{{Short description|American professional wrestler and actress (1948–2022)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Dee Booher | birth_name = Deanna White | image = Deanna Booher WOW.jpg | caption = Deanna Booher at the WOW red carpet event in 2016 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1948|8|6}} | birth_place = Torrance, California, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|01|07|1948|8|6}} | death_place = | occupation = actress, professional wrestler | spouse = Ken Booher | children = 1 {{Infobox professional wrestler|child=yes | names = Matilda the Hun<br>Queen Adrena<br>Queen Kong | height = 6 ft 3 in | weight = 315 lbs | billed = Germany (as Matilda the Hun){{citation needed|date=July 2018}} | trainer = Mando Guerrero{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} | debut = December 5, 1985 [https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=6061&page=4&year=1985&promotion=228] | retired = 1996 }} }}
'''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''.<ref name="Booher2013"/><ref name="Alimurung2017"/>
== 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.<ref name="Godfrey2013"/> She wrestled at El Camino Junior College in California, helping the team win a state championship.<ref name="Booher"/><ref name="WWE"/>
== 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 {{convert|700|lb|adj=on|abbr=on}} bear.<ref name="Godfrey2013"/><ref name="Larson2017"/>
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.<ref name="Godfrey2013"/> 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.<ref name="Larson2017"/> 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|date=July 2018}}
Booher said she learned her signature move, a big splash, from watching English professional wrestler Big Daddy.<ref name="Godfrey2013"/>
In 2012, Booher appeared in a documentary about GLOW, titled ''GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling''.<ref name="Larson2017" />
== 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.<ref name="Alimurung2017"/>
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.<ref name="Godfrey2013"/><ref name="WWE"/>
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|date=July 2018}}
== Personal life and death == Booher was married to her husband Ken Booher for 39 years before he died. She had one son, Dean Booher.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ken Booher Obituary (2007) Daily Breeze |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dailybreeze/name/ken-booher-obituary?id=24955942 |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=Legacy.com}}</ref>
By 2017, Booher used a motorized wheelchair because of wrestling-related spinal deterioration.<ref name="Alimurung2017" /> In her later life, she had lupus and peripheral neuropathy. She died on January 7, 2022, at the age of 73.<ref name="Williams" /><ref name="WWE" />
== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Matilda The Hun ..The Raw Meat in Los Angeles at Zephyr theatre 2024 |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/regional/Matilda-The-Hun---The-Raw-Meat-4179155 |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Awards |first=B. W. W. |title=Winners Announced For The 2024 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Winners-Announced-For-The-2024-BroadwayWorld-Los-Angeles-Awards-20250107 |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Filmography == {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Film roles |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1984 | ''Delta Pi'' | Tawny "Terrible Tawny" | |- | 1985 | ''Grunt! The Wrestling Movie'' | Female Wrestler | |- | 1986 | ''Welcome to 18'' | Tough Broad | |- | 1987 | ''Spaceballs'' | Bearded Lady | |- | 1987 | ''Lust for Freedom'' | Edna "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
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Television roles |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1985 | ''Hardcastle and McCormick'' | Woman Wrestler (uncredited) | Episode: "Strangle Hold" |- | 1987 | ''Mama's Family'' | Masked Mabel #1 | Episode: "Mama Mania" |- | 1987 | rowspan="2"| ''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" |- |}
{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Music video roles |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1989 | ''Love in an Elevator'' | Wrestler | Single by Aerosmith |- |}
== Bibliography == * ''Glamazon Queen Kong: My Life of Glitter, Guts, and Glory'' (2014)
==References== <references>
<ref name="Alimurung2017">{{cite news |last=Alimurung |first=Gendy |title=This '80s female wrestling league was dangerous and sexist — and the best job of their lives |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 20, 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/this-80s-female-wrestling-league-was-dangerous-and-sexist--and-the-best-job-of-their-lives/2017/06/19/4ed73c02-4220-11e7-adba-394ee67a7582_story.html |access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="Booher">{{cite news |last=Booher |first=Dee |title=About Matilda the Hun |publisher=QueenKong.com |url=https://queenkong.com/2018/04/25/about-queen-kong/ |access-date=July 13, 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="Booher2013">{{Cite book |title=Glamazon Queen Kong: my life of glitter, guts & glory|last=Booher |first= Deanna |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-4675-8051-9|location=[United States]|oclc=1100587998}}{{Self-published inline|date=February 2020 |certain=yes}}</ref>
<ref name="Godfrey2013">{{cite news |last=Godfrey |first=Alex |title=The Woman Who Wrestled Bears |publisher=Vice |date=January 22, 2013 |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/deanna-boher-invented-phone-sex-and-dominated-female-wrestling/ |access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="Larson2017">{{cite news |last=Larson |first=Sarah |title=Before the Netflix Series, Whet Your Whistle with "GLOW," the Documentary |newspaper=The New Yorker |date=June 20, 2017 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/before-the-netflix-series-whet-your-whistle-with-glow-the-documentary |access-date=July 12, 2018}}</ref>
<ref name="Williams">{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Harold |title=GLOW legend Matilda the Hun passed away at age 73 |work=E2GSports.com |date=January 8, 2022 |url=https://e2gsports.com/harold-williams-weekly-wrestling-glow-legend-matilda-the-hun-passes-away-at-age-73/ |access-date=January 8, 2022 |archive-date=January 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108102905/https://e2gsports.com/harold-williams-weekly-wrestling-glow-legend-matilda-the-hun-passes-away-at-age-73/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="WWE">{{cite web |author= WWE.com staff |title= Matilda the Hun passes away |work=WWE.com |publisher=WWE |date=January 9, 2022 |url=https://www.wwe.com/article/matilda-the-hun-passes-away |access-date=January 10, 2022}}</ref>
</references>
==External links== * {{official website|www.queenkong.com}} * [https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/8/resources/8680 Papers of Deanna Booher, 1970-2017: A Finding Aid.] [https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/schlesinger-library Schlesinger Library], Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University. * {{IMDb name|nm0095338|Dee Booher}} * {{professional wrestling profiles}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Booher, Dee}} Category:1948 births Category:2022 deaths Category:20th-century female professional wrestlers Category:20th-century American professional wrestlers Category:21st-century American actresses Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:American female professional wrestlers Category:Faux German professional wrestlers Category:Actresses from Torrance, California Category:Martial artists from Torrance, California Category:Professional wrestlers from California Category:20th-century American sportswomen