Did You Know...

Kevin James was born in Mineola, New York on April 26, 1965 and raised in Stony Brook, New York. His birth name was Kevin George Knipfing. Kevin attended Cortland University and played the position of fullback on their football team. While pursuing a major of sports management, Kevin decided that college was not for him and dropped out after three years. He returned home, and it was there that he realized his love for comedy.

Kevin decided to try out for the community theater to break his boredom in the summer. He had a comedic role in his first play and loved it, especially with the crowd's enthusiastic reaction. He enjoyed it so much that he joined his brother's, comedian Gary Valentine's, improv group. They began going to clubs together and performing, and Kevin realized he had a talent for comedy.

Eventually, Kevin went out on his own and did standup for 11 years. Comedy is a tough business, but he was able to be fairly successful at standup. He appeared on Star Search in 1983, but Kevin's big break came in 1996 when he won at the 'Just for Laughs' Montreal Comedy Festival. He has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the Late Show with David Letterman, and the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn.