This page uses content from the Leah Remini biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Leah Remini (born June 15, 1970, in Brooklyn, New York, USA) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on the sitcom The King of Queens.

Biography

Her father George Remini, owner of an asbestos company, originates from Sicily. Her mother Vicki Marshall, a high school principal, is Jewish and originates from Austria. Her parents were divorced in 1977. Remini has one full sister, Nicole Remini (born 1969), and four half-sisters: Shannon (born 1984), Stephanie (born 1978), Elizabeth (born 1976), and Christine (born 1970). When Remini was 14, she left school against the advice of her mother. At the beginning of her working life, Remini had a variety of jobs, such as waitressing, selling car insurance, and as a telemarketer for a solar heating company. She got her first speaking line as an actress on an episode of Head of the Class. On July 19, 2003 she married actor Angelo Pagan. A documentary of the wedding was aired on the VH1 series Inside Out. On June 16, 2004, she gave birth to a daughter, Sofia Bella. Remini stands 5' 3" (1,60 m) tall, and her weight has varied widely after childbirth, a fact she was heard to lament on an episode of Fat Actress.

Television

Remini's entrance into television came in the mid-'80s, when she appeared as Carla Tortelli's daughter Serafina on two episodes of Cheers. In 1989, she played the lead on Living Dolls, a short-lived spin-off from Who's the Boss? In 1991, she had a recurring role on Saved by the Bell and starred in the short-lived sitcom The Man in the Family. Remini also guest starred in The Commish, where her character was involved in the plot line responsible for Geoffrey Naufft's departure from the show. She gained some popularity with her role as Terri Reynolds on the 1997 NBC comedy series Fired Up. She had several guest appearances on shows such as Evening Shade, Diagnosis: Murder, NYPD Blue and Friends. She also was in the Friends episode "The One with the Birth" (season 1). Leah Remini recently appeared on MTV Cribs.

Remini and Scientology

Remini is a practicioner of Scientology. In December 2004, she distributed Scientology materials to her fans. In December 2005, she helped promote the gala opening of Scientology's controversial "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" Museum, which puts forth a conspiracy theory connecting Adolf Hitler to the psychiatric profession. Previously, on CNN, responding to criticism of Scientology, she said:

If somebody is going to get turned off about something because of what they read or heard, then that person's not smart enough to even enter a church. If you're really against something, then know what you're against.

In July 2006, Remini was one of the first few Hollywood stars to see "Baby Suri," the daughter of fellow Scientologists Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

Video games

Leah Remini voiced the character of Grace Nakimura in the 1993 computer game Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers for Sierra On-Line.

References

Filmography

• Old School (2003) as Lara Campbell
• The King of Queens (1998–present) as Carrie Spooner Heffernan
• Follow Your Heart (1998) as Angie
• Fired Up (1997) as Terry Reynolds
• Glory Daze (1996) as Theresa
• First Time Out (1995) as Dominique Costellano
• Phantom 2040 (1994) as Sagan Cruz (voice)
• Gabriel Knight: "Sins of the fathers" (1993) Grace Nakimura (voice)
• Harlan & Merleen (1993) as Frankie
• The Man in the Family (1991) as Tina Bavasso
• Saved by the Bell (1991) as Stacey Carosi
• Living Dolls (1989) as Charlie Briscoe
• Cheers (1991 and 1993) as Serafina Tortelli

External links

• Official Leah Rimini website

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the biographical information on this page under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.