Kevin James

Kevin James
Kevin James was born on April 26, 1965. Kevin James is a well known American comedian and Emmy Award-nominated actor. James is well known for his portrayal of lead character Doug Heffernan on the TV sitcom, The King of Queens.

James was first known as Kevin George Knipfing, which was his named at birth. He is the son of Janet, a homemaker, and Joseph Valentine Knipfing, who had his own an insurance company. Kevin James was brought up in the "S-Section" of Stony Brook, New York. He graduated from Ward Melville High School in 1983.

James has two siblings, Gary Joseph Knipfing and Leslie Knipfing. Gary Joseph Knipfing is known as Gary Valentine, and is a comedian. Leslie Knipfing works under James, and helps him to raise money through charity events.

In 2001, James did his own stand up special called Kevin James: Sweat the Small Stuff for Comedy Central. A close friend of Ray Romano, James guest-starred on a few episodes of the hit television show Everybody Loves Raymond. James was cast as the lead character, Doug Heffernan.

Leah Remini was cast as his sharp-tongued wife Carrie while Jerry Stiller was cast in the supporting role of Carrie's semi-psychotic father, Arthur Spooner, who lives in the Heffernans' basement. In 2006, Kevin James received his first Emmy Award nomination, as Outstanding Lead Actor in a television series.

James began doing stand-up comedy, gaining popularity through numerous appearances on various talk shows, including Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Dennis Miller Live, The Late Late Show, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Live with Regis and Kelly.

James was #89 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians. James has also done his stand-up routine on Just for Laughs, an annual comedy festival in Montreal.

As a stand-up comedian and actor, Kevin James built a dual career out of his own homegrown reality. With a tall, burly build and innate likeability, James planted his roots firmly in performing at a young age.

Based upon his Long Island life and upbringing, James" material soon hit a familiar chord with working class viewers who stayed with his lengthy CBS series "The King of Queens" (1998-2007) for the long haul.

James made his film debut in the 2005 romantic comedy, Hitch, alongside Will Smith and Eva Mendes. In 2006, James starred with old friend Ray Romano in the comedy Grilled and voiced a character in the animated hit Barnyard. James also voiced a character in the 2006 movie Monster House.

In 2007, he starred opposite Adam Sandler in the comedy film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and made a cameo in Sandler's 2008 film You Don't Mess with the Zohan. In March of 2008, he was spotted in Braintree, Massachusetts filming for the film Mall Cop.

James enjoyed a quiet childhood, developing into a serious athlete as he got older. Attending Ward Melville High School, he wrestled on the school team alongside future WWF wrestler Mick Foley before becoming a football running back in his senior year. After his 1983 graduation, he headed upstate to study sports management and play football as a fullback at the State University of New York at Cortland.

Several credits shy of graduation, a disinterested James dropped out of college and spent his summer of 1986 looking for a life beyond sports - initially finding work painting houses, selling gym memberships and finally as a personal trainer. After performing all across Long Island, he was prompted to officially adopt James as his surname, while his brother became Gary Valentine.

In 1989, James segued into stand-up comedy, making his comedy debut at the East Side Comedy Club and garnering a wildly enthusiastic reception that was nowhere to be found in his second performance a night later.

James took a regular gig working at a warehouse that stocked industrial equipment and began crafting a comedy act in the multitude of local clubs available to the Long Island scene, as well as in New York City.

The movie made use of James" everyman persona and honed comic verbiage, but also tapped into his gift for physical comedy; no small feat, opposite Smith. Nevertheless, James still managed to snatch a bit of the A-lister"s comedic thunder.

Awaiting the release of another summer comedy, "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" (2007) - one that put him back alongside comic superstar Adam Sandler, but this time, in a co-lead capacity - James did not stray too far from his "Queens" persona, starring as firefighter Larry, who marries Sa"The King of Queens" bowed out in the spring of 2007, having admirably retained its ndler"s firefighter Chuck in order to keep his family benefits package.