Kevin Can Wait had added another Long Island native to its guest list. The Kevin James sitcom, which is set in the New York City suburb of Massapequa, will welcome guest star Ralph Macchio for two upcoming episodes. Macchio will play “Alviti,” the head of a company that turns Long Island properties into parking lots, according to Variety. Ralph Macchio hails from Huntington, New York, while Kevin Can Wait shoots entirely on Long Island at Gold Coast Studios in Bethpage.
Kevin Can Wait is the only primetime sitcom to shoot entirely on Long Island, so perhaps it’s no surprise that series star Kevin James has been good about sharing the sitcom spotlight with fellow local celebs. During the first season of the CBS comedy, James’ longtime pal, Queens-born Ray Romano, guest starred as a hot tub salesman. In addition, last season, longtime Long Island resident Billy Joel made a cameo as himself on the hit sitcom. James, who was born in Mineola, regularly pays homage to the Long Island area on Kevin Can Wait , so the addition of Ralph Macchio for two episodes is another nod to the place he calls home.
“[Long Island] is literally a character in the show,” James Told TV Guide in 2016. “It’s got an authenticity to it, from the people we cast and deal with and the places we go on the show. It’s really Long Island central.”
Kevin Can Wait star Leah Remini posted a photo to Instagram that showed her on set with Kevin James and Ralph Macchio while shooting the upcoming Kevin Can Wait arc.
Ralph Macchio is best known for his starring roles in the Karate Kid movies, as well as the 1992 comedy film, My Cousin Vinny , but he also has an impressive TV resume that dates back to the early 1980s when he was still a teen. Longtime fans may recall Macchio’s earliest TV role as Jeremy on the 1970s/’80s family dramedy, Eight is Enough . Like Leah Remini, Ralph previously tried his luck as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars, but more recently he has had a recurring role on HBO’s The Deuce . Ralph Macchio is also set to reprise his Karate Kid role of Daniel LaRusso in the YouTube Red series Cobra Kai.
You can see a recent clip from the second season of Kevin Can Wait in the video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4u85_Xkkbs&t=4s
Kevin Can Wait airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
