Leah Remini and Kevin James honor ‘The King of Queens’ on the show’s 25th anniversary

Kevin James and Leah Remini took a moment to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the premiere of “The King of Queens,” which marked the big milestone Sept. 21.

The pair starred as married middle-class couple Doug and Carrie Heffernan, who lived in the Queens borough of New York City. James played a delivery driver, while Remini was a legal secretary. They lived together in their home with her eccentric father, Arthur, played by Jerry Stiller, who died in 2020.

“25 years ago today, we aired. I am so incredibly blessed to have taken this ride with the insanely talented @leahremini and Jerry Stiller,” James captioned a photo on Instagram of him with Remini and Stiller. “I love you both so much… and thank you to the GREATEST FANS in the world 🌎 LOVE YOU!”

Remini also wrote on Instagram that the show changed her life, and she knew pretty quickly that she was involved in something special.

“Today marks the 25th anniversary of the King of Queens,” she captioned a clip of her and James on the show where his character laments that he's become heavier than he realized.

“By the time I signed on as Carrie Heffernan, I had been to hundreds of auditions, was cast in many pilots and some short-lived series, and was finally offered ‘The King Of Queens.’

“As soon as production started on season one, I knew I was home, and I am blessed to say I was part of a truly special show that went on for nine seasons and 207 episodes and still lives on successfully in syndication.”

Remini also singled out the rest of the cast and everyone else who worked on the series.

“Our cast was amazing...Kevin James, Jerry Stiller, Gary (Valentine), Patton (Oswalt), Victor (Williams), Nicole (Sullivan). They all made me laugh every day. Our gifted guest and recurring cast made the show what it is,” she wrote.

“Working with the cast, crew, and our awesome and dedicated writers and producers was a dream come true for an actress.”

Remini also made sure to thank the viewers for telling her what the show means to them.

“I want to let you all know that I see the comments where you say that you fall asleep every night to ‘The King of Queens,’ that it got you through a rough day and tough times in your lives, that you laughed for the first time in your day watching us, or that you watch several episodes a day, or that you and your family bond over watching the episodes in syndication,” she wrote.

“One fan commented that her family is a three-generation 'King of Queens' household: her mom watches it, she watches it, and now her daughter watches it. It means the world to me, and I’m so grateful for this experience that lives on and on.”

James earned the sitcom's lone Emmy Award nomination, garnering a nod in 2006 for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series. He lost to Tony Shalhoub of "Monk."

“The King of Queens” wrapped its run in May 2007. James and Remini would later team up again on “Kevin Can Wait” when Remini joined the cast for the second and final season of the sitcom that ended in 2018.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com