18 Years Before the Meme Takeover, Will Smith Recommended Kevin James for This Iconic Blockbuster

Will Smith [https://www.netflixjunkie.com/tag/will-smith/] may be known for his
starring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but the star has a much longer and
more diverse list to his name. After making his mark with the Men in Black
franchise, he spent the early 2000s pushing out hit after hit. From action to
comedy and even romance, he tried his hand at everything and kept dazzling fans
with his films. Among those blockbusters, was one iconic film that the actor had
starred in alongside Kevin James.

Though James may be in the spotlight now for his time on The King of Queens,
that was the same reason that Will Smith thought that he would be a perfect fit
for the film.


WILL SMITH WANTED TO WORK WITH KEVIN JAMES

According to IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386588/?_encoding=UTF8], back
in 2005 when Will Smith’s iconic blockbuster, Hitch, made its way to the big
screen, it was revealed that he had suggested Kevin James to star in the film
with him. After checking out the script and taking the role, he knew that James
would be the perfect person to play the role of Albert Brennaman. Smith was
already a fan of the Paul Blart: Mall Cop star since his days on The King of
Queens back in the late 90s.



The Emancipation star, who recently surprised fans with a haircut
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-news-three-hundred-fifty-million-worth-will-smith-gets-a-haircut-at-the-wildest-possible-place/],
believed James could embody the character of Brennaman, a man who is hopeless at
even talking to women he likes, so in Hitch, he enlists the help of Will Smith’s
character, Alex ‘Hitch’ Hitchens. While the film has lots of twists and turns,
it focuses on the smooth-talking player who becomes a “date doctor” to help men
like Brennaman score with gorgeous women. But Hitch’s undoing comes in the form
of falling in love with Eva Mendes’ character in the film.

ALSO READ: Will Smith’s ‘Fresh Prince’ Co-Star Alfonso Ribeiro Once Opened Up on
Their Bond Behind the Cameras
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-news-will-smith-fresh-prince-co-star-alfonso-ribeiro-once-opened-up-on-their-bond-behind-the-cameras/]

While the film may have been a huge hit, Kevin James seems to be remembered for
something else entirely. The talented actor did rise to fame on The King of
Queens, but now the show has been getting attention for a reason other than its
plotline.


THE KEVIN JAMES MEME THAT STOLE THE SPOTLIGHT

It is no surprise that Kevin James is most recognized for his more recent
projects such as the Grown Ups films with Adam Sandler. However, after almost 25
years since he made his name on The King of Queens TV series, the internet has
decided to bring back a promotional shot from the series set. The picture
features the actor with a smirk on his face and has now turned into an extremely
viral meme.

> White people when Usher plays Yeah! at the Super Bowl Halftime Show
> pic.twitter.com/aAraLBmixU [https://t.co/aAraLBmixU]
> 
> — #CancelYoungSheldon (@KevinJamesFan) September 24, 2023
> [https://twitter.com/KevinJamesFan/status/1705948175545110958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw]



While the shot of James may be hilarious, the CBS show was actually extremely
popular back in the day. It even ran for nine seasons from 1998 all the way up
till 2007. In the series, he played the role of a deliveryman, Doug Heffernan,
and stole the hearts of anyone who watched the sitcom. Even though there is no
proper confirmation on how the meme trend broke out, one thing is for sure, the
series will probably never be forgotten again.

ALSO READ: 5 Years After Will Smith’s Surprising Date, Sophia Makes Her Modeling
Debut for BOSS
[https://www.netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-news-five-years-after-will-smith-surprising-date-sophia-makes-her-modeling-debut-for-boss/]

What do you think about Will Smith suggesting Kevin James for Hitch? Let us know
in the comments below.

Prathika Prashant

Comment

18 Years Before the Meme Takeover, Will Smith Recommended Kevin James for This Iconic Blockbuster - Netflix Junkie

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Prathika Prashant is an Entertainment Writer and Hollywood News Reporter at Netflix Junkie. Having 150+ articles to her name, her EdTech background helped her explore her love for writing. However, being a singer who can be seen covering her favorite songs in her free time is what truly got her into the glittery world of entertainment. She can go and on about the British Royal Family and everything Hollywood and doing so works like a shot of espresso for the writer. She aims to interview her favorite rapper, Nicki Minaj, some day. In her free time, you will find her playing Call of Duty, watching BoJack Horseman, or catching up on true crime documentaries.

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18 Years Before the Meme Takeover, Will Smith Recommended Kevin James for This Iconic Blockbuster - netflix-junkie

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<a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/tag/will-smith/">Will Smith</a> may be known for his starring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but the star has a much longer and more diverse list to his name. After making his mark with the Men in Black franchise, he spent the early 2000s pushing out hit after hit. From action to comedy and even romance, he tried his hand at everything and kept dazzling fans with his films. Among those blockbusters, was one iconic film that the actor had starred in alongside Kevin James.
Though James may be in the spotlight now for his time on The King of Queens, that was the same reason that Will Smith thought that he would be a perfect fit for the film.
<h2>Will Smith wanted to work with Kevin James</h2>
<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386588/?_encoding=UTF8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to IMDB</a>, back in 2005 when Will Smith&#8217;s iconic blockbuster, Hitch, made its way to the big screen, it was revealed that he had suggested Kevin James to star in the film with him. After checking out the script and taking the role, he knew that James would be the perfect person to play the role of Albert Brennaman. Smith was already a fan of the Paul Blart: Mall Cop star since his days on The King of Queens back in the late 90s.
<div class="flex-video widescreen youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="Hitch (2005) - Trailer" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dMaq_pfxs-0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
The Emancipation star, <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-news-three-hundred-fifty-million-worth-will-smith-gets-a-haircut-at-the-wildest-possible-place/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who recently surprised fans with a haircut</a>, believed James could embody the character of Brennaman, a man who is hopeless at even talking to women he likes, so in Hitch, he enlists the help of Will Smith&#8217;s character, Alex &#8216;Hitch&#8217; Hitchens. While the film has lots of twists and turns, it focuses on the smooth-talking player who becomes a &#8220;date doctor&#8221; to help men like Brennaman score with gorgeous women. But Hitch&#8217;s undoing comes in the form of falling in love with Eva Mendes&#8217; character in the film.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-news-will-smith-fresh-prince-co-star-alfonso-ribeiro-once-opened-up-on-their-bond-behind-the-cameras/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Will Smith’s ‘Fresh Prince’ Co-Star Alfonso Ribeiro Once Opened Up on Their Bond Behind the Cameras</a>
While the film may have been a huge hit, Kevin James seems to be remembered for something else entirely. The talented actor did rise to fame on The King of Queens, but now the show has been getting attention for a reason other than its plotline.
<h2>The Kevin James meme that stole the spotlight</h2>
It is no surprise that Kevin James is most recognized for his more recent projects such as the Grown Ups films with Adam Sandler. However, after almost 25 years since he made his name on The King of Queens TV series, the internet has decided to bring back a promotional shot from the series set. The picture features the actor with a smirk on his face and has now turned into an extremely viral meme.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
White people when Usher plays Yeah! at the Super Bowl Halftime Show <a href="https://t.co/aAraLBmixU">pic.twitter.com/aAraLBmixU</a>
&mdash; #CancelYoungSheldon (@KevinJamesFan) <a href="https://twitter.com/KevinJamesFan/status/1705948175545110958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While the shot of James may be hilarious, the CBS show was actually extremely popular back in the day. It even ran for nine seasons from 1998 all the way up till 2007. In the series, he played the role of a deliveryman, Doug Heffernan, and stole the hearts of anyone who watched the sitcom. Even though there is no proper confirmation on how the meme trend broke out, one thing is for sure, the series will probably never be forgotten again.
ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.netflixjunkie.com/hollywood-news-five-years-after-will-smith-surprising-date-sophia-makes-her-modeling-debut-for-boss/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5 Years After Will Smith’s Surprising Date, Sophia Makes Her Modeling Debut for BOSS</a>
What do you think about Will Smith suggesting Kevin James for Hitch? Let us know in the comments below.

5 Years After Will Smith’s Surprising Date, Sophia Makes Her Modeling Debut for
BOSS

Will Smith’s ‘Fresh Prince’ Co-Star Alfonso Ribeiro Once Opened Up on Their Bond
Behind the Cameras

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HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA &#8211; MARCH 27: Will Smith attends the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

94th Annual Academy Awards &#8211; Red Carpet

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Before becoming a viral meme, Will Smith suggested Kevin James to star with him in an iconic romance film that has yet to be forgotten.

Prathika Prashant is a Hollywood and Music News writer at Netflix Junkie. She is an expert in everything Kanye West, from his outings to releases. These comprise a large chunk of her 600+ NJ articles. With extensive coverage of music entities like West and Taylor Swift, this journalism graduate is working her way towards bagging an interview with Nicki Minaj. When she is not covering Ye’s latest album drop updates, Prashant has her nose stuck in a murder mystery book or true crime documentaries.

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18 Years Before the Meme Takeover, Will Smith Recommended Kevin James for This Iconic Blockbuster

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