Patricia Heaton won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Debra Baron in Everybody Loves Raymond. The actress revealed the backstory of how she actually landed the role during the iconic CBS sitcom's 30th anniversary reunion special.
Smart, savvy and often overwhelmed wife Ray RomanoRay was the backbone of the Barone family. On top of her family responsibilities, she had to deal with Ray's overbearing mother Marie, played by Doris Roberts.
“Well, I was going through — and I think why the show worked, what we all went through — what the Barone family went through in our lives,” Heaton said. “I had a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old in my life. I had a problem with childcare, when I went to audition, I had to come back. I cut 50-cent coupons for two packs of Ball Park Franks, so I needed a gig.”
When Heaton showed up to audition, “there were at least eight women in the waiting room,” she recalls. “And I thought, I'm never going to get back to the babysitter in time. So I walked in and sat there, and I just had to do this audition. There was a guy sitting in the corner, and I thought maybe he could get me some water while we waited for Ray to come. It was [Ray]”
Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal then weighed in, revealing that they had seen 200 women for the role, but Heaton did one thing that stood out that none of the other actresses did.
“You two had amazing chemistry and I've always said Patty Heaton is the best wife on television,” Rosenthal said.
Romano added, “We're forgetting one little key moment that really impressed me the first time I listened to it.”
“That’s how desperate I was to get this job,” Heaton said.
“Well, they don’t know what you’re talking about,” Romano interrupted.
“I kissed him!” Heaton said.
There was a part where it said (in the script) that she kisses her husband,” Romano explained. “And all the other actresses just imitated it.” For some reason she did it.”
– No one else? asked Heaton. Well, apparently not, and that sealed the deal for her.
“And when she left, I said, 'There she is!' – Romano exclaimed.
Rosenthal and Romano also stated that they immediately realized that of the approximately 100 actresses who auditioned for the role of Marie in the Fruit of the Month scene, Roberts stood out.
“Nobody compares to Doris Roberts,” they both agreed.
Roberts died in 2016 of natural causes at the age of 90. She and others Everybody Loves Raymond deceased actors including Peter Boyle, who played Marie's husband and Ray's father Frank, and Sawyer Sweeten, who played one of Ray and Debra's twin sons, Jeffrey, as well as guest stars such as Fred Willard and Georgia Engel, were honored during the reunion special.
