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WhenRay Romanoneeded inspiration for his CBS sitcomEverybody Loves Raymond, he didn't have to look far from home. The stand-up comic wasn't a trained actor, so the series was built around familiar aspects of his own life — a wife and three young children, with meddling parents and an older brother living nearby.
The result was that the Barones of Long Island felt like a real family that we visited every week for nine seasons.
Mediating between his harried wife Debra (Patricia Heaton), overbearing mother Marie (Doris Roberts), grouchy father Frank (Peter Boyle), and gloomy brother Robert (Brad Garrett), Ray always had a lot on his plate. Here's a look at what happened to this lovably fractious familysince they left our TV screensin 2005.
Ray Romano (Ray Barone)
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Ray Romano won an Emmy for playing Ray, an insecure sportswriter often caught in the middle between warring family members.
Kids may recognize his voice as Manny the woolly mammoth in theIce Agefranchise, while adults have seen Romano transition from sitcom hijinks to more dramatic fare. He reflected on his post-Raymondlife by creating and starring on the dramedyMen of a Certain Age(2009–2011) with Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula, then joined the cast ofParenthood(2012–2015).
The Queens native paired up with Holly Hunter as lovable would-be in-laws inThe Big Sick(2017), played a mob lawyer in Martin Scorsese'sThe Irishman(2019), and starred alongside Hugh Jackman in HBO's acclaimedBad Education(2019). The small-screen vet also booked regular roles onVinyl(2016) andGet Shorty(2017–2019). He recently went behind the camera for his directorial debut,Somewhere in Queens(2022), in which he starred alongside Laurie Metcalf.
While Romano's post-Raymondcareer has kept him busy — including a role in the main cast of Netflix'sNo Good Deed(2024) — he has been intentional about not not repeating himself with another sitcom.
"I don't want to have to follow that. I like that it still holds up. It still resonates,"he told EW in 2019. "The secret was just writing about things that relate to us, and that's half the battle. When people can relate to it and see themselves, then the comedy is much easier."
Romanomarried Anna Scarpulla in 1987. They have four children: Alexandra, Gregory, Matthew, and Joseph.
Patricia Heaton (Debra Barone)
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Patricia Heaton picked up back-to-back Emmys as Debra, a housewife who found it hard to get along with her inescapable in-laws.
As Heaton remembers it, her audition captured the spirit of the character.
"I was in a big hurry because I had a babysitting conflict with my husband,"she told EW in 2005. "Even though he's British, and Ray is from Queens, they have this universal male idiocy that crosses all continents. I had a certain amount of impatience I put into the reading that worked."
The actress was already a familiar face on TV, having appeared in a recurring role onThirtysomething(1989–1991) and snagged a lead onRoom for Two(1992–1993). ButRaymondmade her a household name — though her popularity far outlived that signature role.
When the series ended, it wasn't long before she headlined her own hit sitcom,The Middle(2009–2018). During that time, she produced a Food Network cooking series,Patricia Heaton Parties, scoring a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Culinary Program.
The Ohio native has recently been seen on the big screen in the inspirational dramaThe Unbreakable Boy(2025) and as a nun in the Al Pacino-led exorcism thriller,The Ritual(2025).
Heaton has been married to British actor David Hunt since 1990.They have four sons: Samuel, John, Joseph, and Daniel.
Brad Garrett (Robert Barone)
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Brad Garrett was Robert, the Eeyore-esque cop who perpetually felt like he was in his younger brother's shadow.
He was so beloved that Romanojoked to EW in 1997, "I call him Mr. Spinoff, 'cause he's a year away from having his own sitcom. Brad comes in, says one line, and gets the biggest laugh. Sonuvabitch."
Starting in voice acting in the mid-1980s, Garrett booked dozens of cartoons, including2 Stupid Dogs(1993–1995),Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling(1985–1986),andBatman: The Animated Series(1994).His portrayal of Robert, his first main role in a live-action series, earned him five Emmy nominations, including three wins.
The veteran actor later starred on his own sitcom,'Til Death(2006–2010), which paired him with Joely Fisher as a long-married couple. He landed a season 2 role onFargo(2015) before returning to network TV for the sitcomSingle Parents(2018–2020).
On film, he's been a regular voice actor for Disney and Pixar, includingFinding Nemo(2003) andRatatouille(2007), and even fulfilled his destiny by voicing Eeyore in the live-action/CGI hybridChristopher Robin(2018), opposite Ewan McGregor. More recently, the distinctive actor appeared in the flesh inCha Cha Real Smooth(2022) andSaturday Night(2024).
Garrett marriedactress IsaBeall Quellain 2021. He also has two children, Max and Hope, from hisprevious marriageto Jill Diven.
Doris Roberts (Marie Barone)
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Doris Roberts played Marie, Ray's comically manipulative mother who didnotwant to be involved in the Fruit of the Month Club.
Robertstold EWthat her favorite episode was "Lucky Suit," in which she sabotaged Robert's new job with the FBI: "There's a lovely scene between myself and Robert where I say I can't take another day of worrying about him on the streets getting killed… It's really sweet, wonderful, and real."
Roberts' television career goes back to the medium's earlier days, having made her debut in 1951. She found regular character work for decades, including supporting turns in such acclaimed films asThe Heartbreak Kid(1972),The Taking of Pelham One Two Three(1974), andHester Street(1975).
Meanwhile, she booked a regular gig inAngie(1979–1980) and otherwise appeared onSoap(1978),Barney Miller(1977–1980), andSt. Elsewhere(1982), which landed the actress her first Emmy. Her fan-favorite third-banana role as the receptionist Mildred inRemington Steele(1983–1987) earned her another nomination. And let's not forget another memorable maternal role: Ellen's Griswold's mother inNational Lampoon's Christmas Vacation(1989).
ForEverybody Loves Raymond, Roberts earned seven Emmy nods and won four times. Afterward, she continued to guest star across television, including a recurring role onThe Middle(2010–2011), clashing once again with Patricia Heaton.
Roberts had one son, Michael, from her first marriage. She later married writer William Goyen in 1963; they remained together until his death in 1983. In 2016, Roberts died at age 90 following a stroke.
Peter Boyle (Frank Barone)
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Peter Boyle earned seven Emmy nominations as Frank, Ray's cantankerous and foul-mouthed father.
Romano was grateful for the veteran actor's help at the start of the series. Romanotold PEOPLE in 2024, "When I met him, he, of course, was a well-known movie actor, star, and I was nobody. I was a stand-up who got his own sitcom and was trying acting. I was very intimidated and he took me in. He made me feel welcome. He made me feel part of the club."
A well-known character actor for decades, Boyle broke out with a disturbing lead role inJoe(1970). He went on to play Robert Redford's campaign manager inThe Candidate(1972), a low-level crook inThe Friends of Eddie Coyle(1973), a veteran cabbie inTaxi Driver(1976), and the corrupt baddie drawing Sean Connery's ire in the lunar thrillerOutland(1981).
And of course, he put on the Ritz in Mel Brooks'Young Frankenstein(1974).
The actor snagged an Emmy nomination for playing Joseph McCarthy in the TV movieTail Gunner Joe(1977). Two decades later, he finally took one home for a guest spot in one ofThe X-Files' most beloved episodes.
While he became a fixture on TV in his later years, he still stood out in big-screen roles, includingWhile You Were Sleeping(1993) andMonster's Ball(2001).
Boyle died of multiple myeloma and heart disease in 2006 at age 71. He was survived by his wife, Loraine Alterman, whom he married in 1977. They shared two children, Lucy and Amy.
Monica Horan (Amy MacDougall)
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Monica Horan played Amy, Robert's on-again/off-again girlfriend, who eventually became his wife.
After the show ended, the actress also popped up onEnlightened(2013), The Bold and the Beautiful(2016–2019), Better Things(2019), andThe Middle(2017), where she reunited with Heaton.
Horan marriedRaymondcreator Philip Rosenthal in 1990; they share two children, Lily and Ben.
Madylin Sweeten (Ally Barone)
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Madylin Sweeten played Ray and Debra's eldest child, Ally.
The actress is the real-life sister of herRaymondsiblings, Sullivan and Sawyer. The show was her first exposure to the small-screen, starting from age 5. That included bit parts in the Oscar-nominatedAmerican Splendor(2003) and the Shia LaBeouf thrillerEagle Eye(2008).
Since herRaymondyears, she has appeared onGrey's Anatomy(2017) andLucifer(2019).
Sweeten and her husband, Sean Durrie, welcomed their first child in April 2025.
Sawyer Sweeten (Geoffrey Barone)
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Sawyer Sweeten played Geoffrey, one of Ray and Debra's twin boys.
Sweeten was a year-and-a-half old when he and identical twin brother Sullivan first appeared as Geoffrey and Michael Barone.
America watched Sawyer and Sullivan grow up throughout the series' run. Fans were heartbroken when news broke in 2015 thatSawyer died by suicidewhile visiting family in Texas. He was a few weeks shy of his 20th birthday.
"Sawyer was more than just a brother," his older sister Madylintold PEOPLE in 2015. "He was a strong and selfless friend. When confiding in one another, Sawyer always had the kindest words of encouragement. He will live on in my head and those shared moments forever."
Andy Kindler (Andy)
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Andy Kindler played Andy, a fellow sportswriter with a bad romantic track record.
Kindler is a stand-up comedian who was a regular guest onLate Show with David Lettermanand a contributor toThe Daily Show.
As a voice actor, the native New Yorker has appeared onDr. Katz(1995–1997) andHome Movies(2002–2004), in addition to his ongoing role of Mort the mortician onBob's Burgers(2011–present).The longtime comic has also appeared onWizards of Waverly Place(2009–2012), Maron(2013–2016), andHacks(2024).
Kindler married Susan Maljan in 2002.
Jon Manfrellotti (Gianni)
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Jon Manfrellotti played Gianni, a wisecracking contractor and one of Ray's friends.
The veteran comic has made appearances across television, includingThe King of Queens(2000–2005), NYPD Blue(2005), andMad Men(2010–2015), and he had a recurring role on Romano's seriesMen of a Certain Age.
The two also appeared together, alongside Gene Hackman, inWelcome to Mooseport(2004). More recently, Manfrellotti had a role in Romano's feature directorial debut,Somewhere in Queens.
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