The King of Queens Co-Star Leah Remini Remembers Jerry Stiller

Jerry Stiller passed away last year at 92. He is best-known for his roles as George Costanza’s dad Frank on Seinfeld and Arthur Spooner on The King of Queens; additionally he appeared in several movies like Heavyweights, The Heartbreak Kid and both Zoolander movies with son Ben Stiller.

Stiller was an incredible team player on set and off. Leah Remini is among his co-stars; recently she shared how much she missed working together.

Remini shared how she and Stiller got along great while filming The King of Queens, sharing an affinity for comedy as well as devising money-making schemes together off-camera. Remini also noted how deeply Stiller cared about both cast and crew on set.

Remini and Stiller had an obvious affection for each other as not just co-stars but as friends as well. Remini described Stiller in her statement as being “an absolute sweetheart”, adding that she always looked forward to working with him, which only added to their happiness during production.

The King of Queens was an immensely popular sitcom that ran for nine seasons from 1998 to 2007. It is famously remembered for the close friendship and on-screen chemistry shared between Leah Remini and Kevin James (Doug and Carrie Heffernan respectively) off-camera; their characters had an almost romantic connection that transcended acting roles and existed purely off-screen as well.

Remini revealed to AV Club in an interview that she truly cherished every minute spent working with Stiller and James as co-stars on the series; further, they often referred to each other as part of “the team”.

Remini heaped praise upon her former co-stars, noting how close Victor Williams (Deacon Palmer), Gary Valentine (Danny Heffernan), and Patton Oswalt (Spence Olchin) all felt. In honor of Stiller, Remini hosted a virtual charity reunion that involved table reading a classic episode and raising funds for Henry Street Settlement, an organization he supported.

The King of Queens reunion was an unforgettable event and is an apt tribute to Jerry Stiller’s memory. All those lucky enough to work alongside him will miss him greatly. We wish the cast and crew best of luck in their future endeavors.