Besides its banters and humor, The King of Queens cast contributed to the show’s success. Although a relatively unknown actor at the time, it’s hard to imagine someone else doing justice to Doug Heffernan’s character as Kevin James did. The King of Queens originally aired from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.
The show revolved around a DINK (double income, no kids) couple, Doug Heffernan and Carrie Heffernan. Carrie’s father, Arthur Spooner, also lived with the middle-class couple. While these three were the show’s main characters, the episodes also included friends and co-workers. With the show’s finale airing on May 14, 2007, here’s all you need to know about The King of Queens cast and where they are today.
Kevin James as Doug Heffernan
Comedian and actor Kevin James played the character of Doug Heffernan, an everyday man who works as a parcel delivery man for the fictional International Parcel Service (IPS). Although The King of Queens is set in New York City, Doug Heffernan was a Canadian from Montreal. Besides his love for poker, watching sports, and his friends, Doug Heffernan was also known for his love for food. Playing The King of Queens cast lead gave Kevin James international recognition.
Today, he has become one of the biggest comedian-actors in Hollywood. Although most of his credits are in film, James also played the lead character in Kevin Can Wait (2016-2018) and The Crew (2021). Some of Kevin James’ prominent roles in movies have included I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007), Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), Grown Ups (2010) and its sequel, Zookeeper (2011) and its sequel, Pixels (2015), and Hubie Halloween (2020). Kevin James last starred in Home Team (2022), portraying Sean Payton.
Leah Remini as Carrie Heffernan
Actress Leah Remini is one of The King of Queens’ central cast. She played Carrie Heffernan, the wife of Kevin James’ character. Known for her temper and sardonicism, she often clashes with Doug, who prefers a simpler life. Despite their clashes, Carrie cares for and loves Doug more than anything else. After leaving The King of Queens cast in 2007, Leah Remini’s next big acting project was being a host on CBS’ talk show The Talk (2010-2011).
Remini was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars season 13 in 2013, later returning as a guest co-host in seasons 19 and 21. In week 4 of season 28, Leah Remini appeared as a guest judge on Dancing with the Stars. Remini was a judge in season 17 of So You Think You Can Dance in 2022. These days, Leah Remini hosts the game show People Puzzler, which she began hosting in 2021.
Jerry Stiller as Arthur Spooner
Arthur Spooner was Carrie Heffernan’s father and father-in-law of Doug Heffernan. Living with the Heffernans in their basement, Arthur makes life hell for Doug and his daughter. Arthur is known for his sarcastic, bold, and scheming demeanor. Veteran comedian and actor Jerry Stiller played Arthur Spooner, although he initially turned down the role. A 71-year-old Stiller joined The King of Queens cast in 1998 and appeared in all of the show’s 9 seasons. Although he didn’t star in a major role on television after The King of Queens, he continued acting in different film and television projects. His last acting role was playing Maury Ballstein’s character alongside his son, Ben Stiller, in Zoolander 2 (2016), and he voiced the character in Zoolander: Super Model (2016). Jerry Stiller died on May 11, 2020, from natural causes at his home, at age 92.
Victor Williams as Deacon Palmer
Actor Victor Williams joined The King of Queens cast as Deacon Palmer. Deacon was Doug Heffernan’s best friend and co-worker. Unlike Doug, Deacon is married with two sons and is a lot taller. As Doug’s friend, he often assists in planning most of Doug’s schemes but is often reluctant to get involved. Deacon Palmer was married to Kelly Palmer. While playing Deacon, Victor Williams joined the cast of ER in season 4 (1998), playing Roger McGrath until his exit in 2001. Victor Williams continued to work in television, starring in several notable TV shows, including The Affair (2014-2018), Happy Together (2018-2019), Bull (2018-2021), and Hunters (2020). The actor appeared in a recurring role as Wendell Robinson on the FX miniseries Justified: City Primeval (2023).
Patton Oswalt as Spencer “Spence” Olchin
Besides season 3, in which the character was downgraded to a recurring role, Spencer “Spence” Olchin was another major character in The King of Queens. Introduced in season 1, Spencer was another of Doug Heffernan’s close friends. He’s largely considered the nerd of the group. Stand-up comedian and actor Patton Oswalt played Spence in The King of Queens. With the end of the series and no longer a part of The King of Queens cast, Patton Oswalt worked extensively in television as an actor and voice actor. Oswalt is cast in an upcoming Apple TV+miniseries Manhunt (2024). In 2023, he played Brisket in 80 for Brady and will star in the upcoming Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire movie in 2024. If The King of Queens cast brought back memories, read The Lipstick Jungle Cast: Then and Now.
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