For the last five years or so I have been an avid fan of the CBS sitcom “The King of Queens.” Believe it or not, it is one of the only shows on television that my entire family will sit down and watch together. (I know… don’t ask.) Well, tonight (after a nine-year run) the popular show comes to an end. (Reruns will continue to air in syndication, but the original shows end tonight.)
That means no more hilarious squabbles between Kevin James and Jerry Stiller’s characters (first he departs from my favorite Thursday night show “Seinfeld” and now Stiller will be missing from my Monday nights) and no more gut-splitting verbal jockeying between James and Leah Remini’s characters (they play an oddly matched married couple living in Queens, New York).
There’s no doubt the show was dependent on the chemistry between the three main characters (James, Remini, and Stiller), but for me it was the wise cracking Remini that made me laugh the hardest. What’s more, from the interviews I’ve seen her do on various talk shows, I don’t think playing her TV character was much of a stretch for her. She is as acerbic and sardonic in person as she is on the show… and for some reason she always makes me laugh.
Take for instance the other day when she was a guest on a daytime talk show. She was asked about the fact that many in the industry thought her show was under appreciated. Remini’s response: (Hands to throat to mock gagging) “Oh puh-leeze! What do you think? Listen, I’m not one of those people who goes, ‘Oh, I’m glad we had a show on this long.’ I want awards!” And the thing is, she’s not kidding. Brutally honest, I like that about Remini.
I also got a huge kick out of her response to the question many people began asking when photos of Remini and singer-actress Jennifer Lopez hugging and shopping began to surface. Many of the entertainment magazines speculated the relationship had something to do with Scientology and Remini’s attempt to convert Lopez to the belief system that stars including Remini, Tom Cruise, Madonna, and John Travolta adhere to.
Remini scoffed at the accusations that she would try to befriend someone just to convert them. She told PEOPLE magazine:
”Two girls can’t hang out together? What does that have to do with religion? I just don’t understand it. I would never question, ‘Such-and-such is hanging out. Does anybody know her religious beliefs? Because that’s why they’re probably hanging out together.’ She’s a fabulous girl. I’m fabulous to hang out with. But it’s like, ‘What could these two have in common? She must be trying to convert her!’”
But wait. It’s gets even funnier. When further pressed about the Scientology issue and the rumor that Remini was trying to get Lopez to convert to the religion because it aids in fertility Remini had this to say: “I don’t know what that’s about. That’s just bull. I mean come on… we’re sitting there at the Polo Lounge talking about fertility. I think Jennifer knows how to get pregnant.”
As for what Remini’s plans are now that her long-running series is over, the actress says she plans to spend more time with her 2-year-old daughter Sofia. And, she adds, “I have Jennifer to convert. I have things I gotta do!”
Are you a fan of “The King of Queens?”