August 2004

THE KING OF QUEENS

KEVIN JAMES
(Doug Heffernan in THE KING OF QUEENS)

Kevin James not only stars in the hit CBS comedy THE KING OF QUEENS, he also serves as one of the show's executive producers. James made the transition into television after being discovered at the 1996 Montreal Comedy Festival where he signed a development deal to create his own show. He was also cast in a recurring role on "Everybody Loves Raymond," on CBS, with his friend and fellow comic Ray Romano.

Also a successful standup comedian, James was inspired by comedic idols such as Robert Klein and Jerry Seinfeld. James starred in his own one-hour comedy special, "Sweat the Small Stuff" on Comedy Central, and he makes regular appearances on the "Late Show with David Letterman," on CBS. He tours the country performing his standup act. Entertainment Weekly took note of his comedic talent, naming him one of The 100 Most Creative People in Entertainment in its 2001 "It" issue.

James will be seen in the upcoming "Last First Kiss" with Will Smith and Eva Mendes. James will also voice the lead character, Otis, in the upcoming Nick Movies feature "The Barnyard."

He was born in Mineola, N.Y., and raised in Stony Brook, N.Y. He lives in Los Angeles.

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PATTON OSWALT
(Spence Olchin in THE KING OF QUEENS)

Patton Oswalt has been headlining at comedy clubs all over the United States since 1996, as well as appearing in his own standup specials on Comedy Central and HBO. He was chosen as Entertainment Weekly's "It" comedian in 2002. He is a regular on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." His other television credits include appearances in "Seinfeld" and "NewsRadio."

As a writer, Oswalt spent two seasons on "Mad TV" and has also written for the MTV Music Video Awards. He is currently writing screenplays, and has appeared in the feature films "Starsky & Hutch," "Blade 3," "Man on the Moon" and "Magnolia."

He was born in Portsmouth, Va., and lives in Los Angeles. His birth date is Jan. 27.

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LEAH REMINI
(Carrie Heffernan in THE KING OF QUEENS)

Before starring in THE KING OF QUEENS, Leah Remini starred in "Fired Up" with Sharon Lawrence.?

Remini had a recurring role in?"Who's the Boss?," which led to a starring role in its spin off series, "Living Dolls." She also had other recurring roles in "Evening Shade," on CBS, "Saved by the Bell," and "Cheers" and guest-starred in "Friends" and "NYPD Blue."

Remini appeared in the hit feature film "Old School."

Leah was born in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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JERRY STILLER
(Arthur Spooner in THE KING OF QUEENS)

Jerry Stiller played the irascible Frank Costanza in "Seinfeld" from 1993 to 1998. The role earned him an Emmy nomination as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 1997 and an American Comedy Award as Outstanding Guest Star in 1998.

Stiller has long been known as half of the husband-and-wife comedy team Stiller and Meara. He and his wife, Anne Meara, were part of the improvisational group the Compass Players, which later became Second City. Stiller and Meara, who have played every major nightclub in the United States, appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show," on CBS, 36 times.

Stiller was a charter member of the Phoenix Theatre Company and worked for John Houseman at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He was in the national company of "Peter Pan" and also spent two seasons at the Erie Playhouse. He toured with Joseph Papp's Shakespeare Festival during its first season and played Launce in John Guare's musical version of "Two Gentlemen of Verona" and Dogberry in "Much Ado About Nothing." On Broadway, he appeared in "Hurlyburly," directed by Mike Nichols, "The Ritz," "Passione," "The Golden Apple," "Unexpected Guests," "Three Men on a Horse" (with Tony Randall and Jack Klugman), "What's Wrong with This Picture?" and "Three Sisters." At Lincoln Center, he appeared in David Mamet's "Prairie du Chien." Off Broadway, he starred with Anne Meara in "Afterplay." He has taught at the Herbert Berghof Studio and studied with Uta Hagen.

His television credits include guest-starring roles in "Archie Bunker's Place," "In the Heat of the Night," "Murder, She Wrote" and "Touched by an Angel," all on CBS, "The Love Boat" and "L.A. Law." He also starred in the PBS production of "Seize the Day" with Robin Williams and "The Hollow Boy."

Among Stiller's other credits is "Shoeshine," a short film also starring his son, Ben Stiller, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1988. His feature film credits include "Zoolander," "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three," "Airport '75," "Nadine," "The Ritz," "Hairspray," "The Pickle" and "Those Lips, Those Eyes." He and Meara also starred in the Joan Micklin Silver film "The Fish in the Bathtub" and with Janeane Garofalo in "The Independent."

Stiller's autobiography, Married to Laughter, was published by Simon and Schuster. The audio version, released by Random House, was nominated for a 2000 Grammy in the Spoken Word Category.

Stiller has received the George Ahrents Award from Syracuse University, his alma mater, where he studied drama with Prof. Sawyer Falk. He is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and he and Anne Meara were honored with the Fourth Annual Alan King Award in American Jewish Humor, given by the National Foundation for Jewish Culture.

He was born and raised in New York, where he lives today. His birth date is June 8.

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NICOLE SULLIVAN
(Holly Shumpert in THE KING OF QUEENS)

Nicole Sullivan began her career performing on Broadway and Off Broadway with the First All Children's Theater. After graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in theater, she moved to Los Angeles and began concentrating on comedy, performing at various comedy clubs.

Sullivan was an original cast member of "Mad TV." Her other television credits include guest-starring appearances in "Scrubs," "According to Jim," "The Drew Carey Show" and "Fired Up." Her television movie credits include "My Sister's Keeper," on CBS, and "The Way She Moves."

A native of New York, Sullivan lives in Los Angeles. Her birth date is April 21.

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GARY VALENTINE

(Danny Heffernan in THE KING OF QUEENS)

Gary Valentine, who became a series regular in THE KING OF QUEENS in 2001, got his start in the world of standup comedy. For 13 years, he traveled the country refining his comedic routine by performing at comedy clubs and festivals. After headlining at the Montreal Comedy Festival, he moved to Los Angeles, where he appeared on the "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn," on CBS, and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Valentine's television credits also include starring in his own half-hour comedy special on "Comedy Central Presents" and co-hosting FX's "The X Show." Valentine was also recently seen in the film "Stuck on You."

A native of New York, he lives in Los Angeles.

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