and author – have kept her uniquely charming perspective firmly in the public’s consciousness. Lake executive produced the critically acclaimed documentary THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, which debuted at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and examined natural childbirth in the United States. Lake and director Abby Epstein released a four-part, follow-up DVD series, MORE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, in 2011 offering invaluable information and featuring birth stories from some of Hollywood’s most notable celebrities.