Lea DeLaria

Lea DeLaria (born May 23, 1965) is an American comedian, actress, and jazz musician. DeLaria is credited with being the first openly gay comic 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 Big Boo on Netflix original series Orange is the New Black. 2Early 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. 2Career 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 i