Ricki Lake facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ricki Lake
Lake in May 2015
Born	Ricki Pamela Lake (1968-09-21) September 21, 1968 (age 56) Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, U.S.
Education	Ithaca College (attended)
Occupation	Television host actress producer
Years active	1987–present
Known for	Tracy Turnblad – Hairspray Ricki Lake The Ricki Lake Show
Spouse(s)	Rob Sussman ​ ​ (m. 1994; div. 2004)​ Christian Evans ​ ​ (m. 2012; div. 2015)​ Ross Burningham ​ (m. 2022)​
Children	2

Ricki Pamela Lake (born September 21, 1968) is an American actress and television host. She became famous for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 movie Hairspray. For this role, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

Lake is also well-known for her popular talk show, Ricki Lake, which aired from 1993 to 2004. When the show started, she was only 24 years old, making her the youngest person to host a major talk show at the time. In 2012, she launched a new program, The Ricki Lake Show. Even though it only lasted for one season, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for her work as its host.

Early Life and Education

Ricki Lake was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Her mother, Jill, was a homemaker, and her father, Barry, was a pharmacist. For much of her childhood, she was raised by her grandmother, Sylvia. After high school, Lake attended Ithaca College for one year before starting her acting career.

Career

Acting in Movies and TV

Lake in 1988

Lake's first major movie role was as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 film Hairspray, directed by John Waters. The movie became a cult classic, meaning it gained a very dedicated group of fans over time. She also appeared in other John Waters movies like Cry-Baby and Serial Mom.

She acted in many other films, including Mrs. Winterbourne with Shirley MacLaine and Cabin Boy. On television, she was part of the cast of the drama series China Beach and had a recurring role as Doug's sister on the comedy show The King of Queens.

In 2007, she made a special appearance in the movie remake of Hairspray. She also sang a song for the movie's soundtrack called "Mama I'm a Big Girl Now" with the other actresses who played Tracy Turnblad on Broadway and in the new film.

Hosting Talk Shows

Lake's first talk show, Ricki Lake, began in 1993. The show focused on everyday people and their problems, and the studio audience would often join the conversation. It was very successful and was shown in many countries. After 11 seasons, Lake decided to end the show in 2004 to spend more time with her family.

In 2012, she returned to television with The Ricki Lake Show. This show had a different style, more like The Oprah Winfrey Show. It was canceled after one season, but Lake won a Daytime Emmy Award for being an outstanding host.

Other Projects and Appearances

Lake at a movie premiere in 2007

Over the years, Ricki Lake has been involved in many different projects. In 2006, she hosted a TV series called Gameshow Marathon, where celebrities played classic game shows.

In 2008, she produced a documentary called The Business of Being Born. The film explores different choices women have for childbirth, such as home births. It even included footage of her own home birth experience.

In 2011, Lake competed on the TV show Dancing with the Stars. She and her partner, Derek Hough, did very well and finished in third place.

More recently, she appeared on the singing competition The Masked Singer in 2019 as the "Raven." She also competed in The X Factor: Celebrity in the U.K. In 2022, she started a podcast called Raised by Ricki, where she looks back at episodes of her original talk show.

Personal Life

Ricki Lake has two sons, Milo (born in 1997) and Owen (born in 2001), from her first marriage to Rob Sussman.

In 2010, the house she was renting in Malibu, California, was destroyed in a fire. Thankfully, she and her sons were able to escape safely. On January 8, 2025, her home was again lost in the Palisades Fire.

In 2020, Lake shared a personal story about her struggle with hair loss. She explained that years of different hairstyles for her roles, especially in Hairspray, had damaged her hair. She decided to shave her head and shared her new look online. She said she felt "liberated and free" and wanted to inspire others to be brave and love themselves.

In February 2021, she announced her engagement to Ross Burningham, and they married in January 2022.

Filmography

Lake in April 2007

Here are some of Ricki Lake's most well-known roles in movies and on television.

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Ricki Lake para niños