# Kevin James
**Kevin James** (born Kevin George Knipfing, 1965) is an American comedian and actor best known for playing Doug Heffernan for nine seasons on the CBS sitcom *The King of Queens* (1998–2007) and for headlining film comedies including *Hitch* (2005) and *Paul Blart: Mall Cop* (2009).[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0416673/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kevin George Knipfing, born 1965 in Mineola, New York; raised in Stony Brook, Long Island[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) |
| Break | 1996 Just for Laughs festival in Montreal led to a network development deal[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) • [3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/sep/19/kevin-can-wait-kevin-james-acting) |
| Signature role | Doug Heffernan on *The King of Queens*, CBS, September 21, 1998 to 2007, nine seasons, with Leah Remini and Jerry Stiller[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) |
| Film debut | *Hitch* (2005), opposite Will Smith[4](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kevin-james/13301/) |
| Later sitcoms | *Kevin Can Wait* (CBS, 2016) and *The Crew* (Netflix, 2021), on which he was also executive producer[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) • [5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-james/) |
| Stand-up specials | *Sweat the Small Stuff* (2001), *Never Don't Give Up* (2018), and *Kevin James: Irregardless* (Prime Video, streamed January 23, 2024, 1h 1m)[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kevin-james-sweat-the-small-stuff) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8324578/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kevin_james_irregardless) |
| Recognition | Nominations include a Primetime Emmy Award, three Teen Choice Awards, and a People's Choice Award; named to Comedy Central's list of the "100 Greatest Standup Comedians"[9](https://thespeakerhandbook.com/speaker/kevin-james/pdf) |
## Early life
James was born Kevin George Knipfing in 1965 in [Mineola, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/mineola-new-york), the son of Janet and Joseph Valentine Knipfing; the family moved to Stony Brook on [Long Island](https://www.edgepedia.org/long-island), where he attended Ward Melville High School.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) A talented athlete, he played tailback on his football team and, after graduating in 1983, continued at the [State University of New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/state-university-of-new-york) at Cortland, majoring in sports management.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) A public speaking course at Cortland awakened his interest in the stage, and a comedic part in a Shoreham-Wading River Community Theater production went well enough that he chose not to return to college.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james)
## Stand-up beginnings
Through his brother, the actor [Gary Valentine](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-valentine), whose improv group performed at the East Side Comedy Club in Huntington Station, James joined the Long Island comedy scene.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) He adopted the stage name Kevin James as an homage to a favorite teacher, and club owner Richie Minervini gave him a five-minute stand-up slot that led to regular work on the Long Island club circuit, where he befriended the young [Ray Romano](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-romano); to make ends meet he worked at a local warehouse.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james)
He spent roughly ten years refining his act before moving up to New York City venues and becoming a frequent late-night talk show guest.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) His 1996 performance at the Montreal Comedy Festival earned a network development deal, and after several guest appearances on Romano's sitcom *Everybody Loves Raymond*, Romano and James wrote a script intended to showcase James as a series lead, which Romano passed to CBS head [Les Moonves](https://www.edgepedia.org/les-moonves).[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james)
## The King of Queens
*The King of Queens* premiered on CBS on September 21, 1998, with James as "average Joe" parcel delivery driver Doug Heffernan, Leah Remini as his wife Carrie, and [Jerry Stiller](https://www.edgepedia.org/jerry-stiller) as her father.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) The show held a prime-time slot with steady ratings for nine seasons, ending in 2007.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) A Guardian retrospective credited its success to the chemistry between James and Remini and described James as a strong physical performer, citing a season-one argument scene performed entirely in silence as "a masterclass in screen acting."[3](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/sep/19/kevin-can-wait-kevin-james-acting)
## Film career
James made his feature film debut in [Columbia Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-pictures)' *Hitch* (2005) opposite [Will Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/will-smith), playing Albert.[4](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kevin-james/13301/) He then co-starred in *I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry* (2007) with [Adam Sandler](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-sandler) and headlined *Paul Blart: Mall Cop* (2009), a project he conceived with *King of Queens* writer Nick Bakay, co-wrote, and co-produced with Sandler's company Happy Madison.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0416673/bio/) • [10](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/51755-kevin-james-is-paul-blart-mall-cop) Around the film's release he told the Los Angeles Times that after nine seasons of television and supporting roles, he was ready to take on the mantle of big-screen leading man.[11](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jan-15-et-performance15-story.html)
Subsequent films paired him repeatedly with Sandler's circle: *Grown Ups* (2010) with Sandler, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and [David Spade](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-spade); *Zookeeper* (2011); *The Dilemma* (2011); *Here Comes the Boom* (2012); *Grown Ups 2* (2013); *Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2* (2015); *Pixels* (2015); and voice roles as [Frankenstein](https://www.edgepedia.org/frankenstein) in the *Hotel Transylvania* films.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) • [12](https://www.fandango.com/people/kevin-james-317077/film-credits) He also played a rare dramatic-adjacent role as Dominick in the thriller *Becky* (2020) and reunited with Sandler in the Netflix comedy *Hubie Halloween* (2020).[4](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kevin-james/13301/)
## Return to television
James returned to series television in 2016 with the CBS sitcom *Kevin Can Wait*.[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) In 2017, [Erinn Hayes](https://www.edgepedia.org/erinn-hayes), who played his wife, was fired and her character killed off after low ratings.[13](https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/kevin-james-the-crew) In 2021 he starred and executive produced *The Crew*, a Netflix sitcom set in NASCAR racing, playing the crew chief Kevin Gibson.[5](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-james/) An earlier proposed sitcom with Lionsgate's Debmar-Mercury under the company's "10/90" model, in which a 10-episode pickup extends to 100 episodes if ratings targets are met, never reached production; James attributed its collapse to a rushed process.[14](https://www.thewrap.com/kevin-james-on-why-his-lionsgate-comedy-fell-apart-such-a-rushed-process/)
## Stand-up specials and recent work
James's stand-up specials include *Sweat the Small Stuff* (2001), *Never Don't Give Up* (2018), and *Kevin James: Irregardless*, which Prime Video began streaming on January 23, 2024; the hour-long special covers parenting, marriage, and getting older, and James supported it with his "Owls Don't Walk" tour.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kevin-james-sweat-the-small-stuff) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8324578/) • [8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kevin_james_irregardless) • [15](https://readysteadycut.com/2024/01/22/kevin-james-irregardless-review/) Critical reception of *Irregardless* was mixed to negative; Ready Steady Cut called it "easily one of the worst stand-up specials in recent memory," while Decider's reviewer wrote that existing fans would enjoy it.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kevin_james_irregardless)
In late 2023 a promotional photograph of James smirking, taken for *King of Queens* press shoots, became a widely shared internet meme, with users pairing the image with invented captions.[16](https://time.com/6317579/kevin-james-meme/) His recent screen work includes *Home Team* (2022), *Monster Summer* (2024), *Guns Up* (2025), and the Prime Video comedy *Playdate* (2025) with [Alan Ritchson](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-ritchson), with *Solo Mio* scheduled for 2026 as actor, producer, and screenwriter.[12](https://www.fandango.com/people/kevin-james-317077/film-credits) • [17](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/kevin-james-wanted-be-alan-ritchson-mr-miyagi-comedy-he-should-have-known-reacher-actor-hilarious-real-life)
## Personal life
A devout Catholic, James married Steffiana De La Cruz, whom he met on a blind date, in 2004 at St. Edward [Catholic Church](https://www.edgepedia.org/catholic-church).[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james) They have four children: Sienna-Marie (born 2005), Shea Joelle (2007), Kannon Valentine (2011), and Sistine Sabella (2015).[1](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james)
## References
1. [Kevin James: Biography, Actor, King of Queens, Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/actors/kevin-james)
2. [Kevin James - Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0416673/bio/)
3. [Kevin Can Wait: is Kevin James an acting genius or a one-trick pony?, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/sep/19/kevin-can-wait-kevin-james-acting)
4. [Kevin James biography and filmography, Tribute.ca](https://www.tribute.ca/people/biography/kevin-james/13301/)
5. [Kevin James - Actor, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/kevin-james/)
6. [Kevin James: Sweat the Small Stuff, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kevin-james-sweat-the-small-stuff)
7. [Kevin James: Never Don't Give Up (2018), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8324578/)
8. [Kevin James: Irregardless, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/kevin_james_irregardless)
9. [Kevin James speaker biography, The Speaker Handbook](https://thespeakerhandbook.com/speaker/kevin-james/pdf)
10. [Kevin James is Paul Blart: Mall Cop, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/51755-kevin-james-is-paul-blart-mall-cop)
11. [Kevin James, 'Paul Blart: Mall Cop', Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jan-15-et-performance15-story.html)
12. [Kevin James Filmography and Movies, Fandango](https://www.fandango.com/people/kevin-james-317077/film-credits)
13. [Kevin James, 'The Crew' Netflix: Kevin James Is No Longer the Everyman, MEL Magazine](https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/kevin-james-the-crew)
14. [Kevin James on Why His Lionsgate Comedy Fell Apart, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/kevin-james-on-why-his-lionsgate-comedy-fell-apart-such-a-rushed-process/)
15. [Kevin James: Irregardless Review, Ready Steady Cut](https://readysteadycut.com/2024/01/22/kevin-james-irregardless-review/)
16. [The Kevin James Meme That's Taking Over the Internet, Time](https://time.com/6317579/kevin-james-meme/)
17. [Kevin James Wanted To Be Alan Ritchson's 'Mr. Miyagi', CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/kevin-james-wanted-be-alan-ritchson-mr-miyagi-comedy-he-should-have-known-reacher-actor-hilarious-real-life)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames I to Kh*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license