Darienne Lake Explained
| Darienne Lake |
| Birth Name: | Greg Meyer |
| Birth Date: | 27 November 1971 |
| Birth Place: | Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Drag queen, television personality |
| Years Active: | 1990–present |
Greg Meyer (born November 27, 1971), better known by the stage name Darienne Lake, is a drag queen and television personality. Lake began performing in drag in 1990 in Rochester, New York before rising to prominence after competing on the sixth season of RuPaul's Drag Race, placing fourth.
Early life
Lake was born on Long Island, New York and moved to Rochester at age eleven.[1] At age eighteen, her mother kicked her out of her home due to her sexual orientation; her mother has since apologized.[2]
Career
Early work
Lake’s drag career began in Rochester, New York following her first year of college in 1990. She was inspired by a drag queen’s performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in a local production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.[3] When her friends put her up in drag, they said she resembled Ricki Lake in Hairspray (1988); the stage name Darienne Lake is an homage to her as well as to the Six Flags Darien Lake amusement park. Lake later appeared on a 1997 episode of The Ricki Lake Show about plus-sized drag queens.[4] Lake's drag mother, Naomi Kane, was also the drag mother of Mrs. Kasha Davis.[5]
Since the 1990s, Lake has been active in the New York drag community and has performed across the United States and internationally. Lake held the title of Miss Gay Rochester in 1998–1999.[6]
In 2003, she appeared in a VH1 documentary about drag titled Boys Will Be Girls, alongside her drag daughter Pandora Boxx, who went on to become a contestant on the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race as well as the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars.[7]
Drag Race
Lake rose to international prominence after winning the fan vote to appear on the sixth season of Drag Race. During the series, Lake won a main challenge (episode three) and ultimately finished the competition in fourth place behind Adore Delano, Courtney Act, and eventual winner Bianca Del Rio.
In 2018, Lake appeared in .[8]
Lake has been praised for her lip syncing skills, having survived three lip syncs for your life on Drag Race.[9] [10] IndieWire wrote that Lake "lip syncs like the rent is due". Vulture ranked Lake as one of the top 100 most powerful drag queens in America in 2019.[11]
Darienne Lake competed on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2023).[12] She ultimately finished the competition in ninth place.
Personal life
In 2020, Lake underwent surgery for melanoma.[13]
Discography
Albums
Studio albums
Singles
As featured artist
Other appearances
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|
| 2003 | Boys Will Be Girls | Herself | |
| 2008 | Mrs. Kasha Davis: The Life of an International Housewife Celebrity | Gladys Butts | Short film, credited as Greg Mayer |
| 2015 | This is Drag | Herself | |
| 2018 | | Gorky Park | | |
Television
Web series
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Schonewolf. Josh.
- FeatureFriday: Catching Up With Darienne Lake
. 23 August 2014. 6 September 2020. 5 January 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220105221422/https://dragofficialnews.wordpress.com/2014/08/23/featurefriday-catching-up-with-darienne-lake/. live.
- Web site: Middleton. Josh. Girl Talk: Chit-Chatting with Darienne Lake. 5 May 2014. 6 September 2020. 11 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111214721/https://www.phillymag.com/news/2014/05/05/girl-talk-getting-sidetracked-darienne-lake/. live.
- Web site: Rezsnyak. Eric. The Lake Effect. 19 February 2014 . 2020-09-06. 2021-09-27. https://web.archive.org/web/20210927071542/https://m.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/the-lake-effect/Content?oid=2338408. live.
- Web site: Season 6 Spotlight: Darienne Lake. 2022-01-05. Drag Official. en. 2014-02-09. https://web.archive.org/web/20140209160355/http://www.dragofficial.com/1/post/2014/02/season-6-spotlight-darienne-lake.html. live.
- Web site: Guerra. Joey. Mrs. Kasha Davis talks 'RuPaul's Drag Race' elimination. Chron.com. April 1, 2015. September 6, 2020. November 8, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108095321/https://www.chron.com/entertainment/tv/article/Mrs-Kasha-Davis-talks-RuPaul-s-Drag-Race-6173398.php. live.
- Web site: Miss Gay Rochester – Our Community Roots. live. 2022-01-05. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20170206111108/http://ourcommunityroots.com/?p=44477 . 2017-02-06 .
- Web site: Kasha & Darienne: 80's Ladies. Spin Cycle. 2020-09-06. 2019-10-22. https://web.archive.org/web/20191022192418/http://spincyclenyc.com/index.php/drag/501-80s-ladies. live.
- Web site: Rudolph 10/27/2017. Christopher. Bianca Del Rio Is Behind Bars On The Set Of "Hurricane Bianca 2". 2022-01-05. LOGO News. 2022-01-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20220105223255/http://www.newnownext.com/bianca-del-rio-hurricane-bianca-2/10/2017/. live.
- Web site: Rosebrugh. Gregory. 2014-05-02. Ranking the Glitter Ball Down: A Breakdown of the Final Four of Rupaul's Drag Race, Season Six. 2022-01-06. IndieWire. en. 2022-01-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20220106083241/https://www.indiewire.com/2014/05/ranking-the-glitter-ball-down-a-breakdown-of-the-final-four-of-rupauls-drag-race-season-six-214294/. live.
- Web site: Rezsnyak. Eric. "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 6, Episode 11: Glitter Ball. 2022-01-06. CITY News. en. 2022-01-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20220106083249/https://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/EntertainmentBlog/archives/2014/04/29/rupauls-drag-race-season-6-episode-11-glitter-ball. live.
- Web site: The Most Powerful Drag Queens in America Ranking the new establishment.. Vulture. 10 June 2019. 6 September 2020. 10 June 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190610184458/https://www.vulture.com/2019/06/most-powerful-drag-queens-in-america-ranked.html. live.
- Nolfi . Joey . April 20, 2023 . 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8' cast of returning queens revealed . 2023-04-20 . . en.
- Web site: Costas. Constance. Drag Queen, Darienne Lake, From 'Rupaul's Drag Race' Reveals 'Gnarly Scars' From Melanoma Surgery: 'Not Today, Cancer'. Survivornet. 9 August 2020 . 5 September 2020. 29 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929224639/https://www.survivornet.com/articles/drag-queen-star-darienne-lake-reveals-gnarly-scars-from-melanoma-surgery-not-today-cancer-not-today/. live.
- Web site: Shade: The Rusical . 2023-07-11 . . en.
- Web site: Oh No, She Betta Don't (feat. The cast of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6). 2023-07-11 . . en.
- Web site: Money, Success, Fame, Glamour (Glam Rock Mix) . 2023-07-11 . . en.
- Web site: RuPaul Presents The CoverGurlz . 2023-07-11 . . en.
- Web site: Song - Christmas is Coming . 2023-07-11 . . en.
- RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 cast of returning queens revealed. April 20, 2023. Joey. Nolfi. Entertainment Weekly. April 20, 2023. April 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230420181400/https://ew.com/tv/rupauls-drag-race-all-stars-8-cast-promo-looks/. live.
- News: 'Drag Me To Dinner': Hulu Announces Premiere Date For Unscripted Series From Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka. Rice. Lynette. May 1, 2023. Deadline.com. May 2, 2023. en.
- Darienne Lake Talks Lip-Sync Assassin Power on RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8 Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly. April 26, 2023. 2023-05-03.
- The Queens Of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8" Play Who's Who. BuzzFeed Celeb. May 15, 2023. 2023-05-18.
- DARIENNE LAKE - "Give It To Me Straight" Ep22 - Hosted by Maddy Morphosis. Maddy Morphosis. October 9, 2023. 2023-10-11.
- Web site: First 'House of Laughs' Trailer Reveals the Illustrious Cast and Release Date [Exclusive]]. Medina. Joel. Collider. March 27, 2024. August 20, 2024.
