Lea DeLaria - wikipedia Lea DeLaria Lea Delaria DeLaria in 2015 ( 1958 - 05 - 23 ) May 23, 1958 ( age 59 ) Belleville, Illinois, U.S. Occupation Comedian, actress, jazz musician Years active 1982 -- present Notable work `` Big Boo '' in Orange Is the New Black Website www.delariadammit.com Lea DeLaria ( born May 23, 1958 ) is an American comedian, actress, and jazz musician. DeLaria is credited with being the first openly gay comic to appear on a late - night talk show with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. She is best known for her portrayal of inmate Carrie `` Big Boo '' Black on Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Discography 4.1 Comedy albums 4.2 Jazz albums 4.3 Guest vocalist 4.4 Broadway and film 5 Filmography 5.1 Film 5.2 Television 5.3 Video games 6 Awards and nominations 7 References 8 External links Early life DeLaria was born in Belleville, Illinois, the daughter of Jerry Jean ( née 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 Uzo Aduba, Dascha Polanco, Samira Wiley, Lea DeLaria and Alysia Reiner from Orange Is the New Black in 2015 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 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. 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 North American cities. In July 2010, her 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 confirmed she and Fairless had separated. Shortly after the election of Donald Trump as U.S. President, DeLaria was criticized for a profanity - laden post on Instagram in which she appeared to call for violence against people who supported Donald Trump. She later deleted the post. 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 Rescuing Desire Sadie 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 2016 Bear with Us Chief Ranger Stewart ( voice ) 2017 Cars 3 Miss Fritter ( voice ) 2018 Support the Girls Bobo Post-production 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 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 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 Mercury in Retrograde Betsy Brick TV short 2006 Outlaugh ! Herself / Performer TV special 2009 Ptown Diaries DeLaria TV movie 2009 Law & Order : Special Victims Unit Frankie Episode : `` Transitions '' 2012 Californication Debbie Episode : `` Raw '' 2012 Submissions Only Auditioner # 4 Episode : `` Another Interruption '' 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 ) 2014 Awkward Tattooist Episode : `` After Hours '' 2014 -- 2017 Clarence EJ / various characters ( voice ) 9 episodes 2015 The Jim Gaffigan Show Herself Episode : `` The Bible Story '' 2014 Tellement Gay ! Homosexualité et pop culture Herself Documentary 2017 Baroness von Sketch Show Brina Episode : `` Do n't Make Me Send a Lawyer Up There '' 2017 Broad City Deb Episode : `` Bedbugs '' 2017 Shameless Barb Episode : `` Frank 's Northern Shuttle Express '' Video games Year Title Role Notes 2017 Cars 3 : Driven to Win Miss Fritter Voice Awards and nominations Year Award Work Result 1998 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical On The Town Nominated Theatre World Award Won 2015 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Orange Is the New Black Won 2016 Won Orlando Film Festival Best Ensemble Cast in a Feature Film Bear with Us Won 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Orange Is the New Black Won References ^ Jump up to : `` Lea DeLaria ''. Hollywood.com. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. ^ Jump up to : `` Lea DeLaria Biography ''. Film Reference. Advameg. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. ^ Jump up to : `` '' You & A Guest '' Interview : Lea DeLaria ``. Breakupgirl.net. July 15, 1999. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. ^ Jump up to : Cagle, Jess ( December 10, 1993 ). `` Trend : Gay stand - up comedians ''. Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Robert DeLaria Obituary ''. Belleville News - Democrat. Retrieved June 21, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Richmond, Dick. `` Lea Delaria : She 's Got Nothing to Hide ''. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 25, 1993. ^ Jump up to : `` Lesbian Comic Delaria Is So Out That She 's In '', The Press of Atlantic City, March 7, 1994. Jump up ^ Guthmann, Edward. `` ' The Parker Posey of Queer Cinema ' : Stand - up comic Lea DeLaria is all over the lesbian and gay film festival '', The San Francisco Chronicle, June 14, 1998. Jump up ^ Keating, Douglas J. `` Musical Revue Looks at Gay Life ''. The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 17, 1986. ^ Jump up to : Crouch, Paula. `` It 's a pickle 's life in puppet comedy ''. The Atlanta Journal. November 14, 1986. Jump up ^ Hicks, Bob. `` Dos Lesbos ''. The Oregonian. January 8, 1988. Jump up ^ Hicks, Bob. `` Talented Comedians Slighttly Offbeat '', The Oregonian, January 7, 1989. Jump up ^ Valdespino, Anne. `` A Latin American original brings her steps to OC ''. The Orange County Register, January 25, 1989. Jump up ^ Hunt, Phil. `` ' Girl Friday ' Provides a Gay Time for All '', The Oregonian, January 12, 1990. Jump up ^ Holden, Stephen. `` Left - leaning Singing Comic Caught a Ride on Rising Star ''. The Times Union ( Albany, New York ). Jump up ^ Post, Laura. `` Lea DeLaria ''. AllMusic. All Media Guide. Retrieved June 28, 2011. Jump up ^ Cagle, Jess ( April 23, 1999 ). `` The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told ''. Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved June 28, 2011. Jump up ^ Canby, Vincent ( November 29, 1998 ). `` THEATER ; An Exhilarating ' On the Town ' Spreads Some Joy ''. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ Cagle, Jess ( December 4, 1998 ). `` Little Me ''. Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ Wontorek, Paul ( June 4, 1999 ). `` Handicapping the 1999 Tony Awards ''. Entertainment Weekly. Time Warner. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Lea DeLaria ''. Internet Broadway Database. The Broadway League. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ Reynolds, Nick ( November 3, 2003 ). `` Lea DeLaria Double Standards Review ''. BBC. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Double Standards ''. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ Murray, Jesse ( July 1, 2008 ). `` Madame Delphina Sees All ''. SOAPnet. The Walt Disney Company. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Lea Delaria : Live Smoke Sessions To Be Released 9 / 9 ''. BroadwayWorld.com. September 9, 2008. Retrieved 2011 - 06 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Tellement Gay ! Une perle de la Culture lesbienne par Lea DeLaria ''. ARTE. Retrieved November 18, 2017. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Jump up ^ `` EQIL Honors Lea DeLaria with Freedom Award ''. equalityillinois.us. Retrieved June 21, 2015. Jump up ^ `` BOOM ''. boom. lgbt. Retrieved June 21, 2015. Jump up ^ `` EQIL Honors Lea DeLaria with Freedom Award ''. chicagoactivism.org. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2015. Jump up ^ Corriston, Michele. `` Orange Is the New Black Star Lea DeLaria Is Engaged ''. People. February 6, 2015. Jump up ^ Webber, Stephanie. `` Orange Is the New Black 's Lea DeLaria, Fiancee Chelsea Fairless Split, Call Off Engagement '', Us Weekly, January 12, 2017. Jump up ^ `` ' Orange is the New Black ' actress Lea DeLaria says she wants to ' take out ' Trump supporters with baseball bat ''. Foxnews.com. November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Furdyk, Brent ( November 12, 2016 ). `` Anti-Trump ' OITNB ' Star Lea DeLaria Deletes Controversial Instagram Post Threatening To ' Pick Up A Baseball Bat And Take Out Every F * * * ing Republican ' ''. Etcanada.com. Retrieved November 18, 2017. External links Wikiquote has quotations related to : Lea DeLaria Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lea DeLaria. Official website Lea DeLaria on IMDb Lea DeLaria at the Internet Broadway Database Lea DeLaria at the Internet Off - Broadway Database VIAF : 44508915 LCCN : no99071500 ISNI : 0000 0000 5517 8333 GND : 135250218 SUDOC : 084121416 BNF : cb14170488p ( data ) MusicBrainz : 003447ea - d815 - 4c4a - 805d - 4b133b851cc4 SNAC : w6c251t0 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Modern Family, season 1 / season 2 ( 2010 ) : Bowen, Burrell, Ferguson, Gould, Hyland, O'Neill, Rodriguez, Stonestreet, Vergara, Winter Modern Family, season 2 / season 3 ( 2011 ) : Anderson - Emmons, Bowen, Burrell, Ferguson, Gould, Hyland, O'Neill, Rodriguez, Stonestreet, Vergara, Winter Modern Family, season 3 / season 4 ( 2012 ) : Anderson - Emmons, Bowen, Burrell, Ferguson, Gould, Hyland, O'Neill, Rodriguez, Stonestreet, Vergara, Winter Modern Family, season 4 / season 5 ( 2013 ) : Anderson - Emmons, Bowen, Burrell, Ferguson, Gould, Hyland, O'Neill, Rodriguez, Stonestreet, Vergara, Winter Orange Is the New Black, season 2 ( 2014 ) : Aduba, Biggs, Brooks, Cox, Cruz, Curtin, DeLaria, Fowler, Freeman, Gardner, Glenn, Golden, Guerrero, Harney, Jeudy, Lake, Lapkus, Leyva, Lyonne, Manning, Marsh Garland, McGorry, Moore, Mulgrew, Myles, Pimentel, Polanco, Reiner, Roberts, Rodriguez, Rosenblat, Sandow, Savage, Schilling, Shulman, Soules, Stone, Toussaint, Tucci, Wiley Orange Is the New Black, season 3 ( 2015 ) : Aduba, Birbiglia, Blake, Brooks, Cox, Cruz, Curtin, DeLaria, Fowler, Glenn, Golden, Guerrero, Harney, Jeudy, Leyva, Manning, Marsh Garland, Moore, Mulgrew, Myles, Peters, Petty, Pimentel, Polanco, Prepon, Rodriguez, Rose, Sandow, Savage, Schilling, Shulman, Soules, Stone, Wiley Orange Is the New Black, season 4 ( 2016 ) : Aduba, Aisenberg, Brooks, Brown, Cruz, DeLaria, Dover, Glenn, Golden, Gómez, Guerrero, Harney, Henke, Jeudy, Lake, Leyva, Lyonne, Manning, McMenamin, Moore, Mulgrew, Myles, Peters, Petty, Pimentel, Polanco, Prepon, Purdy, Rodriguez, Sandow, Savage, Schilling, Shulman, Soules, Stone, Tucci, Wiley Veep, season 6 ( 2017 ) : Bakkedahl, Chlumsky, Cole, Colin, Dunn, DuVall, Franklin, Hale, Louis - Dreyfus, Richardson, Scheer, Scott, Simons, Sutherland, Walsh Complete list ( 1994 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2009 ) ( 2010 -- 2019 ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lea_DeLaria&oldid=829327781 '' Categories : 1958 births American women comedians American female jazz singers American musical theatre actresses American people of Italian descent American people of Sicilian descent American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Lesbian actresses LGBT comedians Lesbian musicians LGBT musicians from the United States Living people People from Belleville, Illinois Actresses from Illinois 20th - century American actresses 21st - century American actresses 20th - century American comedians 21st - century American comedians LGBT people from Illinois Actresses of Italian descent Comedians from Illinois Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from February 2012 Articles with hCards Articles with IBDb links Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Wikipedia articles with SNAC - ID identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano Nederlands Português Русский Simple English Svenska 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 7 March 2018, at 23 : 34. 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Question: who plays big boo in orange is the new black
Answer: Lea DeLaria