Kevin George Knipfing, known professionally as Kevin James, is an American comedian and actor. He began his career by performing stand-up at comedy clubs on Long Island in the 1980s. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Doug Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007), for which he received the nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006.

Douglas Steven "Doug" Heffernan is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American sitcom The King of Queens. The character has also appeared in Everybody Loves Raymond, Becker, and Cosby. He is portrayed by Kevin James, whose stand-up comedy background inspired the comedic style of the show. Doug, an often immature 'average Joe', lives in Rego Park, Queens, with his wife Carrie Heffernan and his father-in-law Arthur Spooner.