Lea DeLaria

The much-loved and outspoken actress, comedian, and gay icon Lea DeLaria seems to have achieved overnight stardom with her three-time SAG Award-winning stand-out role as Carrie “Big Boo” Black in the Netflix hit series Orange Is the New Black. However, her multifaceted career has, in fact, spanned decades. An Obie and Theater World Award winner and Drama Desk nominee for her portrayal as Hildy in the Public Theater’s 1997 revival of On the Town, DeLaria has also appeared in the television series The Code and is the first openly gay comic to perform on television in America. She was also the featured vocalist at the 50th anniversary of the Newport Jazz Festival, and has performed in some of the most prestigious houses in the world including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Chicago Symphony, Hollywood Bowl, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Sydney Opera House.