The acclaimed American actor, comedian, producer, and writer Kevin James has had an enduring impression on the entertainment industry. He has a more than three-decade-long career and is now regarded as one of the most adored comedians and television personalities.
James has earned both fame and wealth thanks to his role as Doug Heffernan in the popular sitcom “The King of Queens” and his cameos in popular comedies like “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” and “Grown Ups.” Even if exact numbers can vary, it is clear that Kevin James has a sizable net worth, which solidifies his position as a well-known and successful artist in Hollywood.
Kevin James Net Worth
American comedian, actor, writer, and producer Kevin James has a $100 million fortune. The kind of miraculous career ascent that most stand-up comedians dream about was accomplished by Kevin James.
After performing stand-up in the late 1980s, he went on to guest star on Ray Romano’s show “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and appear on numerous talk shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and Dennis Miller Live, and finally star in his own sitcom, “The King of Queens.”
Salary
Kevin received a $300,000 per episode compensation for “The King of Queens”‘ middle seasons. He received $400,000 per episode for the last two seasons. He has so far made over $50 million in syndication deals as an executive producer and owner of a portion of the show’s backend ownership.
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Kevin James Biography
On April 26, 1965, Kevin James was born in Mineola, New York. The second child of Janet and Joseph Valentine Knipfing is James. While his father ran an insurance company, his mother worked in a chiropractor’s practice.
James used to wrestle and play football while he was a student at Ward Melville School in 1983. He attended New York State University. But he left school before finishing.
His father, Joseph Valentine Knipfing Jr., owned an insurance agency, while his mother, Janet, worked at an office. James completed his high school education at Ward Melville, where he competed on the wrestling squad at the State University of New York in Cortland, he continued his education. His athletic career came to an end in college due to a back injury he sustained while playing on the varsity football team.
How Did Kevin James Get Famous?
James, who was born Kevin George Knipfing, and his brother Gary Valentine, another well-known comic, were both raised in Stony Brook, New York, which is a section of Long Island.
He played football while a student at the State University of New York in Cortland, but an injury cut short his athletic career. He made his stand-up comedy debut at the Long Island’s East Side Comedy Club in 1989 and later performed on talk shows and late-night television.
James first appeared as a jokester on The New Candid Camera in 1991. From 1994 to 1996, he worked as a sports broadcaster for MTV’s SandBlast.
James appeared as a guest on Everybody Loves Raymond after becoming friends with comic Ray Romano, and in 1998 he received his own spinoff of the popular sitcom. King of Queens helped make James a household celebrity in 1998.
How Much Did Kevin James Make Per Episode?
King of Queens’ early seasons saw James reportedly earn a tidy $300,000 per episode, with raises to $400,000 and a reputed $500,000 per episode compensation for the 2005–2006 season. James reportedly earned $200,000 each episode for the two seasons of Kevin Can Wait, down significantly from his prior salary but still a sizable sum altogether.
Kevin James Career
At the East Side Comedy Club on Long Island, James made his stand-up comedy debut in 1989. Richie Minervini oversaw his management. He began appearing on talk shows as his fame grew, including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Dennis Miller Live,” “The Late Late Show,” “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” and “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.”
Acting Career
He made his television debut on “The New Candid Camera” in 1991 using his stand-up comedic timing and improvisational talents. The performer played practical jokes on unsuspecting people.
From 1994 to 1996, he announced MTV’s “SandBlast” sports game. After moving to Los Angeles and knowing Ray Romano, he guest-starred on “Everybody Love Raymond” multiple times. His CBS comedy “The King of Queens” lasted from September 1998 to May 2007.
He played working-class Queen’s parcel deliveryman Doug Heffernan. James was nominated for a 2006 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the show’s eighth season.
James debuted as a star in “Hitch” in 2005 following a brief cameo in “50 First Dates” in 2004. He then appeared in “Grilled” (2006), “I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry” (2007), “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” (2008), and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (2009).
In particular, “Mall Cop” grossed $39 million in its US opening weekend and $219 million from ticket and home video sales. The 2015 sequel “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” followed. James wrote, produced, and starred in both “Mall Cop” films.
He appeared in “Grown Ups” (2010), a movie office hit despite poor reviews, and “Grown Ups 2” (2013). James wrote and produced “The Dilemma” (2011), “Zookeeper” (2011), “Here Comes the Boom” (2011), and “Pixels” (2015), continuing his comic film career. He appeared in the Netflix films “True Memoirs of an International Assassin” (2016) and “Sandy Wexler” (2017).
He has voiced characters in animated films like “Monster House” (2006), “Barnyard” (2006), “Hotel Transylvania” (2012), “Hotel Transylvania 2” (2015), and “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” (2018). In September 2016, he returned to television with “Kevin Can Wait”, which aired for two seasons till May 2018.
Kevin appeared in the 2020 films “Becky” and “Hubie Halloween” and the 2021 TV series “The Crew” as Kevin Gibson. He played Sean Payton in 2022’s “Home Team.” Kevin James will star in “Guns Up.”
