Leah Remini Responds to ‘King Of Queens’ Memes Sweeping the Internet

Actress Leah Remini is reminiscing on her on set memories from “King of Queens” after her TV husband Kevin James was memed across the internet. The show hits its 25 year anniversary this year.

The show aired from 1998 to 2007. Since the popular sitcom, Remini has pursued activism against the Church of Scientology for their alleged abuse. James has continued to have a career in comedy and acting, and notably appeared in the “Paul Blart Mall Cop” and “Grown Ups” franchises. Other cast members included the late Jerry Stiller, Amy Stiller, Patton Oswalt, Larry Romano, Merrin Dungey, and more.

I wanted to let you all know I'm seeing all of The King of Queens memes and tweets and I absolutely love them.

Thank you for 25 years of amazing memories!

— Leah Remini (@LeahRemini) September 26, 2023

Fans of Remini and the show continue to praise her performance, the show’s realistic writing on relationships, and more. Some called for a reunion special, as Remini and James remain close friends.

Y’all were the marriage I wanted to have! Not the fake bs where everybody is happy but the real where we say what we feel. And I’m thankful I got that – and it’s every bit just as much fun as it looked like it was on tv!

— TeeLow (@TeeLowTeeVee) September 26, 2023

Please do a reunion special

— Ricky Chu (@RikDaddy) September 26, 2023

A humorous promotional image of James in character shrugging in a kitchen wearing a flannel shirt has taken over X timelines and TikTok, paired with a slew of comedic captions aimed towards a variety of audiences. “King of Queens” starred James opposite Leah Remini as a married couple navigating the humorously awkward family dynamics of living with their in-laws.

“My friend over there thinks you’re cute”

The friend: pic.twitter.com/Vb94Uwp3XO

— #CancelYoungSheldon (@KevinJamesFan) September 23, 2023

The Memes

LOS ANGELES - CIRCA 2000: Comedian Kevin James poses for a portrait circa 2002 in Los Angeles, California — LOS ANGELES – CIRCA 2000: Comedian Kevin James poses for a portrait circa 2002 in Los Angeles, California (Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis/Getty Images)

The captions range from awkward dates, Paramore concerts, and more. It remains unclear why this image and similar promotional images have resurfaced online. The phenomenon is similar to the resurfacing of numerous stock images of comedian Kevin Hart several months ago. The type of meme that these images are used in is often referred to as “reaction pics”. The photos are often paired with humorous pop culture or satirical political references.

him: you better not be Kevin James smirking when I get there

me: pic.twitter.com/5RVGOKd3IP

— Brianna ✨ (@bri_larson97) September 26, 2023

James’ memes are out to dethrone Hart’s memes and the Pedro Pascal memes from early 2023. Pascal’s meme was a series of photos of his character in “The Last of Us” experiencing chest pain from anxiety, coupled with humorous captions about the stresses of daily life. James’ memes, on the contrary, reflect happier times.

me in the pit during miz biz, looking at hayley williams, so she can bring me on stage pic.twitter.com/DFWn1u6lD0

— lex from paramore (@callmelexis) September 27, 2023

Elsewhere, some reflect on their own iterations of some other memeable cast photos.

The Kevin James & Leah Remini memes are particularly funny to me cuz that’s what all my pictures with my wife look like https://t.co/fDbh35XXdM pic.twitter.com/IARS6Jpjhp

— VyceVictus (@VyceVictus) September 27, 2023

The memes have largely drawn attention back to the sitcom, with some viewers sharing some of their favorite scenes and favorite characters.