Steffiana de la Cruz: Bio, Kevin James’ Wife, Movies & Family

Steffiana de la Cruz, born Stephanie Anna Marie Zantua, spent years building her own acting resume before becoming Kevin James’ wife of nearly two decades. She appeared in four episodes of The King of Queens before their 2004 wedding, followed by supporting roles in Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Zookeeper alongside her husband.

Born: August 28, 1974 · Spouse: Kevin James · Children: 4 · Known Films: Paul Blart: Mall Cop, Zookeeper · Ethnicity: Filipino-American

Six biographical markers trace Steffiana de la Cruz from birth name through her marriage and career milestones.

How many biological children does Kevin James have?

Kevin James and Steffiana de la Cruz share four children together: three daughters and one son. Their firstborn, Sienna-Marie James, arrived on September 30, 2005, followed by Shea Joelle James on June 14, 2007. Their son, Kannon Valentine James, was born April 24, 2011—Kannon’s middle name honors Kevin’s brother, actor Gary Valentine. The youngest, Sistine Sabella James, was born in January 2015.

Sienna-Marie

The couple’s eldest daughter was born in September 2005, roughly 14 months after Steffiana and Kevin’s wedding. Sienna-Marie has largely stayed out of the public eye, following her parents’ lead on family privacy.

Shea

Shea Joelle arrived in June 2007, making her roughly two years younger than her sister. Like her siblings, Shea’s life has been kept away from cameras by her parents.

Kannon

Kannon Valentine James, the couple’s only son, was born in April 2011. His middle name connects him to Gary Valentine, Kevin’s brother and frequent co-star. At age 13, he would be the middle child in the family hierarchy.

How did Kevin James and his wife meet?

Steffiana de la Cruz met Kevin James on a blind date arranged by his interior designer in late 2001. At the time, James was 39 years old and building momentum as the star of The King of Queens, which had premiered in 1998. Steffiana was 30. Their connection was immediate—she moved in with James within three months of their first date, a swift development that set the tone for their relationship.

Blind date story

The couple’s first meeting happened through a mutual connection rather than Hollywood channels. James reportedly trusted his interior designer’s judgment enough to agree to the setup without hesitation. Within weeks, the two decided to cohabitate, skipping the extended dating phase many couples pursue.

Path to marriage

Kevin James and Steffiana de la Cruz married at St. Edward Catholic Church in Dana Point, California, on June 19, 2004. The ceremony was followed by a reception at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach. Their wedding took place roughly three years after their blind date, suggesting they took time to build a foundation before making the commitment official.

What ethnicity is Kevin James’s wife?

Steffiana de la Cruz identifies as Filipino-American, with parents who immigrated from the Philippines. Her birth name was Stephanie Anna Marie Marie Zantua, and she grew up with a background distinctly separate from the Hollywood entertainment industry. Sources conflict on whether she was born in the United States or in the Philippines itself, though American nationality is consistently cited across multiple references.

Filipino-American heritage

Her Filipino roots mark her as part of one of the largest Asian-American communities in the United States. While Steffiana has kept details about her parents private, her heritage has been acknowledged in coverage of her marriage to Kevin James. Her background as a Filipino-American woman in Hollywood contrasts with the predominantly white entertainment landscape of the early 2000s, when she began her career.

There is some discrepancy between sources regarding her exact birthplace. Some outlets list the Philippines as her place of birth, while others state she was born in the United States, specifically New York City. Given this inconsistency, the safest assertion is that Steffiana de la Cruz holds American nationality with Filipino ethnic heritage, but her precise birthplace remains unclear across publicly available sources.

What illness did Kevin James’ daughter have?

Kevin James has spoken publicly about supporting one of his daughters through a significant health challenge, mentioning it during an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. James described the experience as difficult for the entire family, with the parents taking an active role in helping their daughter navigate the situation.

Joe Rogan podcast mention

During the podcast conversation, James opened up about his daughter’s illness without disclosing specific medical details. The discussion highlighted how health challenges within a family can affect everyone, regardless of public profile or financial resources. James’ willingness to discuss the topic suggested he wanted to destigmatize family health struggles rather than hide behind celebrity privilege.

Family journey

The James family has maintained a policy of privacy around their children’s lives, and this extends to medical information. What is known is that Steffiana and Kevin have navigated their daughter’s health challenge as a couple, with both parents supporting her recovery. The experience appears to have deepened the family’s commitment to keeping their children out of the public spotlight.

The implication: Health challenges in any family can be isolating, but for public figures like the James family, there’s an added layer of protecting children’s dignity while still acknowledging lived experiences.

Steffiana De La Cruz Movies and Shows

Steffiana de la Cruz has built a filmography that spans independent projects, television guest roles, and cameos in her husband’s productions. Her earliest confirmed acting credit was the television series Die Gang in 1997, long before she met Kevin James. From there, she accumulated small roles in productions like Something to Sing About and Pacific Blue (1999), building experience in front of the camera.

Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Her most recognizable role came in Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), where she appeared alongside Kevin James in the title role. The film, a modest comedy about a security guard at a shopping mall, became a box office hit and spawned a sequel. Steffiana appeared in both Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015), cementing her place in one of James’ signature franchises. She also appeared in Zookeeper (2011), another James starring vehicle.

Zookeeper

In Zookeeper, Steffiana had a supporting role in the ensemble comedy starring Kevin James as a zookeeper who discovers he can communicate with animals. The film performed moderately at the box office and received mixed reviews, but it added another credit to her filmography alongside her husband.

King of Queens appearances

Perhaps surprisingly given her later marriage to James, Steffiana appeared in four episodes of The King of Queens across seasons 4 through 9. These guest appearances came before she and Kevin began their relationship, making them independent of the nepotism that sometimes greets spouses of famous actors. Her roles varied—sometimes as a guest, sometimes an extra—but they established her acting credentials before the marriage.

Steffiana De La Cruz’s Acting Career: A Timeline

Her acting career has unfolded across nearly three decades, with notable gaps that suggest acting was never her primary focus.

The pattern: Steffiana’s career alternated between independent work (Die Gang, Pacific Blue, Stealing Harvard) and projects linked to her husband (Paul Blart, Zookeeper). The King of Queens appearances stand as evidence of her acting abilities separate from Kevin James’ influence.

“Kevin James has spoken in interviews about the conscious choice he and Steffiana made to protect their children from unnecessary public exposure.”

YouTube narrator in family privacy interview (YouTube)

“In the years that followed their wedding, Kevin James and Steffiana de la Cruz built something that Hollywood doesn’t always make space for—a stable, private family life.”

YouTube narrator in family privacy interview (YouTube)

How did Steffiana de la Cruz build her acting career?

Before marrying Kevin James, Steffiana de la Cruz pursued modeling and acting independently. Her first confirmed role was in Die Gang in 1997, a German television series that suggests she may have been based abroad early in her career. She later appeared in American projects, including a small role on Pacific Blue in 1999 and a supporting turn in Stealing Harvard (2002), alongside Tom Green.

What emerges from this timeline is a picture of an actress building credits methodically rather than chasing stardom. Her roles were consistently supporting or cameo positions, never leading parts. This pattern shifted once she married Kevin James, when her appearances began occurring in his projects rather than independent work.

Prior to meeting Kevin James, Steffiana was in a relationship with actor Chris Penn from 1993 to 1999. The two were roommates for a period, according to sources. This earlier connection in Hollywood suggests Steffiana had been part of entertainment circles before her blind date with James in 2001.

Summary

Steffiana de la Cruz has lived two parallel lives in the public eye—one as an actress and model with independent credits stretching back to 1997, and another as Kevin James’ wife of two decades. Her marriage to the comedian began on a blind date in 2001, led to cohabitation within months, and culminated in a Dana Point wedding in June 2004. Together they raised four children across nearly twenty years, navigating both ordinary family challenges and at least one significant health issue with one of their daughters. Kevin James’ willingness to discuss his daughter’s health struggles openly on a high-profile podcast shows the couple’s approach to balancing privacy with honest acknowledgment of family difficulties.

Related reading: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Steffiana de la Cruz appeared alongside her husband in hits like Paul Blart, detailed further in his complete filmography guide spanning decades of comedy.

Frequently asked questions