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The rags-to-riches story of Brooklyn-born Leah Remini is pure Horatio Alger (in a petticoat). Dropping out of school at the age of 14, she experienced the cruel world from the vantage of waitress, cashier and telemarketer, among other vocations, before landing an agent and a one-line role on %22Head of the Class%22 (ABC). After that, she made steady progress in the sitcom world, snagging regular roles in the short-lived likes of %22Living Dolls%22 (ABC, 1989), %22Man in the Family%22 (ABC, 1991) and %22First Time Out%22 (The WB, 1995). Though those series tanked, Remini managed to get excellent exposure in two recurring roles on popular shows: from 1991-93 she played Carla's rebellious daughter Sarafina in NBC's long-running %22Cheers%22, and 1993 saw her as Daisy in episodes of %22Evening Shade%22 (CBS). She also made guest appearances on many series, including %22Blossom%22 (NBC), %22NYPD Blue%22 (ABC) and %22Friends%22 (NBC). The raven-haired Remini caught a huge break playing Sharon Lawrence's foil in NBC's %22Fired Up%22 (debuting April 1997), but despite its Number 1 rating among women 18 to 49 for the first five weeks of the 1997-98 season, it did not survive the year. Remini had, however, lent an authentic New York voice to %22Fired Up%22, and her stock for portraying %22tough%22 somewhat in the style of Fran Drescher was going through the roof. She next signed on to %22The King of Queens%22 (CBS, 1998- ), the blue-collar comedy reminiscent of %22The Honeymooners%22, which has provided the best showcase of her talent to date. Completely at home as the Queen of Queens, she is quick to keep her truck-driving husband (Kevin James) in line, while loving the big lug all the same. The series looks like a keeper, its success in no small part due to Remini, whose first love is sitcom TV, taped in a studio full of people. %22I need an audience. I need to hear the cameraman laughing. If the crew laughs, it's a hit.%22
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