Vault: Interview With Leah Remini

Summary

The Bert Show - Vault: Interview With Leah Remini

Date: October 31, 2025
Podcast Host: Pionaire Podcasting
Cast in Episode: Jeff, Leah Remini (guest), Kevin James (surprise appearance), Hannah Burner (cameos)

---

Episode Overview

This special “vault” episode features a lively, unscripted interview with actress Leah Remini, best known for her role as Carrie Heffernan on King of Queens. A “surprise guest” element brings Kevin James, her longtime co-star, into the playful, nostalgic mix. The conversation touches on sitcom life, Hollywood relationships, cultural authenticity on TV, living in LA versus New York, and Leah’s behind-the-scenes career anecdotes. The hosts keep the vibe light, mixing humor with sincere curiosity about life off the soundstage.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Surprise Guest Setup & Immediate Chemistry

• [01:29-02:08] Jeff reveals he secretly organized the Leah Remini interview for an unsuspecting Kevin James superfan on staff.
• Leah’s signature wit is front and center as she banters with the Bert Show cast, immediately referencing their “King of Queens” dynamic with playful sarcasm.

2. The “King of Queens” Appeal & Realism

• [02:13-03:13] The cast and Leah reflect on why the sitcom resonates so widely.
  • Leah: “We are everybody's relationship, you know, we're just a normal couple… there’s no crazy concept. It’s just a couple.” (02:54)
  • Kevin James highlights the relatable, imperfect couples they represent, which fans often see reflected in their own lives.
• Leah probes the fan phenomenon of couples comparing themselves to Doug and Carrie.

3. Sitcom Realism: Can a “Hottie” Fall for a “Big Guy”?

• [03:13-03:41] The hosts challenge the plausibility of their on-screen romance.
  • Kevin James: “Especially being from the east coast… a petite girl would be with a bigger guy. It’s very, very normal.” (03:24)
  • Jeff jokes about Atlanta’s cultural differences: “In Atlanta, we're so pretentious. It makes no sense to us at all, you know?” (03:41)

4. Leah’s Accent and New York Roots

• [03:47-04:26] Leah and Kevin have fun comparing their Queens and Brooklyn accents.
  • Leah teases: “The Brooklyn accent or the Queen's accent is a lot stronger.” (04:04)
• Leah confirms she’s originally from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and now lives in LA.

5. Feeling “At Home” in Los Angeles

• [04:34-05:26] Leah talks about adapting to LA without losing her New York roots.
  • Leah: “I don't really get involved with [Hollywood pretentiousness]… my mother could care less what I do. She makes me bus tables at a restaurant here.” (04:44)
  • On LA vs. NY: “In New York you have to walk everywhere… now 10 blocks, I thought, I could cry.” (04:56)

6. Love Lives & Relationship Pressure in Hollywood

• [05:26-06:19] Leah shares details about her long-term relationship:
  • She’s been with boyfriend Angelo for eight years, but they’re not married.
  • “Because we’re actors… I really want him to be focused on his career… not that I won’t take a ring.” (06:19)
  • Leah apologizes for asking about marriage pressure, sharing that she got tired of being on the receiving end herself.

7. Angelo’s Acting Credits

• [06:21-06:40] Leah describes her partner, Angelo’s, lesser-known acting roles:
  • “He was in Swordfish… Don Cheadle’s sidekick. And he was in a movie called Dance With Me. I’m sure you’ve all seen that. That was a joke.” (06:36-06:40)

8. Who’s Funnier: Kevin James or Jerry Stiller?

• [06:47-07:13] Leah on the comedic energy on set:
  • “Kevin’s raunchier. And Jerry can come out with some zingers… If I’m not in a scene with Kevin, I get depressed. Cause he makes me pee.” (06:52-07:13)

9. Teasing the Next “King of Queens” Episode

• [07:13-07:34] Preview: Carrie starts praying to get what she wants, Doug is skeptical until he wants the Jets to win.

10. Leah Remini as Monica from “Friends”?

• [07:36-07:53] Leah confirms she auditioned for the role of Monica but isn’t bitter:
  • “I'm really quite proud of them that they've stuck together as a group… it's really like a beautiful thing.” (07:53)

11. Sitcom Longevity & Family On Set

• [08:09-08:54] Hosts and Leah discuss whether shows should end; Leah empathizes with “Friends” cast and relates the show to a second family:
  • “If people still like the show, they should stay as long as people will have them.” (08:16-08:54)

12. Flattery & Farewells

• [08:57-09:12] Jeff (host): “You are by far and away the coolest chick in Hollywood.”
  • Leah: “Thank you, sweetie.” (08:59-09:02)
• Leah jokes about being hotter than Alyssa Milano.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On authenticity:

  • “We are everybody's relationship… we’re just a normal couple… there's no crazy concept.”
    — Leah Remini, (02:54)

• On the NYC dating scene:

  • “A petite girl would be with a bigger guy. It's very, very normal.”
    — Kevin James, (03:24)

• On Hollywood pressure:

  • “I really want him to be focused on his career… not that I won't take a ring.”
    — Leah Remini, (06:19)

• On show business families:

  • “It's like your family. It's like your second family. So I say, God bless them if they go another 10 years. Let them go, you know?”
    — Leah Remini, (08:48)

• Funniest candid:

  • “If I’m not in a scene with Kevin, I get depressed. Cause he makes me pee.”
    — Leah Remini, (07:13)

---

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:29] — Interview introduction begins, Leah greets the team.
• [02:13] — Discussion on why King of Queens resonates.
• [03:24] — Is the “unlikely couple” dynamic realistic?
• [04:44] — Leah on keeping it real in LA.
• [05:26] — Leah’s relationship status & philosophy.
• [06:36] — Angelo’s acting credits.
• [06:52] — Who is funnier: Kevin or Jerry Stiller?
• [07:36] — Did Leah almost play Monica on “Friends”?
• [08:16] — On ending (or keeping) long-running sitcoms.
• [08:57] — Heartfelt closing remarks and mutual appreciation.

---

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The episode is light, rapid-fire, and loaded with the real-life chemistry that made King of Queens iconic. Both Leah Remini and the hosts poke fun at Hollywood’s quirks while expressing real affection for working-class, east-coast values. The conversation is full of playful teasing, nostalgic reminiscence, and honest insights about relationships on- and off-screen. For fans and non-listeners alike, this tight, entertaining segment demonstrates why Leah Remini is so beloved: authentic, sharp, and unafraid to laugh at herself and the industry.

Transcript

[Jeff]

When you're a forward thinker, you don't just bring your A game, you bring your AI game. Workday is the AI platform that transforms the way you manage your people, money and agents so you can transform tomorrow workday, moving business forever forward.

[Hers Advertisement Narrator]

So the other day I was in this group chat, of course the topic turned to weight loss medications because it kind of seems like everybody's on one. One friend is already on one. Another is researching every option on TikTok and someone else was like, I don't even know where to start. It feels like everybody is talking about it right now, but nobody really knows if it's right for them. That's why hers can be a great option for you because they take all the confusion out of it. You connect with a real medical provider who helps you figure out what's actually best for your body and your goals without the guesswork. If it's prescribed, you'll get medication as a part of a doctor developed weight loss program with ongoing check ins, dosage adjustments and 24. 7 online support. They've got affordable options from oral medication kits to GLP1 injectables starting at 69amonth. So if you've been trying to figure out what works for you, it might be time to check out hers. Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, hers has you covered. Visit for hers.combert to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. That's F-O-R-H-E-R S.com Bert for hers.com Bert Weight loss by hers is not available everywhere. Compounded drug products are not approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness or quality by the fda. Prescription required. See website for full details, important safety information and restrictions. Actual price depends on product and plan purchased.

[Jeff]

You're on the Burt Show. This was kind of cool because I had set this up and Jeff had no idea who he was gonna be interviewing. But I knew he was a big King of Queens fan, so having Leah Remini on the show was just the best for him.

[Leah Remini]

Hello.

[Kevin James]

Hello.

[Jeff]

Hi.

[Kevin James]

Hi, Jeff.

[Leah Remini]

How are you?

[Kevin James]

Good, how are you?

[Leah Remini]

I'm doing very well. Leah Remini from King of Queens. Yeah. I told you you'd get it. How many seconds?

[Jeff]

I told you you'd get it within 10 minutes.

[Kevin James]

That's not fair because I have a man voice.

[Leah Remini]

Thank you very much for calling. I'll watch you tonight on the show. We'll talk to you later.

[Jeff]

You got nine more minutes to kill, my friend. You better start talking.

[Kevin James]

How are you good, Harry?

[Leah Remini]

This is very cool. Cause King of Queens, as anybody who listens to the show knows, is one of my favorite shows.

[Kevin James]

Oh, you're so sweet. No, he's not. No, he's not.

[Leah Remini]

How many seasons is this for you guys?

[Kevin James]

Season five.

[Leah Remini]

And Kevin James has gotta be a huge blast to work with.

[Kevin James]

He is. He's so much funnier in real life. Yeah, no, he's hysterical.

[Leah Remini]

How many people come up to you, and of those people, what is the percentage that you want to kill who say, oh, my God, we're just like, you guys on the show.

[Kevin James]

Oh, my God. It's so funny because it's like, I look at the. She's like, oh, you're me and I'm Kev. You know, and I go, this. She actually thinks she's me.

[Jeff]

Right?

[Kevin James]

You know, and he's Doug. You know, it's so funny. But, hey, you know, I think what people refer to is their relationship, you know, I mean, we are everybody's relationship, you know, we're just a normal couple, you know, which is why I love the show so much. You know, there's no, like, you know, crazy concept. It's just a couple.

[Jeff]

Would there be any chance, really? I mean, in real life, like, you know, hottie chick like you.

[Kevin James]

Thank you.

[Jeff]

Falls for ups. Big fat guy.

[Kevin James]

I was saying this. It's very, very normal, especially being from the east coast and a borough, that, you know, a petite girl would be with a bigger guy. It's very, very normal. That's why I think, like, the east coast has no problem, you know what I mean, with the show and the concept of the show, because it's. It's very normal.

[Jeff]

Because in Atlanta, we're so pretentious. It makes no sense to us at all, you know?

[Kevin James]

No, that's not true.

[Jeff]

Oh, it is.

[Hannah Burner]

I'm telling you.

[Leah Remini]

Now, you have to. You have to forgive me, because I did really didn't have any time to do research, honey.

[Kevin James]

It's really. Okay.

[Leah Remini]

Well, now, you. Obviously, the show is King of Queens, but you sound a little Brooklyn.

[Kevin James]

Oh, is there a difference?

[Leah Remini]

There's a little difference. Is that.

[Kevin James]

Is there a difference between Queens and Brooklyn accent?

[Leah Remini]

A little bit. The Brooklyn accent or the Queen's accent is a lot stronger.

[Kevin James]

Oh, is not you gonna fight with Leah Remnant?

[Jeff]

You're gonna fight with Leah Remnant. And Jeff, coming from.

[Kevin James]

I'm sure you guys didn't fight with Alyssa when you had her on.

[Jeff]

No, we didn't.

[Kevin James]

I'm sure you were nicer to your guest.

[Leah Remini]

Where are you from and where do you live now?

[Kevin James]

I'm from Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and I live in la.

[Jeff]

Now he's looking for an exact address. If you could give him that.

[Kevin James]

Now it was just enough for her to say she was from Brooklyn.

[Leah Remini]

Yeah, no. Cause I did.

[Jeff]

Well, do you like la? Cause you seem like such like the down to earth cool, I'd hang out with you person in New York and then you go out to LA and there is a lot of that show biz Hollywood thing going on, you feel me?

[Kevin James]

I don't really get involved with that. I mean, my family's here, so it's like, you know, I mean, it's not pretentious at all. My mother could care less what I do. She makes me bus tables at a restaurant here.

[Jeff]

You feel like a little fish out of water a little bit in la?

[Kevin James]

No, I just, I like it here because it's very relaxed living. I mean, in New York you have to, you know, you have to walk everywhere. 10 blocks is not like abnormal to me now. 10 blocks. I thought I could cry. I tried to get a cab in New York. The guy asked me where I was going. I go, I give him the address, he goes, it's four blocks. And I was like all embarrassed, but I was trying to act like I was very busy and very important, you know. He's like, sweetheart, I can't get you a cab for four blocks.

[Jeff]

Leah Remini from King of Queens on Q100.

[Leah Remini]

What's your status as far as being married or single or. Boyfriend?

[Kevin James]

Boyfriend. Boyfriend.

[Hannah Burner]

Eight years.

[Leah Remini]

Eight years, yeah. How come he's not married? You guys aren't married yet?

[Jeff]

Time for the pressure cooker, isn't it?

[Kevin James]

I don't know. We're not married because. I don't know, I think. Cause we're actors. And I really want him to be focused on his career and doing what he's got to do as opposed to like, I got to make Leah happy.

[Leah Remini]

You know what? I'd like to retract that last question too. Because I dated my girlfriend for five years before we got engaged and got married. And I vowed about six months into that and about the 3,000th time when I was asked, so when are you gonna get married? You guys were dating? Now that I would never ask anyone that question. So I apologize.

[Kevin James]

No, it's really okay. It doesn't bother me. It doesn't bother me. But I mean, when the time is right, the time's right. I just want him to be more, you know, settled in his own career. Not that I won't take a ring. I don't mind being engaged.

[Jeff]

Would it be an actor that we know?

[Kevin James]

Oh, no. I mean, not by name. I think you would know. Yeah. No, he's a sweetheart. His name is Angelo.

[Hannah Burner]

What.

[Jeff]

What has he been in? Could you tell? Like, he's like the body bag in ER one Night or something.

[Kevin James]

Yeah, right. No, he was in. What's the movie with John Travolta and Halle Berry?

[Leah Remini]

Swordfish.

[Kevin James]

Yeah, he was in Swordfish. He was Don Cheadle, sidekick.

[Hannah Burner]

Oh, okay.

[Kevin James]

And he was in a movie called Dance With Me. I'm sure you all seen that. That was a joke.

[Leah Remini]

Who's. Who's funnier on the show in real life? Kevin James or Jerry Stiller?

[Kevin James]

Oh, God. Well, Kevin's raunchier. And Jerry can come out with some zingers, you know, once in a while that he just floors everybody. I don't know. I spend more time with Kevin, you know, because Jerry lives in New York, and I'm. Most of my scenes are with Kevin, but he. If I'm not in a scene with Kevin, I get depressed. Cause he makes me pee.

[Jeff]

He's peeing funny. Tell Jeff about tonight's show. Cause I read it, and it looks really funny.

[Kevin James]

Oh, tonight's show is about. Carrie decides to start praying to get what she wants. And Doug is very much against that. You know, praying for things that you want, that it's not important. And then, you know, his jets are playing. So then I think he jumps on board with that.

[Leah Remini]

Then it's time to start praying.

[Kevin James]

Then it starts to start praying.

[Leah Remini]

Hey, did you. Were you up for the role of Monica in Friends?

[Kevin James]

Yeah, I was.

[Jeff]

Well, that is true.

[Kevin James]

Yeah, I was. I mean, so. And so were 100,000 other girls. You know what I mean?

[Leah Remini]

Now that if you sit back and you watch Friends and you see the show, are you happy with the way things worked out?

[Kevin James]

Absolutely. I mean, they have their perfect cast, you know, and I'm really quite proud of them that they've stuck together as a group. You know, it's very rare, you know, as you guys know, in Hollywood to have that kind of solidarity between actors. You know, it's really like a beautiful thing.

[Leah Remini]

But, Leah, between you and I, you know, just, you know, keep this between us. Their time's up. It's time for him to go, right? I mean, it's nine seasons now. Bye. Bye.

[Kevin James]

I don't know. Do you think so? I mean, I don't know. You know what I think? If people want to. If people still like the show. They should stay as long as people will have them. You know, that's the way we feel too. You know, we're surprised people have watched our show this long. And we're, you know, it's. Listen, could you imagine, like, not tomorrow morning, not having your show?

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Kevin James]

Actually, you know what I'm saying? You feel like, screw this. I hate these people. I hate the smell of the studio. I hate everything. But then if it went away, it would be, like, weird and sad.

[Hannah Burner]

Yeah.

[Kevin James]

It's like your family. It's like your second family. So I say, God bless them if they go another 10 years. Let them go, you know?

[Hannah Burner]

Yeah.

[Jeff]

Well, it's been so cool talking to you.

[Kevin James]

Thank you.

[Jeff]

You are by far and away the coolest chick in Hollywood. Just.

[Kevin James]

Oh, my God. Thank you. Thank you, sweetie.

[Leah Remini]

And just for the record, I think you're hotter than Alyssa Milano.

[Kevin James]

Yeah, bull.

[Leah Remini]

I think you're a better surprise guest than Alyssa Milana.

[Kevin James]

Oh, I love you.

[Jeff]

Have a great day, Leah.

[Kevin James]

You guys too.

[Jeff]

See you. Bye now.

[Leah Remini]

Save that. That.

[Jeff]

She said she loved you.

[Leah Remini]

Yes.

[Jeff]

You're on the Birch Show.

[Leah Remini]

Dude. Did you order the new iPhone 17 Pro? Got it from Verizon, the best 5G network in America. I never look so good.

[Kevin James]

You look the same.

[Leah Remini]

But with this camera, everything looks better. Especially me.

[Kevin James]

You haven't changed your hair in 15 years. Self check, please.

[Verizon Advertisement Narrator]

With Verizon, get the new iPhone 17 Pro. Designed to be the most powerful iPhone ever. Plus a new iPad and Apple One. No trade in needed. Offer ends November 5th with a new line on Unlimited Ultimate Best 5G Swords Route Metrics Data United States 2020, 25. All rights reserved. Additional terms apply for all offers. See verizon.com for details.

[Hannah Burner]

This is Hannah Burner from Giggly Squad. Opill is the first over the counter daily birth control pill available in the U.S. let's be real. Getting a birth control prescription is not always easy. And it's so much admin. In fact, about a third of women face barriers to access prescription birth control. Between scheduling appointments, missing work class, or just trying to exist, it's a lot. But now opill is putting birth control in our control. Opill is a daily birth control that's FDA approved, full prescription strength and estrogen free and 98% effective when used as directed. Grab it online or at most major retailers. No prescription or doctor's appointment needed. So if you're thinking about birth control, check out opill to see if it's right for you. Do use code giggly for 25 off your first month of opill at O-P-I-L-L l dot com. That's code giggly at O-P-I dash l dash l dot com. Birth control in your control. We love to see it.

[Mark Bittman]

Hi, this is Mark Bittman from the podcast Food with Mark Bittman, and I'm here to talk with you about Whole Foods Market. Use this excuse to stock your freezer and your pantry for game day, parties, Halloween and more. You can save 50%. That's right, 50% on select frozen pizzas for game day with prime terms apply. Visit your local Whole Foods Market today in store or online.