Ricki Pamela Lake was born on September 21, 1968, in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, to secular Jewish parents. She first rose to fame as an actress with her lead role as Tracy Turnblad in the 1988 cult classic film Hairspray, which earned her a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead.

She became a household name in the early 1990s with her daytime talk show, Ricki Lake, which debuted in 1993 when she was just 24 years old, making her one of the youngest syndicated talk show hosts at the time.

The show was known for its focus on youth culture, social issues, and audience interaction, running successfully for 11 seasons until 2004. In 2012, she launched a revived version of the Ricki Lake Show, notably shifting toward an Oprah-like format, earning her a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host despite the series lasting only one season.

Beyond her talk show career, she has appeared in numerous films and television shows including Serial Mom, Mrs. Winterbourne, and cameos in the 2007 Hairspray remake and various TV guest spots.

She also ventured into documentary filmmaking with The Business of Being Born, highlighting childbirth practices and women's health issues. In 2011, she competed on the 13th season of Dancing with the Stars, finishing in third place.

Her personal life includes two sons with her first husband, Rob Sussman, and a marriage to Christian Evans beginning in 2012.