by J.C. Johnson / Comedy Profiles Editor T a l k i n g C o m e d y . c o m

Brooklyn born Leah Remini's love for acting began in her childhood home in Bensonhurst where she and her older sister would mimic TV shows for her mom's entertainment. “As a kid you don't know that you're acting, I just knew I was entertaining my mother. She was actually laughing …and… I knew that I wanted to create that kind of effect on people,” recalls Remini of her earliest attempts at performing.

While growing up her mom had her and her sister read a book that really stuck with her over the years. It was filled with little precepts like… respect and honor your parents, don't do drugs, don't steal… very basic concepts about human beings and how we should treat each other. “My mother was very strict when it came to drugs and open communication between mother and daughter,” says Remini of her pre-teen and teen years. “I think that's the thing that helped me the most growing up… feeling that I didn't have to lash out at her by doing drugs or whatever.”

When Leah was 13 her mother moved to California. Although the move would eventually lead to Leah's entering the career she now enjoys, at the time she hated the whole idea and soon afterward dropped out of school. “I was in a new place and I was rebelling a little bit against my mother. I was like… see what happens when you move us to California. I was trying to make everything miserable. My mother was going through a hard time. She was going through a divorce, she had three kids and she was moving across the States. She did the best she could do.” Looking back on those events Leah says, “I applaud my mother now for getting me through that time and making me believe in myself.”

In California Leah started developing new friendships. Soon Lightfield Lewis, an actor friend, suggested she give acting a try. Leah admits that at the time it seemed like a good idea mostly because she thought “all I had to do was walk into a room. I didn't have to actually learn a dance or learn a song.” Leah continues, “little did I know you had to have talent. So, I started going to acting class and I just pursued it.”

Although Leah's mother always tried to be supportive of her daughter's dream she wasn't the typical ‘stage mom’ driving her daughter to auditions or coaching her on what to say and how to act. “My mom never took me to an audition,” says Leah. “Mom was like… if this is something you want to do, go ahead. But I'm not going to go driving you all over the place. So I had to buy a car. And I was going to buy a car by what, my good looks? So I had to get a job.” Remini says she's glad she had to work other jobs when she first started. “It keeps you grounded, you lead a regular life and you appreciate things more. I think my (other) jobs really helped me to appreciate what I have now. I learned you're not going to get anything if you don't work for it.”

On her way to King of Queens, Leah Remini was cast in several other series. Her first series, Living Dolls, a spin off of a Who's The Boss episode, came less than 2 years into her acting career. Leah Remini thought she had gotten her big break. But with her first major break came her first major disappointment… cancellation. Although short lived, Living Dolls would prove her skills as an actress. After Living Dolls she says, “I just kept going… show after show, cancellation after cancellation. Till finally, 15 years later, here I am.”

Ironically, Leah Remini wasn't sure she wanted to do another series when King of Queens first approached her. Executive Producer, Michael Weithorn had seen Living Dolls, thought Leah had spunk and hoped to work with her one day. Kevin James, Leah Remini's TV husband, really wanted her for the part as well. “So I met with them and I really had a good vibe,”says Remini of her quick change of mind. “I didn't want to play the typical TV wife… walking in with groceries, doing errands. He assured me that the part was going to be written for me and he's kept his promise.”

Michael Weithorn wasn't the only one to really like Leah Remini's spunk, CBS's viewers would fall in love with her portrayal of Carrie Heffernan on King of Queens from the very first episode. And with the series now in it's fifth season I wondered if she was comfortable being recognized on the street. “I'm very comfortable with it …but… I never know really what people are looking at. I never assume that they know me. I assume that there's something on my face or something that's unzipped or something.” admits Remini with a laugh. “I never really know until they actually say something to me. And then they're like… ‘Oh, we love your show.’ And then, I'm like… ‘Oh my God, thank you so much.’”

So now that Leah Remini is in a hit TV show what's next for this talented actress? She says she likes doing comedy, she likes making people laugh, but she'd also like a chance to do drama. “Hopefully there'll be opportunities to stretch myself as an actress.” Her future goals go beyond stretching her acting skills. “I know I want to produce,” confides Remini. “I definitely want to be calling the shots one day. I'd like to produce a television show.” But she also admits that her love for music is pulling her in that direction as well. “I'd love to produce music. You can move people in so many ways with a song. When I want to get ready, I gotta put on music. I thought as I got older maybe I would develop a singing voice, but it didn't happen. So I'll live vicariously through other people that I one day will produce.” Now that she's finally found success as a TV actress she's looking forward to picking and choosing her projects. “I want to be at a point where I can do what I want to as opposed to what I need to do (to pay the bills).”

And as far as her non-career goals? “I want to learn how to play the piano, learn Italian. I made my first sauce with my father and I found out that I could cook, miraculously. I want to enjoy the things in life that we don't necessarily get to enjoy because we're always in a struggling mode. As actors you're always struggling to be on a show or get a film. Some of these things are few and far between so you're never actually enjoying your life. You're always waiting till the next step or the next year. It's like your life is always on hold. I just really want to get to a point where my life is not on hold. A point where I have that time and energy to spend with what's important in my life… my friends and my family.”

Remini has answered all TalkingComedy.com's questions about career and life and it is time for her to get back to work on the set of King of Queens. As we bring things to a close and look back on what has been said it appears CBS has found the answer to an important question themselves, and that question is… What do you get when you combine common sense, spunk, talent and good looks? Leah Remini, that's what.

Find out more about Leah Remini by visiting her official web site at www.LeahRemini.net
Read our Summer 2001 interview with'King of Queens' star Kevin James
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