Kevin James's Real Name: Kevin George Knipfing

Quick answer: Kevin James's documented original name is Kevin George Knipfing. Encyclopaedia Britannica records that he was born on April 26, 1965, in Mineola, New York, and that he is an American comedian and actor best known as Doug Heffernan on The King of Queens (1998–2007) and as the title character in Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress heading is "James, Kevin, 1965-." Britannica states that his real name is Kevin George Knipfing and that he was raised in Stony Brook, Long Island, by his mother, Janet (née Klein) Knipfing, an office worker, and his father, Joseph Valentine Knipfing, who owned an insurance agency. Early aspirations revolved around sports. He attended Ward Melville High School, where he played football and wrestled, then played college football at the State University of New York at Cortland, majoring in sports management but not graduating. In 1986, home for the summer, he won a small comic role in a community-theater play and found he loved the live audience. He joined his elder brother, known professionally as Gary Valentine, in a Long Island improv group and about that time adopted the stage name Kevin James.

Career highlights

In 1989 he tried stand-up for the first time at a club in Huntington, New York, developing a good-natured, family-friendly style. Britannica says he became close friends with Ray Romano and drew inspiration from other Long Island comics, including Eddie Murphy. After an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1992, he landed a recurring role on Romano's Everybody Loves Raymond in 1996, which led to the lead in The King of Queens. He played Doug Heffernan, a delivery driver living with his wife, Carrie (Leah Remini), and father-in-law Arthur (Jerry Stiller); Valentine portrayed cousin Danny. The show ran nine seasons, through 2007, and James earned an Emmy nomination in 2006. Film work includes a supporting role in Hitch (2005), I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007), and his first leading part in Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), which he cowrote and which spawned a 2015 sequel. He also appeared in Grown Ups (2010) and Grown Ups 2 (2013) and later starred in the sitcom Kevin Can Wait (2016–18).

Name notes for searchers

Kevin George Knipfing is the documented original name; he is known professionally as Kevin James. Searchers looking for Doug Heffernan or the Paul Blart star are usually aiming at the same person.