Kevin James

Photo: Angela George, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Long Island stand-up since 1989

Kevin James

Stand-up specials Sweat the Small Stuff (2001), Never Don’t Give Up (Netflix, 2018) and Irregardless (Prime Video, 2024)

Kevin James tour dates

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61Age · born April 26, 1965, Mineola, NY
1989First stand-up, East Side Comedy Club, Long Island
3Stand-up specials
#76Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups

Who is Kevin James?

Kevin James (born Kevin George Knipfing on April 26, 1965, in Mineola, New York) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is 61. He grew up in Stony Brook on Long Island, wrestled at Ward Melville High School (one spot above his friend Mick Foley) and played football at SUNY Cortland until a back injury ended it. He started stand-up in 1989 at Richie Minervini’s East Side Comedy Club on Long Island and took “James” as his stage name after a favorite teacher. Talk-show sets on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Show with David Letterman and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, plus Just for Laughs in Montreal, led to The King of Queens (CBS, 1998–2007), which earned him a 2006 Emmy nomination. He has released three stand-up specials, most recently Irregardless on Prime Video in 2024. Comedy Central ranked him No. 76 on its list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians.

Sources: Wikipedia · Wikidata · kevinjames.com · Wikimedia Commons (photo)

Stand-up timeline

  • 1965Born April 26 in Mineola, New York; grows up in Stony Brook
  • 1983Graduates from Ward Melville High School
  • 1989First stand-up at Richie Minervini’s East Side Comedy Club, Long Island
  • 1990sTalk-show stand-up: Leno, Letterman, Conan; Just for Laughs, Montreal
  • 1998–2007The King of Queens on CBS
  • 2001First special, Sweat the Small Stuff
  • 2018Never Don’t Give Up on Netflix
  • 2024Irregardless on Prime Video

Podcast & show guest appearances

No guest appearance passed our verification yet (official feed or channel, real date, named as a guest, full episode).

Kevin James stand-up specials

Irregardless (2024)

His third special, released on Amazon Prime Video.

Never Don’t Give Up (2018)

His second special, released on Netflix.

Sweat the Small Stuff (2001)

His first stand-up special.

Not on this page

His TV and film work, from The King of Queens, Kevin Can Wait and The Crew to Hitch, Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Grown Ups and the Hotel Transylvania films, is listed in full on Wikipedia.

People

  • Gary Valentine, his older brother, also a comedian and actor
  • Richie Minervini, owner of the East Side Comedy Club where he started
  • Ray Romano, who had him on Everybody Loves Raymond, which led to The King of Queens
  • Joe Rogan, who interviewed him on The Joe Rogan Experience in 2024
  • Mick Foley, his high school wrestling teammate

Places

  • Mineola, New York (born)
  • Stony Brook, Long Island (grew up)
  • East Side Comedy Club, Long Island (first stand-up, 1989)
  • Just for Laughs, Montreal
  • California (home)

Specials, albums & books

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Search links open Amazon results for the title; availability varies. Specials that only stream (Netflix, Hulu and similar) have no store link.

Kevin James tour dates

His official site lists no stand-up dates right now: the tour page reads “No tour dates found” and “More cities coming soon” (checked October 18, 2026). Our comedy club tracker has no Kevin James dates either. New dates will show up on kevinjames.com first.

Kevin James FAQ

How old is Kevin James?

Kevin James is 61 (as of October 2026). He was born on April 26, 1965, in Mineola, New York. Sources: Wikipedia, Wikidata.

Is Kevin James a stand-up comedian?

Yes. He started in stand-up on Long Island in 1989, before The King of Queens, and has released three stand-up specials: Sweat the Small Stuff (2001), Never Don’t Give Up (Netflix, 2018) and Irregardless (Prime Video, 2024).

What is Kevin James’s real name?

Kevin George Knipfing. He took “James” as a stage surname in honor of his favorite school teacher.

Is Kevin James on tour?

Not right now. His official site lists no dates and says more cities are coming soon (checked October 18, 2026). Check kevinjames.com for new shows.

Is Kevin James related to Gary Valentine?

Yes. His older brother Gary also became a comedian and actor and performs under the stage name Gary Valentine.

Where is Kevin James from?

Mineola, New York. He grew up in Stony Brook on Long Island.

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Also on The Celeb List

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Official links

Disclaimer: Editorial content about comedians only. Facts are cited to the sources linked above; tour dates come from the comedian’s official site, checked on the date shown. We do not fabricate quotes. Support performers via official channels.

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