If you’ve been on the internet you’ve likely seen this meme:
Now, the star of one of the most popular memes on the internet, The King of Queens star Kevin James is revealing how it all came to be.
This shot of James in a button down shirt with a shy smile on his face was taken during the first year of the sitcom. As he admitted, it was a promo shoot and he was assured no one would ever see this photo.
But as fate would have it, 25 years later, it’s one of the most well-known photos in the world. So well known college football teams are using it to distract their opponents kickers, Jimmy Fallon revealed.
@fallontonight @Kevin James explains the story behind the Kevin James meme ???? #FallonTonight #TonightShow #KevinJames #KevinJamesMeme #KingOfQueens ♬ original sound – FallonTonight
While a guest on The Tonight Show, James told Fallon that the photo was one of the things that happened amongst the excitement of landing the lead role on a sitcom.
“When you first get a sitcom, you just listen to anybody. You’re just happy to be there,” James admitted when Fallon asked if he remembered this specific photoshoot.
“The photographer who had no, he was just telling me to do goofy things and he was like, ‘Smile. Now like you’re sexy. Now like you’re shy. But now you’re kind of…and I got into this position where I’m like, ‘What the h*ll am I doing?’ And then I said, ‘Well, please bury that one.’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, no worries. That won’t come back…”
Unfortunately, it did. And with a vengeance.