David Drake was born on June 27, 1963, in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Harford County, Maryland, the only child of two public school teachers. He began performing in local stage productions at age ten. At 20 he moved to New York City to further pursue his acting career, which led to such Off-Broadway appearances as playing the title role in the Mabou Mines production of Greg Mehrten's Pretty Boy; originating the character/contestant "Miss Deep South" in Pageant; and succeeding Charles Busch in Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. Television appearances have included Law & Order; In the Life; Day One; and dozens of talk shows, including Joan Rivers and Donahue. In film, David has taken roles in Longtime Companion; Naked in New York; It's Pat!; and Jonathan Demme's Philadelphia. In 1993 David won a Village Voice OBIE Award for his performance in The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. He is currently writing a new one-actor play.