Shea Joelle James: Full Biography, Career, and Family Life
Shea Joelle James is a young American actress who has grown up inside one of Hollywood’s most well-known families. She is the daughter of popular comedian and actor Kevin James and actress Steffiana de la Cruz. Born in 2007, she has already appeared in films and a television series before turning 18.
Despite having a famous father, Shea has lived a quiet and private life. Her parents made a clear choice to keep their children away from media attention. Still, her early acting work has brought her name into public conversations, and people are curious to learn more about her.
This article covers everything known about Shea Joelle James — her family, her early life, her acting career, and what lies ahead.
Quick Bio Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Shea Joelle James |
| Date of Birth | June 14, 2007 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Age (2025) | 18 years old |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed — American and Filipino (mother’s side) |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Father | Kevin James (actor and comedian) |
| Mother | Steffiana de la Cruz (actress) |
| Siblings | Sienna-Marie (older sister), Kannon Valentine (younger brother), Sistine Sabella (younger sister) |
| Known For | Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Pixels, Hubie Halloween, Kevin Can Wait |
| Social Media | None — keeps life private |
| Estimated Net Worth | $50,000 – $100,000 |
Early Life and Background
Shea Joelle James was born on June 14, 2007, in Los Angeles, California. She arrived about two weeks before her expected due date, which had been set for July 2007.
Her father, Kevin James, named her after Shea Stadium — the former home of the New York Mets baseball team. It reflects his deep love for sports, particularly New York baseball. It is an unusual name, but one that carries personal meaning within the family.
Shea grew up in a household where both parents worked in the entertainment industry. Her mother, Steffiana de la Cruz, is an actress with a long list of credits. Her father is one of America’s most recognized comedic actors.
Despite that background, the family has always leaned toward a private, grounded lifestyle. They eventually settled in Delray Beach, Florida, away from the constant noise of Hollywood. This gave Shea and her siblings a more normal childhood than most celebrity kids experience.
Family Life and Siblings
Shea is the second of four children. Her older sister is Sienna-Marie James, born in 2005. Her younger brother is Kannon Valentine James, born in 2011. Her youngest sibling is Sistine Sabella James, born in 2015.
All four children share an interest in performing arts. They have appeared together in creative projects, most notably in a 2022 stage production of Oliver! at the Cultural Arts Playhouse on Long Island. The entire family participated, making it a bonding experience as much as a performance.
The siblings are described as close. They support each other and often take part in projects together, which has strengthened their bond over the years.
Parents: Kevin James and Steffiana de la Cruz
Kevin James and Steffiana de la Cruz married in June 2004 in a Catholic church in Dana Point, Orange County, California. Their wedding had 180 guests, including notable Hollywood names like Ray Romano and Clint Eastwood.
Kevin James rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and became a household name through the sitcom The King of Queens. He later moved into films with the Paul Blart: Mall Cop franchise, Grown Ups, and many other family-friendly projects. He has spoken openly about how fatherhood changed the kind of work he chooses to pursue.
Steffiana de la Cruz began her acting career in the late 1990s. She has appeared in several films alongside her husband, including Zookeeper and Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. She also played multiple characters in The King of Queens between 2002 and 2006. At home, she is known as a hands-on and supportive mother who values balance between career and family.
Together, Kevin and Steffiana have built a household focused on strong Catholic values, humor, creativity, and privacy. They encourage their children to explore their talents but never push them toward fame.
Acting Career
Early Debut
Shea made her first on-screen appearance at just eight years old. In 2015, she played a small role as the Little Girl in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, appearing alongside her father. It was a brief role, but it marked the start of her acting journey.
That same year, she played a Classroom Scout Girl in Pixels, which starred Adam Sandler and Kevin James. It was another small part, but it gave her early experience on a major film set.
Kevin Can Wait (2016–2017)
When Kevin James returned to television with the sitcom Kevin Can Wait, Shea was part of it. She appeared in two episodes during the first season, playing two different characters — Lucy and a Trick or Treater. It was the first time she had a named role in a television production.
Her father once joked about having four children at home that he had been “preparing for nothing but comedy.” The show gave his real kids a taste of professional television work.
Hubie Halloween (2020)
In 2020, Shea appeared in the Netflix comedy film Hubie Halloween, a project that brought together her father and Adam Sandler. She played a character called Cooky’s Friend. Notably, her sisters Sienna-Marie and Sistine also appeared in the film, making it a family affair on screen.
Oliver! — Stage Production (2022)
In 2022, Shea stepped onto the live stage when the James family participated in a production of Oliver! at the Cultural Arts Playhouse on Long Island, New York. She played the character Bet. All four siblings performed alongside their parents, showing that Shea’s interest in acting extended well beyond film and television.
Voice Acting
Shea has also explored voice acting. She has a professional profile on the voice acting platform Voices.com, listing skills in areas such as animation, audiobooks, e-learning, and video narration. One listed project includes voicing the character Anna from Frozen. This suggests she is actively developing her skills across different performance formats.
Education
Shea is currently in her late teenage years and has been focused on completing her education. Specific details about her school have been kept private by her family. This is consistent with their overall approach — protecting their children’s personal lives from unnecessary public attention.
She is described as a focused and disciplined young person who balances schoolwork with her early acting commitments.
Personality and Public Image
Shea is described by people close to her family as naturally funny, warm, and kind. Those traits appear to come from both parents — her father’s well-known sense of humor and her mother’s calm and grounded personality.
She is not active on any public social media platform. Her family made a deliberate decision to keep her and her siblings away from online exposure during their childhood years. This has protected her from the pressures that often affect young people who grow up in the public eye.
People who follow celebrity families have noted that Shea carries herself with a maturity that seems beyond her years. She has not sought attention and lets her work speak for itself.
What Makes Her Story Different
Many children of famous parents either lean heavily on that connection or actively reject it. Shea appears to fall somewhere in the middle. She has taken roles in her father’s projects, but they have been small and age-appropriate. There is no sign of a managed media push behind her career.
Her family’s decision to live in Florida rather than Los Angeles says a great deal. It points to parents who want their children to grow up with a sense of normal life — school, siblings, church, and community — rather than red carpets and interviews.
That approach has clearly shaped who Shea is. At 18, she is entering adulthood with real acting experience but without the weight of public overexposure.
Net Worth
Shea Joelle James’s estimated net worth sits between $50,000 and $100,000. This comes from her acting roles in films like Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and Hubie Halloween, her TV appearances on Kevin Can Wait, and her theater work.
As a young actress still early in her career, her personal earnings are modest. However, she grows up within a financially secure family. Her father, Kevin James, has an estimated net worth of around $100 million, built over decades of television, film, and comedy work.
Future Plans
Shea is 18 years old and standing at the beginning of what could become a long career. She has the tools many young actors lack — real on-set experience from childhood, a supportive family, formal stage training, and a background in voice acting.
Whether she chooses to pursue acting full time after school, expand into voice work, or explore other creative areas is not yet publicly known. What is clear is that she is not in a rush.
Her parents have never pushed her toward fame, and that patience appears to be one of her biggest strengths. Many industry observers who follow young Hollywood talent have noted her as someone to watch quietly — not because of her last name, but because of the work she has already done on her own terms.
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FAQ
1. Who is Shea Joelle James?
She is the daughter of comedian and actor Kevin James and actress Steffiana de la Cruz. She is also a young actress who has appeared in several films and one TV series.
2. When was Shea Joelle James born?
She was born on June 14, 2007, in Los Angeles, California.
3. How old is Shea Joelle James? S
he is 18 years old as of 2025.
4. Why is she named Shea?
Her father Kevin James named her after Shea Stadium, the former home of the New York Mets baseball team, reflecting his love for the sport.
5. What movies has Shea Joelle James appeared in?
She has appeared in Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015), Pixels (2015), and Hubie Halloween (2020).
6. Has she appeared on TV?
Yes. She played two roles in the first season of Kevin Can Wait (2016–2017).
7. Who are her siblings?
She has three siblings: older sister Sienna-Marie, younger brother Kannon Valentine, and younger sister Sistine Sabella.
8. Is Shea Joelle James on social media?
No. She does not have any public social media accounts. Her family keeps her personal life private.
9. What is her estimated net worth?
Her estimated net worth is between $50,000 and $100,000, based on her acting roles and theater work.
10. Who is her mother?
Her mother is Steffiana de la Cruz, an actress who has appeared in several films and TV shows, including projects alongside Kevin James.
11. Did Shea ever perform on stage?
Yes. In 2022, she played the character Bet in a live production of Oliver! alongside her family at the Cultural Arts Playhouse on Long Island.
12. What is the family’s religion?
The James family practices Catholicism. Kevin and Steffiana were married in a Catholic church, and the children have been raised in that faith.
