Spotlight: Leah Remini & Kevin James reunite on screen

Former King of Queens co-stars Kevin James and Leah Remini reunite on the small screen in the second season of popular sitcom Kevin Can Wait

57

KEVIN JAMES (52)

On reuniting with Leah “It’s like you’re at the airport and you see a family member at the luggage carousel and you’re like, ‘That’s my island!’ ” On their characters “They have that love-hate thing going on. We don’t know where it will go. Maybe they’ll get together, maybe they won’t, but we wouldn’t want to lock in on anything yet.” He always wanted to be a professional sportsman and even studied sports management after school. “But then I realised there were a lot of better football players than me.” He got into acting after auditioning for and landing a role in a small community theatre production in his native New York. He quit college to pursue it. On success “Actors never know how long they’ll have success in the business. It’s always a sense of, they’re gonna figure you out’.” Home front He’s been married for 14 years to actress Steffiana de la Cruz with whom he has four kids, Sienna-Marie (12), Shea (10), Kannon (6) and Sistine (3). He loves food “There’s no better feeling in the world than a warm pizza box on your lap.” Fast fact He’s best pals with fellow funnyman Adam Sandler. And along with Adam and actress-singer Selena Gomez, he lends his voice to this year’s animated flick Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation.

LEAH REMINI (47)

On reuniting with Kevin on the show “It felt comforting. Like having your favourite blanket around you – it’s so secure and so safe.” On their characters “They’re like family. Nobody lets anything go – they hurl insults, but underneath it they care for each other.” Landing the role “I cried when Kevin called me about joining the show. Working with him again, in a comedy, was my top choice.” She always wanted to be an actress. “I used to do skits for my mom. I was always entertaining as a kid.” She eventually dropped out of school to pursue a career in showbiz. Her first TV role was in Head of the Class in 1988 followed by a guest appearance on Who’s the Boss? in 1989. On success “I don’t think anybody in this business ever thinks they’ve really made it. You have some success – you just don’t have job security. This isn’t a job for somebody to go, ‘I’ve made it’.” Home front She’s been married for 15 years to Puerto Rican singer Angelo Pagán (49). They have a daughter, Sofia (13). Controversy After 30 years as a Scientologist she left the church in a blaze of controversy in 2013 after speaking out against its leader and practices. Fast fact She auditioned for the role of Monica on the popular series Friends but lost out to Courtney Cox.