Lea DeLaria — on breaking barriers as a queer comic, and finding unexpected fame with ‘Orange Is the New Black'

Actor, comedian, and jazz singer Lea DeLaria joins the show. Over enchiladas and rosé, Lea reflects on a life of firsts — from becoming the first openly gay comic on American television with her legendary “Arsenio Hall Show” set, to stealing scenes as Big Boo on Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” We revisit our nearly 30-year friendship, beginning with playing lovers in Shakespeare in the Park’s “On the Town,” and share behind-the-scenes stories from our time in the theater world together. Lea opens up about the pride and pressure of visibility in the ’90s, why OITNB resonated so deeply with butch women who finally saw themselves represented on screen, and how a joke she improvised one night on stage became the now-iconic “U-Haul lesbian” punchline. This episode was recorded at Little Owl in the West Village — also known to TV fans as the building from “Friends." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices