Dee Booher
Deanna Booher at the WOW red carpet event in 2016
Born
Deanna Booher

(1948-08-06)August 6, 1948
Torrance, California, U.S.
DiedJanuary 7, 2022(2022-01-07) (aged 73)
Occupation(s)actress, professional wrestler
SpouseKen Booher
Children1
Ring name(s)Matilda the Hun
Queen Adrena
Queen Kong
Billed height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Billed weight315 lb (143 kg)
Billed fromGermany (as Matilda the Hun)
Trained byMando Guerrero
DebutDecember 5, 1985
Retired1996

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]

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.[3] She wrestled at El Camino Junior College in California, helping the team win a state championship.[4][5]

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 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.

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

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.[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.

Personal life and death

Booher 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

Film roles
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
Television roles
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"
Music video roles
Year Title Role Notes
1989 Love in an Elevator Wrestler Single by Aerosmith

Bibliography

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

References

  1. ↑ 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)
  2. 1 2 3 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.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Godfrey, Alex (January 22, 2013). "The Woman Who Wrestled Bears". Vice. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  4. ↑ Booher, Dee. "About Matilda the Hun". QueenKong.com. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 WWE.com staff (January 9, 2022). "Matilda the Hun passes away". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 Larson, Sarah (June 20, 2017). "Before the Netflix Series, Whet Your Whistle with "GLOW," the Documentary". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Ken Booher Obituary (2007) Daily Breeze". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-07-14.
  8. ↑ Williams, Harold (January 8, 2022). "GLOW legend Matilda the Hun passed away at age 73". E2GSports.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
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