Lea DeLaria (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actress, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

singer. DeLaria is credited with being the first openly gay comic to appear on American television with her 1993 appearance on ''

The Arsenio Hall Show ''The Arsenio Hall Show'' is an American syndicated late-night talk show created by and starring comedian Arsenio Hall. There have been two different incarnations of ''The Arsenio Hall Show''. The original series premiered on January 3, 1989, ...

''. She is best known for her portrayal of inmate Carrie "Big Boo" Black on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

original series ''

Orange Is the New Black ''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a ...

'' (2013-2019). She's known for her work on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

including the revival of ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the ...

'' in 2000, and '' POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive'' in 2022.

Early life

DeLaria was born in

Belleville, Illinois Belleville is a city and the county seat of St. Clair County, Illinois, coterminous with the now defunct Belleville Township. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. The p ...

, the daughter of Jerry Jean (née Cox), a homemaker, and Robert George DeLaria, a

jazz pianist Jazz piano is a collective term for the techniques pianists use when playing jazz. The piano has been an integral part of the jazz idiom since its inception, in both solo and ensemble settings. Its role is multifaceted due largely to the instru ...

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 San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

and performed raunchy stand-up comedy in the

Mission District The Mission District (Spanish: ''Distrito de la Misión''), commonly known as The Mission (Spanish: ''La Misión''), is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California. One of the oldest neighborhoods in San Francisco, the Mission District's name is ...

.Lesbian Comic Delaria Is So Out That She's In
, ''The Press of Atlantic City'', March 7, 1994. 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 Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Provincetown Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States Census, Province ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...

, and

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

.Crouch, Paula.
It's a pickle's life in puppet comedy
. ''The Atlanta Journal''. November 14, 1986. 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 ''

'' 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.Richmond, Dick.
Lea Delaria: She's Got Nothing to Hide
. ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch''. November 25, 1993. 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 Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States Census, Province ...

. 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 An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

production of

Paul Rudnick Paul Rudnick (born December 29, 1957) is an American writer. His plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world. He is also known for having written the screenplays for several movies, including '' Sister Act'', ''Addams ...

's ''The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told'', "a gay retelling of the Bible." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' 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 ''

'', and can be heard on the

cast recording A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the sho ...

. DeLaria appeared in a number of films, including '' Edge of Seventeen'' and ''

The First Wives Club ''The First Wives Club'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. The film stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as three divorcées who seek retribution ...

''. DeLaria integrates musical performance into her stand-up comedy, focusing on traditional and modern be-bop jazz. 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 An animated sitcom is a subgenre of the sitcom that is animated instead of live action and is generally made or created for adult audiences in most cases. ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', ''The Simpsons'', ''South Park'', and ''Family Guy'' are four of ...

'' The Oblongs''. In 1996 DeLaria played the part of a woman friend of Carol and Susan in the ''Friends'' episode The One with the Lesbian Wedding. In 1999 DeLaria played the recurring role of

Madame Delphina This is a list of characters from the ABC Daytime soap opera, ''One Life to Live'', that began their run between the beginning of 1990 and the end of 1999. Nigel Bartholomew-Smythe Nigel Bartholomew-Smythe is a fictional character on the Ame ...

on the ABC soap opera ''

One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...

'', 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 Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

and

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

. She also frequently collaborates with comedian Maggie Cassella, most notably on an annual

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

cabaret show in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

which also sometimes tours to several other North American cities. In July 2010, her version of " All That Jazz" was used on ''

So You Think You Can Dance ''So You Think You Can Dance'' is a franchise of reality television shows in which contestants compete in dance. The first series of the franchise, created by '' Idols'' producers Simon Fuller and Nigel Lythgoe, premiered in July 2005 and ha ...

''. DeLaria performed in ''

Prometheus Bound ''Prometheus Bound'' ( grc, Προμηθεὺς Δεσμώτης, ''Promētheús Desmṓtēs'') is an Ancient Greek tragedy traditionally attributed to Aeschylus and thought to have been composed sometime between 479 BC and the terminus ant ...

'' at the American Repertory Theater in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

. Since 2013, she has appeared in the

Original ''

'' as the recurring character prison inmate Carrie 'Big Boo' Black. In December 2014, DeLaria voiced EJ Randell, the lesbian mother of Jeff in the

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, ...

animated series ''

Clarence Clarence may refer to: Places Australia * Clarence County, New South Wales, a Cadastral division * Clarence, New South Wales, a place near Lithgow * Clarence River (New South Wales) * Clarence Strait (Northern Territory) * City of Clarence, a l ...

''. 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!". In 2017, DeLaria revealed about what went wrong with the butch lesbian stereotypes just because she herself is an

androgynous Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in ...

masculine-presenting lesbian. In 2022, DeLaria returned to

in the comic play '' POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive'' where she received positive acclaim from critics.

The U-Haul Joke

DeLaria is the originator of the U-Haul Joke (see also U-Haul lesbian) which she began performing at comedy shows in 1989. Question: "What does a lesbian bring on a second date?" Answer: "A U-Haul."

Personal life

In January 2015, DeLaria became engaged to

fashion editor A fashion editor is a person that supervises the process of creating, developing and presenting content for the fashion department of a magazine, Web site, newspaper or television program. The work of a fashion editor can be quite varied and may h ...

Chelsea Fairless after two and a half years of dating. The two met through Fairless's friend, actress

Emma Myles Emma Myles is an American actress best known for her recurring role as Leanne Taylor on the Netflix original series '' Orange Is the New Black''. She was friends with fellow actress Dascha Polanco Dascha Yolaine Polanco (born December 3, 198 ...

, who plays Leanne in ''

Orange is the New Black ''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a ...

''. In January 2017, DeLaria confirmed she and Fairless had separated.Webber, Stephanie.
Orange Is the New Black's Lea DeLaria, Fiancee Chelsea Fairless Split, Call Off Engagement
, ''

Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...

'', January 12, 2017.

Discography

Comedy albums

* 1992: ''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 Janette Mason is a British jazz pianist, arranger, composer and record producer. Three of her albums have received four-starred reviews in ''The Guardian'' and her second album, ''Alien Left Hand'', was nominated for the Parliamentary Jazz Awards ...

(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)

Theatre and film

* 1998: '' On the Town'' – Broadway Revival Cast – as ''Hildy Esterhazy'' * 1999: ''Edge of Seventeen – Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack'' – ''Blue Skies'' (Razor and Tie) * 2001: ''

– 2000 Broadway Revival Cast'' (RCA Victor Broadway) – as ''Dr. Scott/Eddie'' * 2005: ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and fi ...

– Actors' Fund of America Benefit Recording'' (Ghostlight) * 2017: '' Cars 3'' – "Freeway of Love" * 2017: ''

Mamma Mia! Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent *Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Mamas, a name for female associates of the Hells Angels Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlemen ...

'' -

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...

– as ''Rosie'' * 2022: '' POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive'' - Shubert Theatre – as ''Bernadette''

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Video games

Podcasts

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Delaria, Lea 1958 births American women comedians American women jazz singers American film actresses American jazz singers American musical theatre actresses American people of Italian descent People of Sicilian descent American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Female-to-male cross-dressers Jazz musicians from Illinois Lesbian comedians American lesbian musicians American lesbian actresses Living people Theatre World Award winners People from Belleville, Illinois Actresses from Illinois LGBT people from Illinois Comedians from Illinois Warner Records artists Singers from Illinois 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 20th-century American comedians 21st-century American comedians 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American women singers 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people