Lea DeLaria
A brash, groundbreaking comedian who stormed the Arsenio Hall stage as TV's first openly gay comic and later brought butch complexity to 'Orange Is the New Black.'
Born 1958 (age 68)·American comedian, actress and singer·Birthday: May 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Lea DeLaria didn't just enter the comedy scene; she kicked the door down. In 1993, her appearance on 'The Arsenio Hall Show' was a televised declaration, making her the first openly gay comic on national TV—a moment she used to deliver sharp, unapologetic material that challenged audiences. Long before mainstream fame, she was a staple of the New York underground, a powerhouse jazz vocalist with a growling contralto, and a fierce stage actress. Her career, which she describes as 'the dyke who does it all,' found its widest audience with the role of Big Boo on 'Orange Is the New Black,' where she infused a tough-talking inmate with surprising vulnerability and humor. DeLaria's work consistently blurs lines between comedy, music, and activism, paving the way for countless LGBTQ+ performers.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Lea was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lea Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Lea's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Broke ground as the first openly gay comedian to perform on American television with her 1993 appearance on 'The Arsenio Hall Show.'
- Portrayed Carrie 'Big Boo' Black across seven seasons of the critically acclaimed Netflix series 'Orange Is the New Black.'
- Released multiple jazz albums, including 'Play It Cool,' which featured Grammy-nominated arrangements.
- Starred as the criminologist in the 2000 Broadway revival of 'The Rocky Horror Show.'
Did You Know?
She comes from a musical family; her father was a jazz pianist.
DeLaria was the first openly gay person to host a television program in the UK with 'Edge' in 1992.
She is an accomplished stage actress who originated the role of Hildy in the musical 'On the Town' in 1998.
Her jazz album 'House of David' is a tribute to the music of David Bowie.
“I'm not a lesbian who does comedy, I'm a comedian who happens to be a lesbian.”
