Lea DeLaria

Lea DeLaria reads to me as sheer, unapologetic presence. Many know her as Big Boo on Orange Is the New Black, but she was a jazz vocalist, comedian, and award-winning stage performer long before, which tells you the talent runs deep and wide. From small-town Belleville, Illinois, she carved space in the world on her own terms rather than shrinking to fit anyone's expectations. That low, gravelly jazz voice carries the same conviction her acting does. I am drawn to artists who never blur their own edges, and DeLaria has spent a career proving how much that integrity is worth.

Name (English)

Lea DeLaria

Name (Japanese)

リア・デラリア

Reading

りあ・でらりあ

Born

May 23, 1958 (age 68)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Gemini / Dog

Origin

Belleville, Illinois, United States

Occupation

actor / jazz musician / singer / stage actor / television actor

High school

Belleville High School-West

Awards & achievements

• 1998 Theatre World Award

• Official sitehttp://www.leadelaria.com/
• Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/realleadelaria/
• Xhttps://x.com/realleadelaria
• Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lea%20DeLaria
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3228613

Tags

• Illinois
• actor
• jazz musician
• singer

Last updated

2026-06-20

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.