Skip to Content

Celebrating Canada's 2SLGBTQI+ Communities

10 Questions With Vic: Lea DeLaria

Vic Gerami talks to actress and activist, Lea DeLaria…
 
By: Vic Gerami
Photos: Tina Turnbow
 
Lea DeLaria seems to have achieved overnight stardom with her two-time, Screen Actors Guild Award-winning, stand-out role as ‘Carrie ‘Big Boo’ Black’ in the Netflix hit series Orange is the New Black. However, DeLaria’s multi-faceted career as a comedian, actress and jazz musician, has in fact, spanned decades.
 
Lea holds the distinction of being the first openly LGBT comic on television in America. She’s received Obie & Theater World Awards, and a Drama Desk nomination for her portrayal as ‘Hildy’ in the Public Theatre’s revival of On The Town, an Ovation nomination for The Boys From Syracuse, and has played both Eddie & Dr. Scott in the gender-bending Broadway musical The Rocky Horror Show.
 
I was in Provincetown, Massachusetts in early May, where DeLaria’s highly anticipated new entertainment venue and restaurant, The Club, is about to open. The beach community was so excited for the grand-opening that I had to connect with Lea and get caught-up.
 
Modesty aside, how would you describe yourself?
Generally, I describe myself as Butch… a really talented sex machine of a butch.
 
You have had an illustrious career starting with stand-up and then on to film and television, with roles in classic movies such as First Wives Club, Pulp Fiction and most recently playing the iconic role of “Big Boo’ in Orange is the New Black. With all your success, do you feel like you are on top of the world?
OK, first of all I wasn’t in Pulp Fiction. I was in a spoof of Pulp Fiction called Plump Fiction which starred Julie Brown in a fat suit. Secondly, nobody who looks like me and talks like me, who ran out of fucks to give when Sonny was with Cher feels on top of the world. Let’s just say, that I lead a charmed life, and I know it.
 
How do you reflect on your career so far and having been the first LGBT comic to appear on late night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show, in 1993?
I was the first openly gay comic to perform on television in America. It wasn’t just late night TV, I was the first ever in the USA. As you can see, that milestone is something I am very proud of. Mostly, I reflect on the change in society and people’s perception of what it is to be queer and especially in my case Butch. Back then the power figures in show business thought it was career suicide to do what I did. However, the reality of my choice is that for me there was no choice. I mean… Look at me. What am I gonna do, walk out on stage and talk about my boyfriend?
 
You grew up singing alongside your jazz pianist father and have sung throughout your career. Most of your fans know about your music career, including being on Broadway and all your successful albums. You also released a new album, House of David, last year. Will you be doing more singing in the near future?
As a matter of fact yes. I have recently purchased a nightclub in Provincetown Massachusetts. It used to be a dance club called the Pied Bar. I along with my partner, Frank Christopher, have turned it into a performance oriented space. I will be performing there when we open on June 21. I will also be doing a 5 week run there, starting August 8. If you haven’t ever been to Provincetown you must come it’s a magically beautiful and queer little resort town
 
Tell me about your fans when they recognize you in public.
Well, the teenage girls scream and shake and cry like I’m a Jonas Brother.
 
Men ask me for a selfie saying “it’s for my wife” or “my girlfriend who watches Orange” … like straight men don’t watch orange, or any of the lesbian sex scenes in the shower. 🙄
 
Gay men love to talk to me about Broadway and if they are of a “certain” age then it’s One Life To Live and Edge of 17.
 
Straight women tell me The First Wives Club is their favorite movie, my response to that is, “Really? Mine’s Rebecca.”
 
And finally, lesbians give me a firm handshake and ask me if I like cats, unless they are in their early 20’s then they flirt ruthlessly. #daddy
 

You are about to open your own jazz club and restaurant, ‘The Club’, in Provincetown, MA. Tell me about the concept, how it came about and what people can expect from an evening there?
Class without snobbery is The Club’s motto. You will be able to see world class entertainment, Rosie O’Donnell, Alan Cumming, Janis Siegel… ME, in a sexy atmosphere, while enjoying excellent food and drink surrounded by a gorgeous view of the Bay.
 
Our late night features The Club House Band which plays for free from ten until close. So you can sit, eat and drink on our huge deck with comfortable patio couches, chairs, love seats and fire pits, look at the pretty water and enjoy the vibe until 12:30 at night.
 
What is your favorite charity/cause?
The Ali Forney Center for homeless gay youth. In fact they are in my will.
 
Which living person(s) do you most admire?
Oprah Winfrey… yeah I said it.
 
Aside from the highly anticipated opening of The Club, do you have other project(s) coming up?
Yes I do, but like all big things in my industry I am not allowed to discuss it yet.
 
Tell me a secret-make it a good one!
I am actually straight; the dyke thing is a career move.
 
For more information about Lea DeLaria and her projects, please visit LeaDelaria.com
 

 
VIC GERAMI is a journalist, media contributor and the Editor & Publisher of The Blunt Post. He spent six years at Frontiers Magazine, followed by LA Weekly and Voice Media Group. His syndicated celebrity Q&A column, 10 Questions with Vic, was a finalist for LA Press Club’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award in 2017. Vic is a contributor for IN Magazine, Windy City Times, WeHo Times, Get Out!, GoWeHo, Los Angeles Blade, Asbarez, California Courier, Desert Daily Guide, Armenian Weekly, GED, Windy City Times and The Pride LA. You can follow him on Twitter at: @vicgerami and on Instagram at: @vicgerami.
 

Related Articles

March 28, 2024 / Entertainment Latest

‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’ Teases Queer-Coded Characters To Modernize The Franchise

Actors Mckenna Grace and Emily Alyn Lind embody characters who share an otherworldly relationship in the fifth Ghostbusters film

March 25, 2024 / Entertainment Latest

How The L Word Revolutionized Sapphic Representation On Television

In the 20 years since the TV show premiered, it has broadened horizons and changed the way queer women were represented in the media

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 Episode 12 RECAP: Bathroom Hunties

The top six queens take on the iconic interior design challenge and actress Mayan Lopez is a guest judge

POST A COMMENT

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *