Leah Remini
Leah Remini built a career in sitcoms and, even when controversy threatened to derail her career, kept making audiences laugh. A native of Brooklyn, New York, she moved to Los Angeles in her early teens and began pursuing acting soon after. She landed guest appearances on "Head of the Class" (ABC, 1986-91) and "Who's the Boss?" (ABC, 1984-92). The actress was cast as one of the leads, alongside Halle Berry, in the short-lived modeling comedy "Living Dolls" (ABC, 1989). Despite the show's cancellation, she continued making regular appearances, including a memorable guest arc on the teen comedy "Saved by the Bell" (NBC, 1989-93) as the summer love interest of Mark-Paul Gosselaar's Zack. Similarly, she had a showy guest turn on the hit sitcom "Cheers" (NBC, 1982-93) playing the daughter of Rhea Perlman's Carla. She tried again, unsuccessfully, at leading a sitcom in "First Time Out" (The WB, 1995), but had a slightly longer run with "Fired Up" (NBC, 1997-98) opposite Sharon Lawrence. Remini finally found the right formula when she joined Kevin James and Jerry Stiller on "King of Queens" (CBS, 1998-2007). Playing the long-suffering wife of James' delivery driver, she saw her profile jump considerably. After the sitcom ended, she became one of the original hosts of the daytime talk show "The Talk" (CBS, 2010- ). Remini was let go after the first year, however, and ended up in a very public feud with fellow host Sharon Osborne over her dismissal. In 2013, the actress went public with her split from the Church of Scientology, which she had been a member of since childhood. She eventually wrote a memoir on the experience, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology. She quickly became the face of any anti-Scientology stories. The actress returned to working in sitcoms, starring in "Family Tools" (ABC, 2013) and joining the cast of "The Exes" (TV Land, 2011-15). In 2017, she reteamed with James in the sitcom "Kevin Can Wait" (CBS, 2016-18), but the duo couldn't replicate the success of "King of Queens." On the big screen, Remini joined Jennifer Lopez for the comedy "Second Act" (2018). The actress also produced and hosted the series "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" (A&E, 2016-19) showcasing other former church members.
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Leah Remini
Filmography
Movies
Credit | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
44% |
|
Second Act | Joan (Character) | $39.2M | 2018 |
20% |
|
The Clapper | Proudcer Louise (Character) | - | 2017 |
No Score Yet |
|
Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie | Esta (Character) | - | 2017 |
No Score Yet |
|
Mad Families | Cheyenne (Character) | - | 2017 |
60% |
|
Old School | Lara (Character) | $74.6M | 2003 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Follow Your Heart | Angie LaRocca (Character) | - | 1998 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Phantom 2040: The Ghost Who Walks | Segan Cruz (Voice) | - | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Star Witness | Unknown (Character) | - | 1994 |
TV
Credit | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
28% | 40% | Kevin Can Wait |
Vanessa Cellucci (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
2017-2018 2024 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | People Puzzler | Host | 2021-2023 |
No Score Yet | 58% | So You Think You Can Dance | Judge | 2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Wendy Williams Show |
Guest, Host |
2014 2016 2018 2021-2022 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Nick Cannon | Guest | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Guest | 2013-2014 2016 2018 2021 |
No Score Yet | 28% | The Drew Barrymore Show | Guest | 2021 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Dr. Oz Show | Guest | 2015-2016 2020 |
No Score Yet | 45% | The Masked Singer | Guest | 2020 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Dancing With the Stars |
Guest, Contestant |
2013 2015 2019 |
No Score Yet | 94% | Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath |
Unknown (Character), Executive Producer |
2016-2019 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Larry King Now | Guest | 2019 |
No Score Yet | 18% | The Late Late Show With James Corden | Guest | 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen | Guest | 2014-2016 2018 |
No Score Yet | 12% | The View | Guest | 2014-2015 2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Match Game | Guest | 2016-2018 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath: The Conversation Continues | Unknown (Character) | 2017 |
No Score Yet | 61% | Late Night With Seth Meyers | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | 50% | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Close Up With The Hollywood Reporter | Guest | 2017 |
41% | 61% | Chelsea | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Real Time With Bill Maher | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Kitchen Rules | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Conan | Guest | 2017 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rupaul's Drag Race: RuVealed | Judge | 2016 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Rachael Ray |
Unknown (Character), Guest |
2008 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | 20/20 | Guest | 2015 |
No Score Yet | 76% | The Exes |
Nicki (Character), Unknown (Guest Star) |
2014-2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Leah Remini: It's All Relative |
Self, Executive Producer |
2014-2015 |
No Score Yet | 25% | Repeat After Me | Guest | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hollywood Game Night | Guest | 2014 |
84% | 74% | RuPaul's Drag Race | Judge | 2014 |
13% | No Score Yet | Family Tools | Terry Baumgardner (Character) | 2013 |
No Score Yet | 42% | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Guest | 2010 2013 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Talk | Host | 2010-2011 |
No Score Yet | 80% | The King of Queens | Carrie Heffernan (Character) | 1998-2007 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Daily Show | Guest | 2001 |
17% | No Score Yet | Fired Up | Terry Reynolds (Character) | 1997-1998 |
83% | 95% | NYPD Blue | Angela Bohi (Guest Star) | 1996 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | First Time Out | Unknown (Character) | 1995 |
78% | 93% | Friends | Lydia (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Diagnosis Murder | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1995 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Commish | Gail Ross (Guest Star) | 1994 |
87% | 95% | Cheers | Serafina Tortelli (Guest Star) | 1993 |
No Score Yet | 57% | Saved by the Bell | Stacey Carosi (Guest Star) | 1991-1992 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Hogan Family | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1991 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Living Dolls | Charlie Briscoe (Character) | 1989 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Who's the Boss? | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1989 |