Kevin George Knipfing (born April 26, 1965) known professionally as Kevin James, is an American actor, comedian, writer and producer. James began his career as a stand-up comedian on Long Island in the late 1980s before rising to prominence for playing Doug Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007), for which he received a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006. In 2004, James made his first film appearance in 50 First Dates, and the following year co-starred in Hitch. He went on to star in 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 also voiced characters in the animated films Monster House, Barnyard (both 2006), and Hotel Transylvania (2012). He also was nominated for a People's Choice Award in 2017 for his role on the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait (2016–2018). James also appeared in several dramatic roles, including The Dilemma (2011), Little Boy (2015), and Becky (2020). In 2026, he starred in the romantic comedy Solo Mio.