From ‘Good Morning Baltimore’ to ‘good night Los Angeles,’ Ricki Lake is paying tribute to her beloved longtime collaborator John Waters.
The Hairspray star will host ‘Let’s Talk w/ Ricki Lake‘ along with the curators of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures‘ ‘John Waters: Pope of Trash‘ to close out the exhibit on August 3.
The conversation with senior exhibitions curator Jenny He and associate curator Dara Jaffe will touch on Lake’s decades-spanning career of work with Waters, who directed her in such cult classics as Hairspray (1988), Cry-Baby (1990), Serial Mom (1994), Cecil B. Demented (2000) and A Dirty Shame (2004).
Launching last September, ‘John Waters: Pope of Trash’ is “the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the artist’s contributions to cinema. The exhibition delves into his filmmaking process, key themes, and unmatched style. Works on view include costumes, set decoration, props, handwritten scripts, posters, concept designs, correspondence, scrapbooks, photographs, film clips, and more.”
Ricki Lake in Hairspray (1988).
Following the opening of the exhibit, Lake paid tribute to Waters at his Star Ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, where she read a letter that she originally wrote to the director after wrapping on Hairspray, their first project together.
Lake said Waters taught her that “it’s what’s on the inside” that counts, adding: “So what if 1. I had to remain fat for two months straight. 2. Wear live roaches on my back, not to mention rats. 3. Be smashed in the face with a huge ball. 4. Be hoisted in the air like an immobile Mack truck. 5. Lick a TV screen as if it was licking me back. And 6. Respond to the name Orca. So what? I’m me!”