Dee Booher

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''.

Early life

Booher 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. She wrestled at El Camino Junior College in California, helping the team win a state championship.

Professional wrestling career

Booher 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 bear.

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. 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.

After two years with GLOW, Booher and others left to form a competing show called Powerful Women of Wrestling, but it was unsuccessful.

Booher said she learned her signature move, a big splash, from watching English professional wrestler Big Daddy.

In 2012, Booher appeared in a documentary about GLOW, titled '' GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling''.

Acting career

After Booher's professional wrestling career, she earned a living doing stunt work as well as by performing singing telegrams that incorporated aspects of wrestling.

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.

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.

Personal life and death

Booher was married to her husband Ken Booher for 39 years before he died. She had one son, Dean Booher.

By 2017, Booher used a motorized wheelchair because of wrestling-related spinal deterioration. In her later life, she had lupus and peripheral neuropathy. She died on January 7, 2022, at the age of 73.

Tributes

In July 2024, a stage show in tribute of Booher was co-written, co-directed and co-starred by Tracee Meltzer and Robert Nguyen called ''Matilda the Hun: The Raw Meat'' at the Zephyr Theatre in Hollywood. The show was nominated in 10 different categories for BroadwayWorld Awards and resulted in 3 wins for David Navarro for Best Music Direction & Orchestra Performance, Best Scenic Design of a Play or Musical and Best Sound Design of a Play or Musical.

Filmography

Bibliography

* ''Glamazon Queen Kong: My Life of Glitter, Guts, and Glory'' (2014)

References

External links

*

Papers of Deanna Booher, 1970-2017: A Finding Aid.Schlesinger Library
Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Booher, Dee
1948 births
2022 deaths
20th-century female professional wrestlers
20th-century American professional wrestlers
21st-century American actresses
American film actresses
American television actresses
American female professional wrestlers
Faux German professional wrestlers
Actresses from Torrance, California
Martial artists from Torrance, California
Professional wrestlers from California
20th-century American sportswomen