Preparing for the premiere of THE RICKI LAKE SHOW on the September 10 2012, Ricki Lake is a pop culture icon who has built a career on her candid, “straight talk” sensibility and her authentic, relatable nature. She has maintained a worldwide fan base that is a true cross-section of age and ethnicity, and her approachable appeal has charmed international movie and television audiences for more than two decades. 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.

Lake has recently completed work on a memoir for Simon & Schuster’s Atria imprint, due on shelves in the spring of 2012. In addition, she 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. That project has generated a grassroots movement and led to the publication of her first book, YOUR BEST BIRTH. On November 8, 2011, Lake and her filmmaking partner, Abby Epstein, will release a four-part, follow-up DVD series, MORE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN, offering invaluable information and featuring birth stories from some of Hollywood’s most notable celebrities.

Lake starred in John Waters’ CRY-BABY opposite Johnny Depp and SERIAL MOM alongside Kathleen Turner. Other notable appearances include the contemporary classic WORKING GIRL, the acclaimed drama LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN, the romantic comedy MRS. WINTERBOURNE opposite Shirley MacLaine and Brendan Fraser and WHERE THE DAY TAKES YOU opposite Dermot Mulroney. She also starred in the CBS film BABYCAKES and the popular television series CHINA BEACH and THE KING OF QUEENS.