Lea DeLaria

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.

Early life
DeLaria was born in Belleville, Illinois, the daughter of Jerry Jean (Cox), a homemaker, and Robert George DeLaria, a jazz pianist and social worker. Her paternal grandparents were Italian. She attended kindergarten through 8th grade at St Mary's Elementary School in Belleville, and has referenced her Catholic upbringing in her performances.

Career
Of her watershed 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show, as the first openly gay comic to appear on a late-night talk-show, DeLaria said "It's the 1990s ... It's hip to be queer, and I'm a bi-i-i-i-ig dyke!" In December 1993 she 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!”

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)

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)

Actress

 * Matlock as Det. Pat Jordan/Det. Pat Poletti (1994)
 * The John Larroquette Show as Loreli (1994–1995)
 * OP Center as Captain White (1995)
 * Saved by the Bell: The New Class as Miss Hearst (1995)
 * Rescuing Desire as Sadie (1996)
 * Friends as Woman (1996)
 * The First Wives Club as Elise's Fan (1996)
 * The Drew Carey Show as Jewel (1997)
 * Plump Fiction as Mr. Purple (1997)
 * In Through the Out Door as various characters (1998)
 * Homo Heights as Clementine (1998)
 * Edge of Seventeen as Angie (1998)
 * The Beat as Kathy Speck (2000)
 * Further Tales of the City as Willie Omiak (2001)
 * The Oblongs as Helga Phugly (voice) (2001)
 * Mercury in Retrograde as Betsy Brick (2002)
 * The Job as Kiki (2002)
 * Will & Grace as Nurse Carver (2003)
 * Fat Rose and Squeaky as Fat Rose (2006)
 * One Life to Live as Madame Delphina and Professor Del Fina (1999, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
 * Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Frankie (2009)
 * Californication as Debbie (2012)
 * Ass Backwards as Deb (2013–present)
 * Orange Is the New Black as Big Boo (2013–present)
 * Dear Dumb Diary as Miss Bruntford

Self

 * Out There (1993)
 * The Word (1993)
 * Camp Christmas (1993)
 * In the Life (1993)
 * Out There in Hollywood (1995)
 * We're Funny That Way! (1998)
 * Great Performances – My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies (1999)
 * The Rosie O'Donnell Show (1998–1999)
 * The 55th Annual Tony Awards (2001)
 * Cabaret Live! (2001)
 * Just for Laughs (2002)
 * The Award Show Awards Show (2003)
 * Outlaugh! (2006)
 * Ptown Diaries (2009)

Writer

 * In Through the Out Door (1998) (TV)