Born Kevin George Knipfing, Kevin James is an actor and comedian best known for portraying Doug Heffernan on the CBS comedy “The King of Queens.” This charming and humorous comic never intended to pursue acting as a career; athletics was his first love. He played football in high school and excelled as a tailback. He competed in wrestling competitions and was a gifted athlete. He chose to major in sports management at university because he wanted to turn his passion into a job. But after a few semesters, he recognized that this was not what he really wanted to accomplish. During his summer break, he applied for a comedy part in a community theater performance out of boredom and was given the part. He made the decision to make comedy his career since he loved performing it so much. He joined the improv group of his brother Gary Valentine and took the stage with them. When he was given a five-minute stand-up spot at a comedy club, he had his first significant break. He was a resounding success who had the audience in fits of giggles. He soon made the switch to television, where he played Doug Heffernan, one of his most well-known characters. The gifted comic has also made several cinematic appearances.
Early Childhood & Life
He is Janet and Joseph Valentine Knipfing’s second child. While his father ran an insurance company, his mother worked in a chiropractor’s practice. He has a sister and a brother. He left Ward Melville High School in 1983 with a diploma. He used to play football and compete in wrestling contests because he was a huge sports fan. To study sports management, he enrolled at the State University of New York in Cortland. But he left school before finishing.
Kevin James’s Career
During his semester off from school, he attended an audition for a comedy role in a Shoreham-Wading River Community Theater show. He was chosen, and his debut performance went well. He discovered his love for comedy and left college to pursue a career as a comedian. Kevin Valentine joined the improv group that his brother Gary Valentine had. At the East Side Comedy Club on Long Island, the ensemble frequently gave performances. He made friends with Richie Minervini, the club’s proprietor, and took the stage name, Kevin James.
In 1989, he was given the chance to perform a solo, five-minute stand-up routine at the club, and it was a huge success. He was frequently requested to perform there. He furthermore worked part-time at a nearby warehouse during this time. He entered the television industry in 1994 as the announcer for the MTV sports game show “SandBlast.” He served as the show’s host from 1994 until 1996. From 1996 through 1999, he appeared as a guest star on eight episodes of the popular television sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
When he was selected to portray the title role of Doug Heffernan in the CBS comedy “The King of Queens,” he was given a significant chance. He became quite well-liked among the crowd because of his portrayal of a snarky parcel delivery man. It aired until 2007. He made his acting debut in the romantic comedy ‘Hitch’ in 2005, which also starred Will Smith, Eva Mendes, and Amber Valletta, playing Albert Brennaman. The audience praised Kevin’s performance, and the movie was successful.
He had a very fruitful year in 2006 overall. He provided the voices for the animated films “Monster House,” “Barnyard,” and “Emperor’s New School.” He co-starred with his friend Ray Romano in the comedic movie “Grilled.”
In the action comedy “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (2009), which he co-wrote and starred in as the movie’s titular character, he played a middle-aged single father. Despite the negative reviews, the movie was a financial success.
He served as the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award host in 2010 and was a finalist for the Arm Fart Hall of Fames the following year, but Josh Duhamel beat him out.
He co-produced the comedy movie “Zookeeper” in 2011, in which he also played a zookeeper by the name of Griffin Keyes. In 2012, he co-produced and appeared in the sports comedy movie “Here Comes the Boom.” In 2013, he shared a screen with Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Salma Hayek in the buddy comedy “Grown Ups 2.” Despite receiving harsh criticism from reviewers, the movie did quite well at the box office and was a financial success.
Kevin’s Bigger Works
His role as Doug Heffernan in the sitcom “The King of Queens” is what made him most famous. The successful nine-season run of the program is to blame for turning Kevin James into a well-known household name.
Recognition & Achievements
For the television program “The King of Queens,” he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Personal Legacy & Life
In 2004, he wed Steffiana de la Cruz, an actress. The couple has one son and two daughters.
Estimated Net Worth
American comedian, actor, writer, and producer Kevin James has a $100 million fortune. The kind of miraculous career ascent that most stand-up comedians dream about was accomplished by Kevin James. After performing stand-up in the late 1980s, he went on to guest star on Ray Romano’s show “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and appear on numerous talk shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and Dennis Miller Live, and finally star in his own sitcom, “The King of Queens.”
Trivia
He enjoys sports and follows the New York Jets and Knicks closely. Bas Rutten, a retired MMA fighter, and he are close friends.