Leah Remini instantly agreed to The King of Queens after meeting Kevin James. It is well known by now, the two shared great chemistry on the sitcom for almost a decade, and the same held true behind the scenes.
Despite their closeness, there were certain things Remini wasn't willing to do, and that included having religious conversations with James. Remini admitted that she was encouraged to recruit big celebrity names, including Jennifer Lopez.
In the following, we'll take a closer look at Remini's relationship with Kevin James, and how the actor reacted to Remini leaving Scientology. In addition, we're going to take a look at Remini's life nowadays, and what has changed since she left Scientology.
Leah Remini Admitted That She Struggled To Find Chemistry With Other Co-Stars After Her Work Alongside Kevin James
The King of Queens made its debut for CBS way back in 1998. The show would enjoy major success, as it ran for 9 seasons and over 200 episodes. The sitcom will continue to generate revenue for many years to come thanks to syndication right.
The show doesn't have all that success if not for the obvious chemistry between Kevin James and Leah Remini. However, Remini stated that her chemistry with James hurt her career as she just couldn't find that with any other actor.
Remini revealed, "I had Kevin, who has ruined me for life," she wrote of James. "He was my first leading man, and despite doing other shows with other leading men, I've never found anyone who could compare favorably to him. When I was acting with him, I felt safe."
Remini would also praise James for his creative mind, while he was always trying to maximize the others he worked with on the sitcom.
"I knew that no matter what the joke or the script was, Kevin would find a way to make it better. He was gracious, the kind of actor who would often say, 'Give Leah the joke instead of me' — unheard of in a town full of ego-driven males," Remini revealed.
In terms of Leah's religious beliefs, James was also there for her when she made a huge change.
Leah Remini Never Pitched Her Religious Beliefs To Kevin James, But The Actor Was The First One There For Her When She Left Scientology
During her time in Scientology, Remini would reveal that she was encouraged to recruit other celebs. Among those names, was Kevin James. However, Remini decided against the conversation, given that James was a devoted Catholic.
"They always tried to get me to, [asking] 'Why is he not in? Why have you not promoted it to him?' I was like, 'Because he's Catholic. He doesn't want anything to do with it.'"
When it came time to leave Scientology, Remini's name was all over the headlines for her departure. Among the first names to reach out was once again none other than Kevin James.
"He reached out to me and said, 'I'm so proud of you; if you need anything, I'm here,'" she said.
Since her departure from Scientology, Remini admits that her life has changed in a major way.
Leah Remini Revealed That Her Life Improved Drastically Since She Left Scientology
Among the big changes to Remini's life included furthering her education. According to Remini, her schooling didn't go past the eight grade because of Scientology. These days, she's exploring things that she hadn't in the past.
"It's been amazing," she says. "It's been difficult when I'm working because sometimes I'll work from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and then have to come home and read chapters and do a quiz when my brain is shutting down. But I'm doing it, and I am proud of myself. With my degree, I might eventually want to go into politics, but who knows? I would like to be of some kind of public service."
As for her acting career, Remini admitted she'd jump on anything alongside Kevin James, but as far as other scripts are concerned, she's a lot pickier these days.
"I don't know that I want to keep up the pace as far as Hollywood's concerned," she says. "I like to work, and I'm very blessed that I'm able to say no, but I want to work on things that are fun. It's not that deep what we do as entertainers, so I don't want to get caught up in something where people are miserable."
"I did a pilot a couple years back, and it wasn't a good experience," she continues. "That's why Ialways say I'd work with [my King of Queens costar] Kevin James on anything. I want to be with people I'm comfortable telling, 'You're annoying!'"
Credit to Remini for doing things her own way.
