Why ‘Kevin Can Wait’ Chose to Bring Back Leah Remini Revealed

Kevin Can Wait caused quite the stir this summer when the sitcom made the shocking announcement that co-star Erinn Hayes, who played Kevin’s wife Donna, wouldn’t be returning for the second season. Instead, Leah Remini, Kevin’s wife on King of Queens, would be brought on full-time, following a successful guest appearance.

It seemed as though the producers wanted to just remake King of Queens, and they were willing to dump their lead actress in the process. Well, as CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl revealed, the decision was about much more than that.

Kevin James and Leah Remini just have a chemistry that the creative team couldn’t ignore.

According to E! News, Kahl told reporters that the way James and Remini acted together was exactly what they wanted.

“It was just an undeniable spark there and I think Kevin, the studios and the network all got together and wanted to keep that magic and chemistry going forward,” Kahl said of the new direction.

With Remini’s Vanessa taking on a leading role in the series, there wasn’t much room for Hayes’ Donna to stick around. So, the producers decided to kill the character off when the show returns. After Donna’s death, a significant time jump will take place, and Vanessa will spend plenty of time helping Kevin deal with being a single father.

Kevin Can Wait returns to CBS for its second season on Monday, September 25. You can check out the first photos from Season 2 in the gallery below!

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