Deanna Booher (August 6, 1948 – January 7, 2022) was an American actress, professional wrestler, and roller derby skater. She is known for her appearances with Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling as Matilda the Hun, as well as her appearances in films such as Brainsmasher... A Love Story and Spaceballs.[1][2]
Dee Booher | |
|---|---|
 Deanna Booher at the WOW red carpet event in 2016 | |
| Born | Deanna Booher August 6, 1948 Torrance, California, U.S. |
| Died | January 7, 2022 (aged 73) |
| Occupation(s) | actress, professional wrestler |
| Spouse | Ken Booher |
| Children | 1 |
| Ring name(s) | Matilda the Hun Queen Adrena Queen Kong |
| Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Billed weight | 315 lb (143 kg) |
| Billed from | Germany (as Matilda the Hun)[citation needed] |
| Trained by | Mando Guerrero[citation needed] |
| Debut | December 5, 1985 [1] |
| Retired | 1996 |
Early life
editBooher grew up in Lake Arrowhead, California. Prior to becoming involved in wrestling, she held jobs including as a masseuse and as a phone sex operator.[3] She wrestled at El Camino Junior College in California, helping the team win a state championship.[4][5]
Professional wrestling career
editBooher made her first foray into professional wrestling by organizing amateur mud wrestling shows, performing as a masked character named "Queen Kong". After California's gaming commission barred her from wrestling men, her first professional match was against a 700 lb (320 kg) bear.[3][6]
Booher later teamed with GLOW creator David McLane and director Matt Cimber to cast, recruit and train performers for the first all-women's professional wrestling show. She also wrote the show's theme song.[3] Booher portrayed Matilda the Hun in GLOW. Her villainous character ate raw meat in the ring and scared children in the crowd, which Booher said she enjoyed.[6]
After two years with GLOW, Booher and others left to form a competing show called Powerful Women of Wrestling, but it was unsuccessful.[citation needed]
Booher said she learned her signature move, a big splash, from watching English professional wrestler Big Daddy.[3]
In 2012, Booher appeared in a documentary about GLOW, titled GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.[6]
Acting career
editAfter Booher's professional wrestling career, she earned a living doing stunt work as well as by performing singing telegrams that incorporated aspects of wrestling.[2]
Booher had several film roles in her career, including in the Mel Brooks comedy Spaceballs. She was in the romantic comedy Brainsmasher... A Love Story alongside Andrew "Dice" Clay and Teri Hatcher. She also appeared in the music video for Aerosmith's "Love in an Elevator", carrying a dwarf on her shoulders.[3][5]
She also had guest-starring roles in television, including Married... with Children, My Two Dads, Mama's Family and Night Court. She often portrayed her Queen Kong character in these roles.[citation needed]
Personal life and death
editBooher was married to her husband Ken Booher for 39 years before he died. She had one son, Dean Booher.[7]
By 2017, Booher used a motorized wheelchair because of wrestling-related spinal deterioration.[2] In her later life, she had lupus and peripheral neuropathy. She died on January 7, 2022, at the age of 73.[8][5]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Delta Pi | Terrible Tawny | |
| 1985 | Grunt! The Wrestling Movie | Female wrestler | |
| 1986 | Welcome to 18 | Tough broad | |
| 1987 | Spaceballs | Bearded lady | |
| 1987 | Lust for Freedom | Big Eddie | |
| 1987 | Deathstalker II | Gorgo - Amazon champion wrestler | |
| 1987 | Dirty Laundry | Big lady with whip | |
| 1987 | Crazy Legs | Louise | |
| 1989 | Cage | Gang girl | |
| 1989 | Slash Dance | Repo | |
| 1990 | Club Fed | The ex-wife | |
| 1992 | The Nutt House | Large nurse | |
| 1993 | Brainsmasher... A Love Story | Bertha | |
| 1993 | Little Miss Millions | Sarge | |
| 1994 | Save Me | Nude model | |
| 1995 | Theodore Rex | Meanest woman truck driver | |
| 1997 | Meet Wally Sparks | Lady party guest | |
| 1998 | Heaven and the Suicide King | Shirley | |
| 2015 | The Dog Wedding | Elaine Pierce | |
| Femme d'Action | Invader manager | Television movie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Hardcastle and McCormick | Woman wrestler (uncredited) | Episode: "Strangle Hold" |
| 1987 | Mama's Family | Masked Mabel #1 | Episode: "Mama Mania" |
| 1987 | Night Court | Maggie | Episode: "Ladies Night" |
| 1989 | Nadine | Episode: "The Game Show" | |
| 1989 | Amen | Ilona | Episode: "Sing, Sister, Sing" |
| 1989 | My Two Dads | Mrs. Lurch | Episode: "Joey Gets Pinned" |
| 1990 | Dream On | Olga | Episode: "Death Takes a Coffee Break" |
| 1990 | In Living Color | Wife (uncredited) | Episode: "Homey D. Clown Returns" |
| 1991 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose | Maxine | Episode: "A Walk on the Dark Side" |
| 1995 | Married... with Children | Biker chick | Episode: "The Weaker Sex" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Love in an Elevator | Wrestler | Single by Aerosmith |
Bibliography
edit- Glamazon Queen Kong: My Life of Glitter, Guts, and Glory (2014)
References
edit- ^ Booher, Deanna (2013). Glamazon Queen Kong: my life of glitter, guts & glory. [United States]. ISBN 978-1-4675-8051-9. OCLC 1100587998.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)[self-published source] - ^ a b c Alimurung, Gendy (June 20, 2017). "This '80s female wrestling league was dangerous and sexist — and the best job of their lives". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Godfrey, Alex (January 22, 2013). "The Woman Who Wrestled Bears". Vice. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ Booher, Dee. "About Matilda the Hun". QueenKong.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ^ a b c WWE.com staff (January 9, 2022). "Matilda the Hun passes away". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ a b c Larson, Sarah (June 20, 2017). "Before the Netflix Series, Whet Your Whistle with "GLOW," the Documentary". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "Ken Booher Obituary (2007) Daily Breeze". Legacy.com. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Harold (January 8, 2022). "GLOW legend Matilda the Hun passed away at age 73". E2GSports.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
External links
edit- Official website
- Papers of Deanna Booher, 1970-2017: A Finding Aid. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
- Dee Booher at IMDb
- Dee Booher's profile at Cagematch.net
