Alex Carson
The King of Queens is a popular sitcom that ran from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007. It had 9 seasons and over 200 episodes.
The story focused on the central couple Doug and Carrie Heffernan, played by comedy powerhouses Kevin James and Leah Remini. The duo became great friends, but fights behind the scenes sometimes made the romantic aspects of the show a bit harder to pull off.
Like and subscribe to Facts Verse for more behind-the-scenes details on this classic sitcom. Keep watching to learn the reasons it’s no secret why Kevin James & Leah Remini had such awkward kisses.
How They Met
King of Queens had at least one glaring continuity problem. It never gave a clear answer to the question of how Doug and Carrie met. Season 1 says that they met each other in junior high, but a Season 2 flashback shows them going on a double date with Richie.
What is clear is that the 2 stars will never forget their first encounter. The day they joined up in the audition room was memorable and changed both their lives and careers forever.
The search for the female lead of King of Queens began with a table read with Tony Danza. He had enough sitcom experience to give Kevin an idea of how the show should go.
Leah’s agent later called her to tell her she had an audition. She needed to find a role on a new show because the one she was on just got canceled.
That was where she met Kevin James. He started teasing her and was a bit inappropriate, grabbing her shirt and calling her a nasty name. For some reason, it worked, and she developed an instant connection with him that made her want to do the show.
Their first interviews didn’t show much promise. Kevin said he thought she was annoying at first but then grew to love her. She said she didn’t think they had any chemistry and that it was all about the money.
That chemistry eventually grew as the 2 spent more time together. It was a major reason the show lasted for 9 seasons and remains popular. Keep watching to learn the reasons it’s no secret why Kevin James & Leah Remini had such awkward kisses.
The Awkward Kisses
They say art imitates life, and this was true for The King of Queens. The main couple, Doug and Carrie, got into at least one argument per episode about something one of them had done. It made them seem like a real couple instead of a fake prince and princess.
The actors who played them did the same behind the scenes, adding even more to the believability of the scenes they shared. Leah admitted in an interview with Oprah that she and Kevin fought behind the scenes.
Some of their arguments were over the kind of silly, small issues that any people who spend a great deal of time with each other have. Others were about the success of the show. They both worried about its success and believed it could end at any time.
Leah jokingly says that she and Kevin treated each other like an actual married couple, getting on each other’s nerves in a good-natured way. There were even days that they wouldn’t speak until the cameras began rolling.
These fights affected any kissing scenes that followed. The stars wouldn’t even hold eye contact with each other if they were still sore. Fans may have noticed, but it wasn’t enough to hide their obvious connection or ruin the believability of the characters.
Leah holds no resentment over their occasional spats. They always made up afterward, and she knew that they only happened because they love each other. In her opinion, “if you don’t care about somebody, you don’t even bother to fight with them.” Keep watching to learn the reasons it’s no secret why Kevin James & Leah Remini had such awkward kisses.
Their Close Relationship
Leah and Kevin may have fought on the set of King of Queens, but they also have dear memories of their time together. They shared the kind of moments that helped the costars develop their close relationship.
There was one moment in December of 2017 when she posted about craving KFC. He showed up with 2 full buckets of the delicious fast food in her dressing room. This was only one of the ways he showed himself as the generous man she appreciated and became friends with.
Their connection also helped their acting. Kevin Roach, a cast member of Kevin Can Wait, believes Leah enhances the leading man’s ability to be funny. Comedy is a genre that relies on chemistry and playing off one another, something the two have always been able to do.
King of Queens ended with a 0.3 rating. Kevin was ready to leave and move on to film. Director Rob Schiller notes that was one of the reasons the show got canceled.
13 episodes were filmed around the same time as one of his first movies, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. He thought it seemed like the packed schedule was too much and decided to end it. Rising costs and Kevin’s demands for $500,000 per episode were other factors.
Leah never tried to stop her friend from growing his career for the sake of the show. She also managed to make her way to the big screen in films such as Second Act. At the same time, she admits that she’s still nostalgic about King of Queens and gets too emotional to watch any of its reruns.
Religious differences weren’t enough to tear the dear friends apart, either. A recent documentary series, Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath, revealed that she was pushed to recruit Kevin but never did. He was a staunch Catholic, and she never wanted him to do anything he wasn’t comfortable with. Keep watching to learn the reasons it’s no secret why Kevin James & Leah Remini had such awkward kisses.
Kevin returned the favor in a way by supporting Leah’s eventual decision to leave Scientology. Some of her friends, such as Kirsti Alley, left her, but Kevin stayed by her side. He said he was proud of her for outing the organization and that he’d help with anything she needed.
Kevin and Leah even get along with each other’s significant others. She posted a photo with his wife Steffiana de la Cruz with a loving caption in January of 2018. He attended her wedding to Angelo Pagan in the Four Season Hotel in Las Vegas in July of 2003.
Their spouses also guest-starred in the King of Queens. Steffiana appeared in 4 episodes, playing 4 characters. Angelo appeared 6 times as 5 different characters. They also appeared on at least 2 episodes together, including the 6th season episode Damned Yanky and the Season 9 episode Affair Trade.
Both couples became like one big happy family, and Kevin told CBS News that he’s seen Leah as family from the beginning. By the time they came together again on Kevin Can Wait, they were finishing each other’s sentences.
Like and subscribe to FactsVerse for more behind-the-scenes info from your favorite sitcoms. Keep watching to learn more about Leah and Kevin’s relationship, including how they affected each other’s careers. Keep watching to learn the reasons it’s no secret why Kevin James & Leah Remini had such awkward kisses.
Kevin Can Wait
Kevin and Leah were so close that they were ready to work together again the minute King of Queens ended. They eventually joined up on another sitcom, Kevin Can Wait.
It debuted in the fall of 2016 with over 10 million viewers. He played a retired cop this time, but the storylines and style were similar to the previous show. It ran for 2 seasons but eventually fizzled out, never reaching the height of King of Queens.
Leah appeared on the 2-part series finale, titled Sting of Queens, in May of 2017. She played Vanessa, the former partner of Kevin’s character, and they pretend to be a married couple.
Gary Valentine, another cast member, said that it was Kevin’s idea to bring Leah back and that he’d been thinking of it for some time. He also says that it turned out to be a great business idea because it shot the finale’s ratings up.
The chemistry between the 2 best friends was instantly reignited. Kevin said it felt like they were picking up right where they left off 10 years ago. She said it was like riding a bike, and he jokingly said that he didn’t know how to ride.
Leah admits that she would’ve taken any opportunity to work with Kevin again. When Kevin can Wait ended, she posted a thank-you message and photo with her co-star on her Instagram. He also posted a thank-you message on the platform and jokingly said he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything “except maybe a Season 3.”
How Kevin “Ruined” Leah for Life
Kevin James began his career as a standup comedian and then moved to sitcoms. The story was similar to that of his friend Ray Romano, who served as a mentor for him.
Kevin first appeared on his show Everybody Loves Raymond in 1996 as a character named Kevin. He played the same character on 2 other sitcoms; Becker in 1998 and Cosby in 1996.
The connection between the shows didn’t end after that. He also reappeared on Everybody Loves Raymond after King of Queens officially debut as Doug Heffernan. Ray played the title character of his own show on 4 episodes of King of Queens.
Kevin always felt he was the weakest member of the cast. He knew that he’d grown since his first roles but didn’t feel like he had as much experience as his costars.
Leah would most likely disagree. She says he “ruined her for life” by affecting her career and the cast members she was willing to work alongside. He was her first leading man but, to this day, she’s found no one else who compares with him.
Kevin helped her feel safe and didn’t have a massive ego. He improved every joke in the script and would even give some over to her if he thought they’d fit her better.
These were the things that helped the duo get over any fights they had and ready to work together whenever the opportunity came. Romantic scenes may have been awkward, but the close friendship they shared never went away.
Who’s your favorite member of the King of Queens cast? Let us know in the comments. Like and subscribe to Facts Verse for more on the best sitcom duos of all time.
