Actress Leah Remini is pure Horatio Alger (in a petticoat). Dropping out of school at the age of 14, she experienced the cruel world from the vantage of waitress, cashier and telemarketer, among other vocations, before landing an agent and a one-line role on Head of the Class.
She made steady progress in the sitcom world, snagging regular roles in the short-lived likes of "Living Dolls" (ABC, 1989), "Man in the Family" (ABC, 1991) and "First Time Out" (The WB, 1995).
Though those series tanked, Remini managed to get excellent exposure in two recurring roles on popular shows: from 1991-93 she played Carla's rebellious daughter Sarafina in NBC's long-running "Cheers", and 1993 saw her as Daisy in episodes of "Evening Shade" (CBS).
She also made guest appearances on many series, including "Blossom" (NBC), "NYPD Blue" (ABC) and "Friends" (NBC).Remini had, however, lent an authentic New York voice to "Fired Up", and her stock for portraying "tough" somewhat in the style of Fran Drescher was going through the roof.