Leah Remini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leah Remini
Remini in 2018
Born	Leah Marie Remini (1970-06-15) June 15, 1970 (age 55) New York City, U.S.
Education	New York University (Associate in Arts)
Occupation	Actress activist
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Angelo Pagán ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2024)​
Children	1
YouTube information
Genre	Video podcast
Subscribers	179K
Total views	27M

Leah Marie Remini (born June 15, 1970) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in TV shows like The King of Queens (1998–2007) and Kevin Can Wait (2017–2018), where she acted alongside Kevin James.

After being part of the Church of Scientology since she was a child, Remini left the group in 2013. Two years later, she released her book, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology. This book quickly became a number one bestseller. From 2016 to 2019, Remini helped create and host the A&E documentary series Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. For this series, she won two Primetime Emmy Awards. Since July 2020, Remini has co-hosted the podcast Scientology: Fair Game with Mike Rinder. She also co-hosted the daytime talk show The Talk (2010–2011). Remini has appeared in films such as Old School (2003) and Second Act (2018).

Leah Remini's Early Life

Remini was born on June 15, 1970, in Brooklyn, New York City. Her mother, Vicki Marshall, and father, George Remini, owned a business. Her mother has Austrian Jewish roots, and her father has Italian family history. Remini grew up in Bensonhurst.

She was baptized into the Catholic Church as a baby and raised in that faith early on. When she was 8, her mother joined the Church of Scientology. After that, Remini was raised as a Scientologist. At 13, Remini and her sister joined the Sea Organization, a group within Scientology. They were asked to sign long-term contracts and work for their living.

Later that same year, Remini's mother decided to take her children out of the Sea Org. They returned to regular Scientology life. Remini moved to Los Angeles with her mother and sisters. During her teenage years, she worked to pay off money they owed to Scientology for their training. Remini and her family also worked regular jobs to pay for more Scientology courses.

Leah Remini's Acting Career

Early TV Roles and Big Breaks

One of Remini's first TV roles was on Who's the Boss? as Charlie Briscoe. This led to a spin-off show called Living Dolls, where Remini starred with Halle Berry. The show started in late 1989 and had twelve episodes. In 1991, Remini played Tina Bovasso on ABC's sitcom The Man in the Family. She also had recurring roles on Saved by the Bell as Stacey Carosi. She also appeared on Evening Shade as Daisy. Remini then appeared in two other short-lived series, First Time Out (1995) and Fired Up (1997–98).

In 1991 and 1993, she appeared on Cheers as Serafina. In 1994, Remini tried out for the role of Monica Geller on Friends, but Courteney Cox got the part. Remini later appeared in a 1995 Friends episode called "The One with the Birth". In this episode, she played a pregnant woman named Lydia. In 1998, Remini got the role of Carrie Heffernan on the CBS sitcom The King of Queens. The show was very popular and ran for nine seasons, from September 21, 1998, to May 14, 2007.

Reality TV and Other Shows

Remini had a supporting role in the comedy film Old School (2003). She also starred in her own reality show, Inside Out: Leah Remini. This show was a documentary on VH1 about Remini's wedding. After the wedding special was successful, VH1 also showed the birth of her daughter, Sofia Bella. Remini appeared in webisodes of In the Motherhood and made guest appearances on Chelsea Lately. On December 15, 2009, Remini appeared on Lopez Tonight as Carrie Heffernan. Remini and Holly Robinson Peete appeared on The Young and the Restless on July 28, 2011.

In October 2011, Remini signed a deal with ABC to develop a comedy show for her to star in and produce. Remini competed on season 17 of Dancing with the Stars. She was partnered with professional dancer Tony Dovolani. They reached fifth place in the competition. Remini later returned as a guest co-host in season 19 and season 21. In 2013, Remini joined the cast of the TV Land comedy The Exes. Remini also created, produced, and starred in a reality TV series called Leah Remini: It's All Relative. This show focused on Remini's family life and premiered on TLC on July 10, 2014.

In early 2017, Remini returned to acting in a sitcom called What About Barb?. In March 2017, it was announced Remini would reunite with Kevin James on Kevin Can Wait. In June 2017, Remini became a regular cast member for season 2. In May 2018, the show was canceled after two seasons. In 2017, Remini also appeared in the comedy films Mad Families, The Clapper, and Handsome. In 2018, she starred as Joan, alongside Jennifer Lopez, in the romantic comedy film Second Act. In June 2022, Remini became a judge on the seventeenth season of Fox's dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance. Remini started 2021 as the host of the Game Show Network series People Puzzler.

Hosting The Talk

Remini was a co-host in the first season of the CBS daytime talk show, The Talk. It started on October 18, 2010. The other co-hosts were Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Holly Robinson Peete, and Sharon Osbourne. The show discussed topics like motherhood and current events. In March 2012, Remini and Osbourne had a public disagreement on Twitter. Remini stated that Osbourne had them fired from The Talk. Osbourne denied this.

Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath

Remini created a series for A&E about former Scientologists sharing their experiences. The series was called Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. It first aired on November 29, 2016. Remini said she hoped the show would reveal what was happening and encourage others to speak up.

The documentary series won many awards over its three seasons. These included two Emmys, a Reality Television Award for hosting, and a Truth to Power Award.

Leah Remini's Memoir

Remini released her book, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, on November 3, 2015. The book received good reviews and quickly became a bestseller. It reached the number one spot on The New York Times Best Seller list.

Leah Remini's Personal Life

Leaving Scientology

Remini was a member of the Church of Scientology from age 9. In July 2013, Remini left Scientology. She had concerns about the Church's rules, including those that stopped members from questioning the leader, David Miscavige. She also had concerns about how some members were treated and the policy of "disconnection". This policy means members are told to cut ties with people who leave the Church.

According to former high-ranking member Mike Rinder, Remini's concerns began in 2006. She asked about the wife of leader David Miscavige, Shelly, who had not been seen publicly. Remini then reported that Miscavige and other leaders were acting against Church rules. After this, she faced years of questioning. Friends who were still in Scientology wrote reports about her, leading to an investigation into her family.

On September 9, 2013, Remini appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She talked about leaving Scientology and losing friends who were still in the Church. These friends were not allowed to contact her. After leaving, she thanked those who supported her. Remini's sister Nicole, who had left earlier, said their whole family left the Church with Remini. This was to avoid being separated by the disconnection policy. Writer and director Paul Haggis wrote an open letter thanking Remini for her support.

In August 2013, Remini filed a missing person report with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for Shelly Miscavige. Shelly Miscavige, the wife of Scientology leader David Miscavige, had not been seen in public since 2007. The LAPD investigated and spoke with Shelly Miscavige before closing the case. Scientology said Remini's report was just to get attention.

In October 2013, Remini was asked to testify in a lawsuit in Comal County, Texas. This lawsuit was against Scientology and David Miscavige. In 2023, Remini sued the Church of Scientology and David Miscavige. She accused them of harassment and trying to harm her life and career.

Embracing Catholicism

In a 2015 interview, Remini spoke about becoming Catholic. She found comfort in the practices of the religion. She said this was different from her experiences with Scientology.

Leah Remini's Family Life

Remini met actor Angelo Pagán at a Cuban restaurant in 1996. Pagán has three sons from earlier relationships. He and Remini were married in Las Vegas on July 19, 2003. Their daughter, Sofia, was born on June 16, 2004. In September 2015, when Sofia was eleven, her parents celebrated her baptism into the Catholic Church. On August 29, 2024, Remini announced that she and Pagán had decided to divorce. Their divorce was finalized on October 11, 2024.

Leah Remini's Education

Remini left school after the 8th grade. She says this was because of her involvement with Scientology. In May 2021, Remini was accepted into an associate degree program in liberal arts at New York University. She said that getting a higher education was very important to her. She called it "one of the last chunks of my life that I am taking back for myself from Scientology."

In 2023, after finishing her second year at NYU, Remini shared that her education journey was very challenging. She earned an Associate in Arts degree from NYU in January 2024. She then began working toward a bachelor's degree.

Leah Remini's Film and TV Work

Film Appearances

Television Roles

Video Games

Leah Remini's Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Leah Remini para niños