While "The King of Queens" focused primarily on the home life of Doug and Carrie Heffernan, some episodes included a peek at Deacon Palmer's family, too. His on-again, off-again wife Kelly was played by Merrin Dungey; ultimately, she appeared in 40 episodes of the series.
Speaking with Emmys.com, Dungey reflected that she didn't mind having both bigger and smaller roles across her career. "For me, it's a marathon, not a sprint," she said. "I've had some peaks, being on such series as 'King of Queens,' 'Alias,' 'Summerland.'" She's had some lows, too, including being replaced on "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff "Private Practice" after filming the pilot ... even though her sister Channing Dungey was an ABC executive at the time.
After appearing on "The King of Queens," Merrin went on to play Ursula the sea witch on "Once Upon a Time." She's been on "The Resident," "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," and "American Horror Stories," among many others. Beginning in 2022, Merrin took on a leading role on Starz series "Shining Vale," opposite Courteney Cox. "I've worked with Courteney, but briefly, on 'Friends,'" she told TV Fanatic. "So to actually get to really engage with her has been a thrill. And it's such a tremendous caliber of people on this show."
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