How much is Ricki Lake worth?
| Net Worth: | $20 Million |
|---|---|
| Profession: | Professional Actress |
| Date of Birth: | September 21, 1968 (age 53) |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Height: | 1.62 m |
About Ricki Lake
Ricki Pamela Lake was born on September 21, 1968 and is an American actress, television presenter and producer with an estimated net worth of $20 million. Ricki Lake had her own talk show, Ricki Lake, which broadcasted internationally from September 1993 until May 2004.
She began her career as an actress, discovered by a well-known independent filmmaker, and became one of the most popular daytime talk show hosts of the 1990s. Lake was born in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, to a pharmacist and a homemaker. Lake began singing professional in New York at age nine. She later transferred from Hastings High School during her sophomore year to the prestigious Professional Children’s School in New York City to further her skills as an actress and gain confidence being the center of attention.
After graduation, Lake attended Ithaca College, where she continued her studies. She auditioned for an independent film that would be shot in nearby Baltimore, Md. She was discovered while a student at Ithaca College. After her finals, she went to the audition and landed the part of Tracy Turnblad, the overweight and overly charismatic lead in John Waters’ Hairspray.
The 1988 film was a hit and Lake was a sudden and unlikely star. She dropped out of college and went on to star in a number of Waters’ films, including Cry Baby with Johnny Depp and Serial Mom with Kathleen Turner.
Lake also launched a daytime talk show aimed at her generation, Generation X. It seemed no one in daytime TV was talking to this recently graduated and radically different generation. Lake’s 1993 show, Ricki Lake, took up the mantle.
The show left the air in 2004, and Lake returned to acting. She took parts in Mrs. Winterbourne with Shirley Maclaine and appeared in the slapstick comedy Cabin Boy. She was a regular on the hit TV show China Beach during its first season and had a recurring role on King of the Hill.
Lake is also known as a strong advocate for natural birth. Her documentary, The Business of Being Born, made its debut in 2008. The film documents Lake’s home-birthing experience and talks about the pros and cons of natural childbirth. It introduces viewers to the day-to-day responsibilities of a midwife. She is so passionate about it that she has called the film her “life’s work” and hopes the it educates and empowers people to understand what their choices are in childbirth. Her book, titled Your Best Birth is also dedicated to natural childbirth.
Like so many shows that grew up in the tumultuous time of tabloid talk shows in the 1990s, Ricki Lake soon started to see a decline in viewership as the show matured into the 2000s. But it remained popular until its cancellation.
In 2019, Ricki made a guest appearance on the ITV Daytime program Loose Women. As of 2023, Ricki Lake’s net worth is estimated to be $20 million. In 2013 after a single season The Ricki Lake Show was cancelled, but Lake won her first Daytime Emmy Award for the project.
