Deacon John Palmer (played by Victor Williams) is Doug's best friend and co-worker.He especially bullies Spence but also (unsuccessfully) tries it on Deacon, who often refers to him as "the old man". Arthur also tries to cause trouble with Doug's friends. They sometimes have trouble finding time alone because Arthur tends to get in the way. Arthur regularly causes chaos in the Heffernan household and gets on Doug's and Carrie's nerves. He tells a lot of questionable stories of what he claims he has been through in his past. Very volatile, Arthur is mostly known for his incoherent, irascible outbursts. He lives in the basement of the Heffernan house because he accidentally set fire to his own uninsured home, burning it to the ground in the pilot episode. Arthur is the classic oddball of the family. His fourth marriage is to Spence's mother (played by Anne Meara, Stiller's real-life wife) during the final season. Arthur Spooner (played by Jerry Stiller) is Carrie's widowed father, who has been married three times.Carrie's best friend is Deacon's wife, Kelly Palmer. Although Carrie scolds Doug for his selfish behavior, she has proven to be selfish as well at times, with little patience for others' problems or tolerance for their quirks. The more quick-witted and adventurous of the couple, Carrie often pushes Doug to make more of himself and improve his morals, but she can be just as immoral as he is. Her constant attempts to make her relationship with Doug more romantic and meaningful cause Doug frustration, as he prefers a simple life with as few restrictions as possible. She never finished college and is employed as a hard-working legal secretary. During a flashback, Carrie concludes that she is happier (she describes herself as never being truly happy) when others are miserable. She has been characterized as scary by Holly and Doug, particularly when she is angry. She has a quick-temper and is occasionally physically abusive to Doug. Carrie Heffernan (played by Leah Remini) is Doug's attractive and sardonic wife.He generally enjoys the simple pleasures of watching sports and playing poker with his friends. Doug's tendency to give in to his temptations, despite promising Carrie otherwise, is another common cause of disagreements. These basic desires sometimes cause him to think of strange, intricate schemes in order to get what he wants, although they usually fall through in the end, causing constant arguments between Doug and Carrie. Some of his misadventures are fueled by his love of food. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada (unbeknownst to him until the season 5 episode "Dog Shelter"). Doug never hesitates to protest his grievances intensely. Doug Heffernan (played by Kevin James) is an average parcel delivery man with a smart-aleck personality.The show was about the life of Doug & Carrie Heffernan, a married blue-collar couple living in Rego Park, Queens, New York with Carrie's eccentric father, Arthur trying to make the best of what they got while working to make their marriage somewhat normal and getting through tiny problems that they have together.