Ricki Lake was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, a charming town with a rich history, where she emerged as a blonde beauty. She has one sister, Jennifer, who is a year her junior, and their parents, Barry, a pharmacist, and Jill, a homemaker, currently reside in the vibrant city of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ricki's early years were marked by her attendance at Hastings Elementary, followed by Farragut Middle, and later, Hastings High School, where she spent two years honing her skills. However, she transferred to the Professional Children's School in New York City during her sophomore year to focus on perfecting her acting craft, which had already been nurtured by her early start in singing professionally at the age of nine.
After completing high school, Ricki attended Ithaca College for a year, but her academic journey was cut short when she received a call from her agent, informing her of an audition opportunity for the lead role in a John Waters film. Her talent and dedication paid off, and she landed the role of "Tracy Turnblad" in the iconic movie Hairspray (1988),marking her movie debut. This success was followed by a string of 15 more films and a recurring role in ABC's China Beach (1988) for one season.
Ricki's life took a dramatic turn when she hit rock-bottom, but instead of giving up, she chose to take charge and make a profound change. She began to prioritize her health by eating right and exercising, which ultimately led to a remarkable weight loss of 125 pounds.
In 1993, Ricki was selected from a pool of 100 applicants to host her own daytime talk show, and after just three years, Ricki Lake (1992) became the second-highest-rated show in its time frame. The same year, she met the love of her life, Rob Sussman, a political illustrator, at a Halloween party. It was love at first sight, and the two tied the knot in Las Vegas in March 1994, only to divorce in 2004.
