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. After appearing on the reality television show, Darienne Lake toured internationally, released a comedy album, and performed in film, television, and numerous web series.
Early life Lake was born on Long Island, New York and moved to Rochester at age eleven. As a middle child of five, she felt ignored growing up. At age eighteen, her mother kicked her out of her home due to her sexual orientation; her mother has since apologized.
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. 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. Lake's drag mother, Naomi Kane, was also the drag mother of Mrs. Kasha Davis.
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.
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.
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 Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate.
Lake has been praised for her lip syncing skills, having survived three lip syncs for your life on Drag Race. 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.
Darienne Lake competed on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars (2023). She ultimately finished the competition in ninth place.
Personal life In 2020, Lake underwent surgery for melanoma. Her uncle Tony survived the September 11th terrorist attack, escaping from the North Tower.
Discography Albums Studio albums Title Details Altered Boy Released: April 7, 2023 Label: Comedy Dynamics
Singles As featured artist +TitleYearAlbum"Shade: The Rusical" 2014Shade: The Rusical Album"Oh No, She Betta Don't! (Team Panty Ho's)" 2014"Money, Success, Fame, Glamour" 2023
Other appearances Song Year Other Artist(s) Album "Lick It Lollipop" 2014 RuPaul RuPaul Presents: The CoverGurlz "Christmas is Coming" 2015 Ivy Winters & Pandora Boxx Christmas Queens
Filmography
Film YearTitleRoleNotes2003Boys Will Be GirlsHerself2008Mrs. Kasha Davis: The Life of an International Housewife CelebrityGladys ButtsShort film, credited as Greg Mayer2015This is DragHerself2018Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with HateGorky Park
Television YearTitleRoleNotes 1996 Ricki Lake Herself Episode: "Get a Grip Doll... You're Too Fat to Be a Drag Queen" 2014 RuPaul's Drag Race Season 6, Contestant; 4th placeRuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked! 2018 Hey Qween! 2023 RuPaul's Drag Race All StarsContestant; 9th place RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars: Untucked Drag Me to Dinner Hulu original reality series
Web series YearTitleRoleNotesRef.2023Meet the Queens HerselfStand-alone special RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 EW News Flash Guest BuzzFeed Celeb Give It To Me Straight Very Delta2024House of LaughsWOWPresents Plus original
References
External links RuPaul’s DragCon 2016: Meet Darienne Lake (2016), The WOW Report, World of Wonder