Lea DeLaria Biography

Lea DeLaria (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actress, and jazz musician. The "famously controversial" DeLaria was "the first openly gay comic to break the late-night talk-show barrier" with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. She is best known for her portrayal of inmate Big Boo on Netflix original series Orange is the New Black.

Early life

DeLaria was born in Belleville, Illinois, the daughter of Jerry Jean (ne Cox), a homemaker, and Robert George DeLaria, a jazz pianist and social worker. Her paternal grandparents were Italian. She attended kindergarten through eighth grade at St. Mary's Elementary School in Belleville, and has referenced her Catholic upbringing in her performances.

Career

DeLaria's stand-up career began in 1982 when she moved to San Francisco and performed raunchy stand-up comedy in the Mission District. Discussing her stand up, Delaria says, "This is who I am, when I'm up there. This is it. I'm a big butch dyke. That's who I am. And I'm a friendly one. I'm a big butch dyke with a smile on my face."

In 1986, DeLaria directed "Ten Percent Revue", a musical revue with songs related to homosexuality and most of which reflect pride in being gay. "Ten Percent Revue" was performed in Boston, San Francisco, Provincetown, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Many shows were sold out.

In 1988, DeLaria starred in "Dos Lesbos", a musical comedy about two lesbians dealing with the issues of living together. The show received very favorable reviews nationwide.

DeLaria starred in "Girl Friday: We're Funny That Way", a musical comedy, in 1989.

When DeLaria appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show in 1993, she was the first openly gay comic to appear on a late-night talk-show. While appearing on the show, DeLaria said, "Hello everybody, my name is Lea DeLaria, and it's great to be here, because it's the 1990s! It's hip to be queer! I'm a big dyke." DeLaria later said she had been told that she should not have used the term dyke on the air. Hall later defended her, saying, "If she wants to call herself a dyke, that's her business."

In December 1993, DeLaria hosted Comedy Central's Out There, the first all-gay stand-up comedy special.

DeLaria is also known for her touring "musical comedy about perverts", Dos Lesbos (1987-1989), as well as Girl Friday, a comedy she conceived, wrote, directed and starred in, and which won the 1989 Golden Gull for Best Comedy Group in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

DeLaria has released two CD recordings of her comedy, Bulldyke in a China Shop (1994) and Box Lunch (1997). She has also written a humorous book entitled Lea's Book of Rules for the World.

DeLaria appeared as Jane in the 1998 Off Broadway production of Paul Rudnick's The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, "a gay retelling of the Bible." Entertainment Weekly said "a star is born with Lea DeLaria" of her "showstopping" performance as Hildy Esterhazy in the 1998 Broadway revival of On the Town. DeLaria subsequently played Eddie and Dr. Scott in the 2000 Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show, and can be heard on the cast recording.

DeLaria has also appeared in a number of films, including Edge of Seventeen and The First Wives Club.

DeLaria integrates musical performance into her stand-up comedy, focusing on traditional and modern be-bop jazz. She has even said at her shows "It is my personal goal to bring be-bop jazz back into the gay and lesbian community." In 2001 she released a CD of jazz standards called Play It Cool. This was followed by the album Double Standards in 2003, and by The Very Best of Lea DeLaria in 2008.

In 2001, DeLaria was the voice of Helga Phugly on the short-lived, animated sitcom, The Oblongs. In 1999 DeLaria played the recurring role of Madame Delphina on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, returning in 2008 as both Delphina and Professor Delbert Fina. She continued to portray Delphina on a recurring basis until 2011.

In 2008, Warner Records released The Live Smoke Sessions, DeLaria's first recording focused on "timeless pop standards" such as "Down With Love," "Night and Day," "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Come Rain or Come Shine." She noted, "I styled this CD on the old school live recordings ... It is my hope that this CD will take you back to 1948 and the Village Vanguard. So please let me invite you to mix a cocktail and enjoy a smoke while you sit back and soak up the swing."

In November 2008, DeLaria completed a tour of Australia, playing Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. She also frequently collaborates with comedian Maggie Cassella, most notably on an annual Christmas cabaret show in Toronto, Ontario which also sometimes tours to several other Canadian and US cities.

In July 2010, DeLaria's version of "All That Jazz" was used on So You Think You Can Dance. DeLaria is currently performing in Prometheus Bound at The American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Since 2013, she has appeared in the Netflix Original Orange Is the New Black as the recurring character prison inmate Carrie 'Big Boo' Black.

On February 14, 2015, DeLaria received the Equality Illinois Freedom Award for her work as "a cutting-edge performer who has used her talent to entertain and enlighten millions of Americans," said Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of Equality Illinois. On receiving the award at the 2015 Equality Illinois Gala in Chicago, DeLaria said, "As an out performer for over 33 years who has made it her life's work to change peoples perception of butch, queer and LGBT, it is an honor for me to receive such recognition from my home state. I feel I"?m doing Belleville proud. Go Maroons!"

Personal life

In January 2015, DeLaria became engaged to fashion editor Chelsea Fairless after two and a half years of dating. The two met through Fairless's friend, actress Emma Myles, who plays Leanne in Orange is the New Black. In January 2017, DeLaria said she and Fairless were no longer together.

Shortly after the United States Presidential Election, 2016, DeLaria made headlines with her threats of violence toward Republican and Third Party voters.

Discography

Comedy albums

• 1994: Bulldyke in a Chinashop
• 1997: Box Lunch (Rising Star)

Jazz albums

• 2001: Play It Cool (Warner/WEA)
• 2005: Double Standards (Telarc)
• 2006: The Very Best of Lea DeLaria (Rhino/WEA UK)
• 2008: Lea DeLaria - The Live Smoke Sessions (Ghostlight Records)
• 2015: House of David (Ghostlight Records)

Guest vocalist

• 2005: Din and Tonic - Janette Mason (Fireball Records)
• 2006: Drawn to All Things - Ian Shaw Sings the Songs of Joni Mitchell - Ian Shaw (Linn Records)
• 2009: Alien Left Hand - Janette Mason (Fireball Records)

Broadway and film

• 1998: On the Town - Broadway Revival Cast- "Hildy Esterhazy"
• 1999: Edge of Seventeen - Music From The Motion Picture Soundtrack - Blue Skies (Razor and Tie)
• 2001: The Rocky Horror Show - 2000 Broadway Revival Cast (RCA Victor Broadway)
• 2005: Hair - Actors"? Fund of America Benefit Recording (Ghostlight)

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Rescuing Desire	Sadie
1996	The First Wives Club	Elise's fan	National Board of Review Award: Best Acting by an Ensemble
1997	Plump Fiction	Mr. Purple
1998	Homo Heights	Clementine
1998	Edge of Seventeen	Angie
2006	Fat Rose and Squeaky	Fat Rose	Co-starring Cicely Tyson as 'Squeaky'
2013	Ass Backwards	Deb
2013	Dear Dumb Diary	Ms. Bruntford

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Out There	Herself	TV film
1993	Camp Christmas	Herself	TV film
1993	In the Life	Herself/Guest host	1 episode
1994	Matlock	Det. Pat Jordan	2 episodes
1994-95	The John Larroquette Show	Lorelei	2 episodes
1995	Tom Clancy's Op Center	Capt. White	TV film
1995	Saved by the Bell: The New Class	Miss Hearst	1 episode
1995	Out There in Hollywood	Herself	Sequel to the 1993 TV movie Out There
1996	Friends	Woman	Episode: "The One with the Lesbian Wedding"
1997	The Drew Carey Show	Jewel	1 episode
1998	In Through The Out Door	Various characters (also writer)	TV film
1998	We're Funny That Way!	Herself	Documentary
1999	Great Performances	Herself/Performer	TV series
1999-2011	One Life to Live	Madame Delphina	31 episodes
2000	The Beat	Kathy	Unknown episodes
2001	Further Tails of the City	Willie Omiak	TV mini-series
2001	The Oblongs	Helga Phugly	7 episodes
2001	The Job	Kiki	1 episode
2001	Cabaret Live!	Herself/Performer
2002	Just for Laughs	Herself/Performer	TV Movie
2003	Will & Grace	Nurse Carver	1 episode
2003	The Award Show Awards Show	Herself	TV special
2004	Mercury in Retrograde	Betsy Brick	TV short
2006	Outlaugh!	Herself/Performer	TV special
2009	Ptown Diaries	DeLaria	TV movie
2009	Law and Order SVU	Frankie (bodyguard)	season 10 episode 14
2012	Californication	Debbie	Season 5 Episode 8
2013	Dear Dumb Diary	Ms. Bruntford	TV film
2013-present	Orange Is the New Black	Carrie "Big Boo" Black	recurring season 1-3, Regular season 4- (36 episodes)