Kevin James (born Kevin George Knipfing on April 26, 1965 in Mineola, New York) is an American comedian and Emmy-nominated actor.

James was raised in Stony Brook, New York. His parents are Joseph V. Knipfing, an insurance broker, and Janet B. Knipfing. James has two siblings, Gary Joseph Knipfing aka: Gary Valentine, also a comedian, and Leslie Knipfing. Leslie Knipfing works for James, helping raise money through charity events for retinitis pigmentosa, with which she is afflicted, while Gary Valentine plays his cousin, Danny, on The King of Queens.

James was a student at, but did not graduate from, the State University of New York at Cortland. He played football for three years, majored in sports management and was a member of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity.[1]

James began as a stand-up, gaining considerable exposure via appearances on Star Search and The Tonight Show, and was ranked #89 on Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest standups of all time.

A close friend of Ray Romano, James guest-starred on a few episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond before being cast as the lead character on "The King of Queens" in 1998.

James married model Steffiana De La Cruz on June 19th, 2004, after meeting her on a blind date. They had their first child on September 30, 2005 - a daughter named Sienna-Marie.

In July 2006, James received his first Emmy nomination, for his portrayal of Doug Heffernan on The King of Queens. In 2007, he will star, alongside Adam Sandler, in the film I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.