Movies

Kevin George Knipfing (born April 26, 1965), better known by his stage name Kevin James, is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his role as Doug Heffernan on the sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series nomination in 2006. He also was nominated for a People's Choice Award in 2017 for his role on the sitcom Kevin Can Wait (2016–2018).

James has appeared in the films Hitch (2005), I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007), Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), Grown Ups (2010), Zookeeper (2011), Here Comes the Boom (2012), and Pixels (2015). He has also done voice work for Monster House, Barnyard (both 2006), and the first three films of the Hotel Transylvania franchise (2012–2018).

He also had roles in the drama films Little Boy (2015) and Becky (2020).

Early life
James was born Kevin George Knipfing in Mineola, New York, on April 26, 1965, the son of American office worker Janet and German-American insurance agency owner Joseph Valentine Knipfing Jr. He grew up in Stony Brook, New York. He has a sister named Leslie and an older brother named Gary, the latter of whom also became a comedian and actor under the name Gary Valentine. The siblings were raised Catholic. James graduated from Ward Melville High School, where he reached the top position on the wrestling team, one spot above his friend and future professional wrestler Mick Foley. Both wrestled at the 145 lb weight class. When James suffered a season-ending back injury, Foley took over the first string position. Both men went on to study at the State University of New York at Cortland, where James played halfback on the varsity football team until another back injury permanently ended his sporting ambitions.