Lea DeLaria

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Lea DeLaria

Born	May 23, 1958 (1958-05-23) (age 50) Belleville, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	comedian, actress, jazz musician
Official website

Lea DeLaria (born May 23, 1958 at Belleville, Illinois) is a US comedian, actress, and jazz musician. She has Italian origins [1]. She attended kindergarten through 8th grade at St Mary's Elementary School in Belleville, and has referenced her Catholic upbringing in her performances. After graduating, she progressed to the public Belleville Township High School West.

DeLaria has performed stand-up comedy for over 25 years and is an extremely prominent figure in the world of lesbian stand-up comedy, she is noted for her raunchy persona and inflammatory, irreverent political commentary, which have proven controversial inside and outside the gay and lesbian community. She began her career billing herself as "That Fucking Dyke"; she states "I called myself that because I would walk down the street and people would yell (it) at me. But after two years of performing I would walk down the street and people would yell (it) at me and I wouldn't know if they were a fan or not!"

Some of her comedy releases include Bulldyke in a China Shop and Box Lunch. She has also written a humorous book entitled Lea's Book of Rules for the World.

"I'm at West Virginia University to do a show, right, and they've done all this fucking publicity about it...so when I get to my show, who's waiting for me but five hundred Christian protestors with great big signs. 'Lea DeLaria is going to hell.' Not generic 'gay is not good': 'Lea DeLaria is going to hell.' Which is what I need five hundred strangers to tell me, like twelve years of Catholic fuckin' school wasn't enough, right?!"

-Lea DeLaria, from Box Lunch

She has also appeared in a number of films, including Edge of Seventeen, The First Wives Club and in musicals, including The Rocky Horror Show and On the Town.

Much like fellow comedian Sandra Bernhard, DeLaria has always integrated musical performance into her stand-up comedy. However, unlike Bernhard, DeLaria focuses 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 2002 she followed up on the goal, releasing a CD of jazz standards called "Play It Cool." This was followed by the album "Double Standards", and in 2008 "The Very Best of Lea DeLaria." All three were issued on Warner Bros. Records.

In 2000, she played the role of Eddie/Dr. Scott in the Broadway revival of "The Rocky Horror Show", only to later be replaced by Steve LeFayt because she had too many conflicts. DeLaria can be heard on the cast recording, although she jokes that LeFayt should have been recorded instead of her, but he had to walk his dog Casey the day of the recording. In 2001, she was the voice of Helga Phugly on the short-lived, animated sitcom, The Oblongs.