Goofing with Kevin James, Erinn Hayes and Co. Behind the Scenes of ‘Kevin Can Wait’ (PHOTOS)
Taylor Spreitler (left, who plays eldest daughter Kendra) hangs with (left to right) Gary Valentine, Lenny Venito and Christopher Brian Roach (who play Kevin’s brother and pals, respectively). The men have a soft spot for their young costars, says Hayes: “They look out for our kiddos. Some of the guys are dads, some are not, but they think they all have surrogate kids now with Taylor, Mary-Charles Jones [Sara] and James DiGiacomo [Jack].”
Portraying an on-the-go mom doesn’t give Hayes a chance to go glam too often, but she tries to shake up Donna’s look once in a while. “Sometimes I want to get a little crazy with the makeup, and then the camera will come in close and they’ll go, ‘Too sparkly!’ Donna is a mom, she’s a nurse, nothing fancy, but I’m in very capable hands with our lovely makeup artists.”
Brit Ryan Cartwright, who plays Kevin’s future son-in-law Chale, often draws a crowd to his dressing room thanks to his trusty guitar. “Mostly what he does is go into the Beatles canon and then he’ll change up the words,” Hayes says. “He’s the one in the cast who has the good restaurant ideas, and he’s always good for a joke.”
“Since I’m not always able to be with my two kids, I’m probably smothering my television children,” Hayes jokes of costars Taylor Spreitler and James DiGiacomo (middle of pic).
Making a TV show can sometimes be a grind, particularly in Season 1—but there’s also plenty of time for fun, especially on the set of CBS’s freshman comedy Kevin Can Wait.
The show stars Kevin James as newly retired cop Kevin Gable and Erinn Hayes as his beleaguered nurse wife, Donna. The couple are finding a new groove with Kevin home as they raise their three kids in Long Island, New York. Hayes credits James, also a writer and executive producer on the show, with setting the work-play balance. “He’s always making sure we have the best and funniest scripts,” she says. “The working environment is so free and open. We’re always like, ‘Oooh! Let’s try this instead!’” That carefree vibe was on display when we asked Hayes to take photos of life on the set. “We get to go to work, make jokes and goof around,” she says.
Kevin Can Wait, Mondays, 8/7c, CBS
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services