Comedian Kevin James Has Two Siblings Gary Valentine And Leslie Knipfing

May 2024 · 6 minute read

Kevin James has a family of nine, including two siblings named Gary Valentine and Leslie Knipfing. Gary is also a comedian like his brother Kevin.

Kevin George Knipfing, better known by his stage name Kevin James, began his career with stand-up comedy in 1989. His debut stand-up was at the East Side Comedy Club on Long Island.

He rose to prominence after his appearance on talk shows like The Late Show with David Letterman, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Late Late Show, and others.

Not just as a comedian, he is also famous as an actor. His role as Doug Heffernan on the American television sitcom The Kings of Queens made him win a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006.

Moreover, he has also showcased his acting skills in numerous movies. Pinocchio (2002) is his debut movie, in which he played the role of Mangiafuoco. Home Team, released in 2022, is his latest movie.

Speaking about his social media presence, James has amassed 2.8 million followers on Facebook, compared to 1.8 million on his Instagram handle. Similarly, he joined YouTube on November 27, 2017. He has earned 958k subscribers on the platform and a TikTok account with 2.9 million followers. He joined Twitter in October 2011 and has 470.1K followers there.

Kevin James Has Two Siblings Gary Valentine And Leslie Knipfing

Kevin James has two siblings one older and one younger than him. Gary Valentine is his elder brother while Leslie Knipfing is younger than him.

All three were raised in Mineola, New York, by his parents. Also, they grew up in the Catholic faith.

He is four years older than the Grown Ups star. Similarly, the youngest one is nine years younger than him. It has already been years since James, his brother, and his sister started their careers. Two are in the entertainment industry, while the youngest went into the charity field.

Eldest Brother Gary Valentine Is An American Comedian

Gary Joseph Knipfing is also an actor and comedian. Knipfing is well known by his stage name Gary Valentine.

Gary was born on November 22, 1961. He has already contributed his fifteen years of life in comedy clubs and theaters.

He often shares live stage shows and movies with his younger brother. Last fall, in September 2022, he went on a show tour with Kevin that lasted around 11 days. Like his brother, he started his career with stand-up comedy on stage. He even performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival.

After moving to Los Angeles, he got the chance to participate in numerous talk shows. That is when people started noticing him. He got more popular after working on The King of Queens.

On the sitcom, he played the role of Danny Heffernan, the cousin of Doug Hefferan, which his real brother played. Apart from television shows, he has worked in movies as an actor. Velocity Rules from 2001 is his debut short movie. To date, he has worked on more than 15 movies, of which Home Team is his latest project from last year.

Talking about his personal life, he married his love of life, Jackyline Knipfing, on September 11, 2011. Last year they celebrated their 11th marriage anniversary. The couple is yet to welcome their kids into the world.

Regarding his social media presence, he is active on Facebook with fifteen thousand followers. Likewise, his Instagram account has crossed 10.8K followers, with whom he has shared 314 posts.

Youngest Sister Leslie Knipfing Is A Charity Event Manager

Leslie Knipfing was bron on November 17, 1974. Leslie has retinitis pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic disease that affects the retina and slowly causes vision loss. The disease stopped her from pursuing her dream career. She also wanted to enter the entertainment industry, just like her brothers.

She once tried to share the stage with her brother, but her health problem prevented her from succeeding. Eventually, she tried some different professions.

At present, she has earned fame as a popular charity event manager. She raises charity and donations by organizing charity events. She has helped people with the same genetic disorder through her events.

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A post shared by Gary Valentine (@gary_valentine)

Kevin James Family Is From New York

Kevin James' family, including his parents, brother, and sister, grew up in Mineola, New York. The Knipfing family is Christian.

His parents stayed together until his father left the world in 2006. They were together for more than 40 years. The couple welcomed three children to the family: James, his elder brother, and a little sister.

Kevin James Dad Joseph Valentine Knipfing Jr.

Joseph Valentine Knipfing Jr. was born on August 4, 1930. His parents were Joseph and Helen Knipfing.

The German-American moved to Long Island, New York, where he started his insurance business company. He ran the company for more than 30 years.

Apart from his own business, James' dad was a member of the Holy Name Society at Westbury Ministry and the Agents Insurance Council for several insurance companies. James' father passed away at 75 on January 30, 2006. He had been suffering from heart disease for a long time.

Kevin James' Mom Janet Knipfing

Janet Barbara Knipfing was born on December 5, 1938, in Mineola, Nassau County, United States. Janet is 84 years old.

The Kings of Queens' mom Barbara married her husband in 1960. By profession, she is a retired chiropractor office worker.

Kevin James And Steffiana De La Cruz Married In 2004

Kevin James married Steffiana De La Cruz on June 19, 2004. They are the parents of four children.

Cruz (full name Stephanie Anna Marie Zantua) was born in New York on August 28, 1974. She is an actress and a model by profession.

Initially, she started her career as a model. Later, in 2009, she made her acting debut in the film Paul Blart: Mall Cop. The movie also starred her husband, James.

She is famous for her movies like Zookeeper and Paul Balrt: Mall Cop 2 (2015). Regarding her personal life, James and Cruz met on a blind date. The couple dated for two years before legally exchanging vows. Their wedding took place at St. Edward's Catholic Church.

Kevin James Children

Gotta get in shape... My 3 year old son pointed at my belly and said... "Baby?"

— Kevin James (@KevinJames) November 5, 2014

After a year of marriage, the James couple welcomed their first child into the family on September 30, 2005. The baby was named Sienna-Marie James.

In her late teens, Sienna has already starred in the movie Pixels as a child artist. Apart from schooling and acting, she is into kickboxing.

The second child in the family, Shea Joelle James, was born on June 14, 2007. Shea also has worked in films and series along with her father. Her latest performance can be seen in the comedy series 'Kevin Can Wait.'

Kannon Valentine James is the only son of the family. He is eleven years old. Similarly, the youngest girl, Sistine Sabella James, came into the world in January 2015.

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