Doug Heffernan had a great job as a delivery driver, a beautiful wife who loves him, good friends, and the occasional pre-dinner Whopper. He was living his best life, but when his grumpy father-in-law moved into his basement, his life was turned upside down. That was the premise of The King of Queens, a CBS sitcom that ran for nine seasons and 207 episodes from 1998 to 2007. It was an immediate hit, and remained among the most popular sitcoms on television during its run.

The sitcom starred Kevin James, Leah Remini, and Jerry Stiller, and was a spinoff of Everybody Loves Raymond. James, a stand-up comic, had been a long-time friend of comedian Ray Romano, who gave him a guest-starring role on his show as his friend from Queens. CBS executives were impressed by his on-screen performance, and David Litt (Ned and Stacey) and Michael J. Weithorn (Family Ties) created a spinoff show around James’ character, casting Remini as his wife and Stiller as his father-in-law.

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Premiering on September 21, 1998, the show was a hit for CBS, although it was never given much respect by critics or award shows. Throughout its entire run, it only garnered a single Primetime Emmy nomination, when Kevin James was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006. The final episode aired in May 2007.

James would go on to have a successful movie career, with roles in the Paul Blart: Mall Cop movies, Zookeeper, and Pixels. In 2016, James returned to CBS for a new sitcom, Kevin Can Wait, and Leah Remini joined the show in the second season as his love interest, creating a King of Queens reunion for fans.

Following is a breakdown of the show’s most popular characters, and the actors who played them.

Doug Heffernan (Kevin James)

     CBS Productions

Doug is a driver for IPS, a UPS-like delivery company, where he has worked for years alongside his good friend Deacon. After marrying Carrie, he bought a house in Queens where he remains close to his friends Spence and Richie. A lover of food and watching sports on TV, Doug is a bit of a man-child, and doesn’t react well when things don’t go his way. He’s a devoted husband, however, and will do anything for his family and friends.

A Long Island native, Kevin James is a fan of the New York Mets, the Jets, and the Islanders, just like his TV character. While in college, he began performing as a stand-up comic, where he met another aspiring comic, Ray Romano. After notable appearances on Star Search and The Tonight Show in the mid-1990s, Romano cast him in a recurring role on his sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. His character was then made the lead in the spinoff The King of Queens, and the two show’s characters often crossed over. Although James seems at home with comedies, he does venture into other roles, including playing the antagonist in the horror film Becky.

Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini)

     A&E

Doug met Carrie when he was a bouncer at a club, and although their relationship got off to a rocky start, he eventually won her over. She works at a law firm in Manhattan, and is best friends with Kelly Palmer, the wife of Doug’s best friend Deacon. Outspoken and brash, she isn’t afraid to speak up, while Doug prefers to avoid conflict.

Early in her career, Leah Remini appeared in a number of TV series, including Saved by the Bell and Living Dolls. The King of Queens was her breakthrough role, and she went on to appear in Old School and The Exes. She earned two Emmy Awards for her series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.

Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller)

Arthur is Carrie’s father, and moved in with them after he burned down his own house. A widower, Arthur’s abrasive attitude and impulsive personality often makes it hard for people to get along with him. After moving into the basement of Doug and Carrie’s house, Arthur often got into trouble with various money-making schemes and dumb ideas. His daily walks with Holly the dog-walker keep him in line, but he eventually settled down by marrying Spence’s mother.

Jerry Stiller and his wife Anne Meara were a comedy team throughout the 1940s and 1950s, appearing on a number of TV shows include The Ed Sullivan Show. His career saw a rebirth in 1993 when he was cast in his Emmy-nominated role of George Costanza in Seinfeld. The father of actor Ben Stiller passed away in 2020.

Deacon Palmer (Victor Williams)

Deacon first met Doug when he applied for a job at IPS. They became best friends, and his wife Kelly became best friends with Carrie. He has two kids, Kirby and Major, and his family often spends time with the Heffernans. He is extremely loyal to Doug, often covering for him with Carrie when he does something stupid. When he and Kelly briefly separated, Doug helped him in a scheme to win her back.

Victor Williams first role was as a teen, playing a creature in the 1983 film Boggy Creek II. His other roles include Cop Land, The Affair, Sneaky Pete, and Happy Together, and will be in the upcoming series Justified: City Primeval.

Kelly Palmer (Merrin Dungey)

Kelly, Deacon’s wife, works in an office and is best friends with Carrie, who often babysits her kids. For a time, she and Doug found they enjoyed doing things together, until their spouses thought it was weird and made them stop. For a time, she and Deacon separated, but they later reconciled.

Merrin Dungey has appeared in a number of roles on popular TV shows, including Francie (and Evil Francie) on Alias, Ursula on Once Upon a Time, and Detective Quinlan on Big Little Lies. She also appeared in the films Greenland, CHiPs, and Deep Impact.

Spence Olchin (Patton Oswalt)

Spence, Doug’s socially-awkward friend since high school, worked in the New York subway in the token booth, until Metro Cards put him out of a job. He shares a special friendship with Doug’s father-in-law Arthur, which basically consists of driving him places and getting mixed up in his various schemes. He lived with his mother for most of his adult life, finally moving out to get an apartment with friend Danny Heffernan. Spence is great with kids, and often babysits Deacon and Kelly’s kids, who love hanging out with him.

Patton Oswalt is perhaps best known for his stand-up specials, as well as voicing the character of Remy in Disney’s Ratatouille. He has also had roles in Marvel’s Eternals, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Simpsons, Justified, Blade: Trinity, Young Adult, and Parks and Recreation.

Danny Heffernan (Gary Valentine)

Danny, Doug’s cousin, is a notorious underachiever who Doug doesn’t like to be around, but he eventually warms up to him with Carrie’s help. After the pizza shop he opened went out of business and his wife left him, Doug helped Danny get a job at IPS. Eventually, he and Spence became roommates in an apartment.

Gary Valentine is Kevin James’ real-life brother and a popular stand-up comedian, and Kevin (who is younger) followed him into the entertainment business. He made guest appearances for the first few seasons, but ended up appearing in 136 episodes, becoming a series regular in the fourth season after Larry Romano left the show. He has also had roles on Fargo (the TV series) and Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill. He appeared in his brother’s films, and was a cast member of Kevin Can Wait as well. Weirdly enough, Gary Valentine is the name of Paul Thomas Anderson’s protagonist in Licorice Pizza.

Lou Ferrigno (Lou Ferrigno)

Doug’s neighborhood is turned upside down when actor Lou Ferrigno moves in next door. Doug and his friends are all fans of his role as The Incredible Hulk, and initially, none could resist making Hulk references when speaking to him. Eventually, Ferrigno becomes one of the gang, often hanging out at Doug’s house (or more specifically, his garage) and even attending Super Bowl watch parties.

Ferrigno played himself in 18 episodes of the series (his real-life wife Carla played herself in several episodes as well). He made headlines when he criticized the portrayal of the Hulk in the MCU, critiquing the CGI version. In addition to his role as The Hulk, he also starred as the lead role in Hercules (1983) and appeared on Trauma Center and The Fall Guy.

Holly Shumpert (Nicole Sullivan)

When Doug and Carrie become worried about leaving a bored Arthur at home all day, they come up with an unconventional solution: they hire Holly, a dog-walker, to take him around the neighborhood every day. Holly, a Dress Barn aficionado, soon becomes part of the family, even coming over for Thanksgiving dinner. When she gets evicted from her apartment, she even moves in with the Heffernans for a time. While she often had trouble with her love life, she eventually married a great guy and moved to his penthouse apartment in Manhattan.

Nicole Sullivan has appeared in a massive amount of TV series, including recurring roles on Black-ish and Disjointed, and as part of the ensemble on the sketch comedy show MadTV. She is also a prolific voice actress, appearing on Family Guy and as Supergirl on DC Super Hero Girls.

Richie Iannucci (Larry Romano)

Richie has been friends with Doug since high school. He is a New York firefighter and is actually responsible for Doug and Carrie meeting — Richie went on a date with Carrie, but they didn’t connect, and Carrie ended up with Doug instead. He briefly dated Doug’s sister Stephanie, but he never called her back after a date, leaving her upset.

Despite the last name, Larry is not related to Ray Romano. Larry Romano has starred in movies and television since the 1980s, including roles in The Irishman, Donnie Brasco, and Lock Up, appearing alongside some of the biggest actors in Hollywood.

Joe Heffernan (Dakin Matthews)

Joe is Doug’s father and is now a retiree who, along with Doug’s mother, occasionally flies in to visit him. No-nonsense and stubborn, Joe always clashes with Arthur when he comes to visit, as Arthur thinks Joe is always trying to show him up.

Dakin Matthews has had a long career on stage and screen. The character actor has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, including the remake of True Grit, Lincoln, Child’s Play 3, L.A. Law, Gilmore Girls, and General Hospital.

Janet Heffernan (Jenny O’Hara)

Janet is Doug’s doting mother. She admits to spoiling him as a child, indulging his every want, although that caused some friction with him as an adult when he discovered the truth about the dog he’s had since childhood, Rocky. Not wanting to break his heart, she replaced his dog with a lookalike each time he died, and Doug realized his dog is not 30 years old, but rather Rocky IV. She also hid the fact that he was born during a trip to Canada, so he would never be able to be President, should he decide to run.

Jenny O’Hara appeared in 15 episodes as Janet. She got her start in acting in the 1970s, appearing on shows including The Rockford Files, Kojak, and Charlie’s Angels. She had a recurring role in the series My Sister Sam and appeared in the films Wishmaster, Mystic River, and Devil.

Veronica Olchin (Anne Meara)

Veronica is Spence’s mother, who took a liking to Arthur, pursuing him for years. Arthur resisted her advances initially, but eventually came around and married her.

Anne Meara appeared in nine episodes, although she played another character in the series’ first season. She made her first appearance as Spence’s mother in the fifth season, joining her real-life husband Jerry Stiller in the cast. She and Stiller were a comedy team dating back to the 1940s, and their son Ben Stiller has continued the family’s comedy legacy. She and Jerry would star together again in an episode of NBC’s Mercy in 2009. Her other roles included ALF, Sex and the City, Archie Bunker’s Place, Night at the Museum, and Fame. She passed away in 2015.

Stephanie Heffernan (Ricki Lake)

Stephanie is Doug’s sister, and is a P.E. teacher who occasionally comes to Queens to visit him. She briefly dated Doug’s friend Richie, but he never called her afterward, leaving her angry and hurt. She did get a bit of revenge, however, when she joined Doug and his friends for a game of paintball.

Ricki Lake is best known for her talk show, which premiered in 1992. She started off her career as an actress, appearing in Hairspray and Cry-Baby. She also produces documentaries on various women’s subjects.

Ray Barone (Ray Romano)

     CBS Television Distribution

Ray is Doug’s friend, who lives on Long Island. Ray is a sports writer for New York Newsday, and on occasion, finds himself in Queens to hang out with Doug.

Ray Romano gave his friend Kevin James his big break with a role on his show, Everybody Loves Raymond, which led to The King of Queens becoming a spinoff show. He appeared as Ray Barone on the show four times, including once after Everybody Loves Raymond ended its run in 2005 with 15 Primetime Emmy wins.