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Ricki Lake

Host

From acting and producing, to dancing her way into the hearts of television audiences, Emmy Award-winning television host Ricki Lake is a pop culture icon who has built a career on her graciously candid sensibility and her authentic, relatable nature. The world first met Lake in 1988 as Tracy Turnblad in John Waters’ film Hairspray. Her additional film and television credits are extensive. At age 24, Lake became one of the youngest daily talk show hosts in history with the debut of The Ricki Lake Show. She has also co-written two books, released a 4 part-DVD series, and served as an Executive Producer of several documentaries. Lake’s legacy and perhaps her greatest love is her role as an independent filmmaker. Her award-winning, critically acclaimed documentary The Business of Being Born debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007 and is often hailed as the “must see” film among mothers-to-be. She is currently working on a film about hormonal birth control.

In recent years, Ricki Lake has channeled her nurturing spirit and drive for social change into passion projects, serving as a leading voice for crucial issues such as women’s rights and informed choice within reproductive health. Ricki is also a strong advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, having just lost her beloved husband, Christian Evans on Feb. 11, 2017.