Let’s take a look at who’s who in the Emmy-winning sitcom.
Everybody-Loves-Raymond-Cast
Arguably no other sitcom tackled relatable family quirks and dysfunction better than Everybody Loves Raymond. The critically acclaimed series aired more than 200 episodes over 9 seasons and led to Emmy awards for Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, and Doris Roberts, in addition to Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series in both 2003 and 2005. Since this year marks the 25th anniversary of the show’s premiere, here’s a complete cast and character guide to keep handy as you catch up with television’s most dysfunctional family.
everybody-loves-raymond-ray-romano-patricia-heatonImage via CBS
Ray is married to Deb and they have three kids together — Ally, Michael, and Geoffrey. His love of sports led him to become a sportswriter for Newsday. Although he is a loving spouse and father, Deb frequently calls him out on his laziness and selfish behaviors, especially when he chooses to watch sports and play golf rather than spending time with his family. He is the obvious favorite in the Barone family and often gets special treatment from his mother, Marie, like when she prepares special meals for him, gives him larger portions, or babies him when he is sick, which causes his brother, Robert, great irritation. Ray lives across the street from his parents and is usually frustrated when they regularly pop in to his house uninvited.
Aside from starring in all 9 seasons of Raymond, Romano has played recurring characters like Joe Tranelli in Men of a Certain Age, Hank Rizzoli in Parenthood, Zak Yankovich in Vinyl, and, most recently, Rick Moreweather in Get Shorty and Herbert Green in Made for Love. He is also well-known for starring in the Ice Age film franchise as Manny the Mammoth and has also appeared in The Big Sick and The Irishman, where he played real-life attorney Bill Bufalino.
Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton)
An official screenshot of Patricia Heaton as Debra Barone laughing in Everybody Loves RaymondImage via Warner Bros.
Deb is Ray’s wife and a stay-at-home mom to their three kids. She is from an upper-class family which gives Marie the impression that Deb thinks she is above the Barones. After taking care of the kids and house all day, she is often frustrated by Ray’s lack of romantic gestures or willingness to help around the house. However, she is not one to be pushed around or intimidated by those around her, especially Ray and Frank. She frequently speaks her mind and is not shy in voicing her irritations when she is being lied to or treated unfairly by Ray’s family. Though she is grateful to have the support of Ray’s parents across the street, she is normally frustrated by Frank’s lack of couth and Marie’s criticisms of her housework, cooking, or how she raises her kids.
After starring in 209 episodes of Raymond, Heaton went on to portray recurring characters like Kelly Carr in Back to You, Frankie Heck in The Middle, and Carol Kenney in Carol’s Second Act. She can also be found in films such as Moms’ Night Out, The Star, and Smallfoot.
Robert Barone (Brad Garrett)
Robert is a police officer and Ray’s brother. He is divorced from his first wife and moves back in with his parents prior to marrying Amy. Robert is frequently made fun of by Ray for his towering height and numerous quirks, like touching food to his chin before eating it or separating the pink pieces from the white pieces in his Good & Plenty. He knows that their mother prefers Ray, as evidenced by the special treatment she bestows upon him, which is a recurring point of contention among the brothers. He admits that he is jeaous of Ray’s life and they are known to bicker like children over trivial matters such as who gets the bigger portion of ice cream and who is served first.
Garrett has played characters such as Eddie Stark on ‘Til Death and Max Green on How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life), and has also appeared in The Crazy Ones, Fargo, Single Parents, and Penny Dreadful: City of Angels. On the film side, he can be seen (or heard) in Night at the Museum, Ratatouille, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, Finding Dory, and Gloria Bell.
Frank Barone (Peter Boyle)
Frank is Ray and Robert’s father and Marie’s husband. Despite being retired and taking every opportunity he has to be lazy and enjoy frequent naps, he likes to make himself feel useful by “fixing” things around Ray’s house that aren’t broken to begin with. He always says whatever is on his mind, no matter the occasion or the company present. Frank is known for his sarcasm, catchphrases (“Holy crap!” and “Jeezealoo!”), and love of food, despite Marie referring to him as a “disgusting pig.” He loves Marie but is not always comfortable expressing his emotions and usually covers them up by insulting her and demanding food from her.
Although his time as Frank Barone was his longest recurring television character, Boyle also appeared in guest roles on shows such as Midnight Caller, NYPD Blue, and The Single Guy, as well as guest-starring in an episode of The X-Files (which earned him an Emmy). He is also known for his portrayal of The Monster in Young Frankenstein, in addition to performances in Malcolm X and The Santa Clause franchise.
Marie Barone (Doris Roberts)
Marie is Frank’s wife and Ray and Robert’s mother. She clearly favors Ray over Robert athough she denies it. She has a cheery disposition and takes enormous pride in her appearance, her cooking, and how clean she keeps her house. Marie thinks she is being helpful when she criticizes Deb’s cooking or housework, but ends up being incredibly overbearing, which frustrates Deb. They frequently butt heads due to their strong personalities and different approaches to parenting. Marie considers herself superior to those around her but is not above pettiness (like when she doesn’t get her way during the Barones’ Christmas photoshoot) or holding a grudge against those she feels have wronged her. She and Frank are known to bicker and insult each other but Marie is able to go head-to-head with him.
Aside from her beloved (and Emmy-winning) performance as the overbearing Barone matriarch, Roberts also starrted as Theresa Falco in the sitcom, Angie, as well as appearing in a number of television classics such as All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Fantasy Island, and Full House, in addition to more recent shows like The Middle and Melissa & Joey. She can also be seen in films like The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and The Rose.
Amy MacDougall (Monica Horan)
everybody-loves-raymond-monica-horan-brad-garrettImage via CBS
Amy is Robert’s girlfriend and, later, his wife. She is best friends with Deb, who first introduced her to Robert. Amy was raised in Pennsylvania by her religious parents, Hank and Pat, and gets quite a culture shock when she joins the Barone family and experiences all the clashing personalities that come with it. She is optimistic and has a sunny disposition and desperately wants every member of the family to like her. Although she, like Debra, is the frequent recipient of Marie’s criticisms and judgments, she is not afraid to stand up to Marie and tell her what she really thinks, which the other members of the family are usually too afraid to do.
In addition to her longtime role on Raymond, Horan has appeared on shows such as Coach, The Bold and the Beautiful (for which she was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Special Guest Performer in a Drama Series), Hot in Cleveland, Enlightened, The Middle, and Better Things.
Lois Whelan (Katherine Helmond)
Lois is Deb’s mom. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, Warren, and has a fondness for more “high-class” things that the Barones do not, like travel, other cultures, and museums. She doesn’t have the same housewife or mothering skills that Deb and Marie have, which usually leads to Deb wishing her mom would be a little more nurturing and hands-on. Lois and Warren appear to have the perfect marriage before surprising the family by announcing that they are getting divorced.
In addition to playing Lois on Everybody Loves Raymond, Helmond starred as Jessica Tate in Soap and Mona Robinson on Who’s the Boss?, all three roles for which she earned Emmy nominations. She also starred as Doris Sherman on Coach and has a body of work in films like Time Bandits, Overboard, Lady in White, and the Cars franchise.
Warren Whelan (Robert Culp)
Warren is Deb’s dad and Lois’ husband. He enjoys traveling the world with Lois and learning about new cultures and languages. He is fond of regaling the Barones with his trips to exotic destinations and often sprinkles foreign words into his vocabulary during casual conversation which irritates Frank. After he and Lois get divorced, he jumps back into the dating pool with a much older woman, though it’s not long before Deb and Ray discover that Warren and Lois are sleeping together again.
Culp’s acting career spanned over 50 years. He starred as Kelly Robinson in I Spy and FBI Agent Bill Maxwell in The Greatest American Hero in addition to dozens of guest appearances on shows like Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls, and The Nanny. He also has film credits to his name with big-screen outings like Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Hannie Caulder, and The Pelican Brief.
Henry “Hank” MacDougall (Fred Willard)
Hank is Amy’s dad and Pat’s husband. Like his wife, he is a very conservative Protestant. During the day he is a middle school assistant principal and it is later revealed that he blows up fireworks during his “nature walks” to deal with the stress of his job. Hank knows that his family doesn’t get along with the Barones and initially rejected Robert’s request to marry Amy because Robert was previously divorced and Catholic, in addition to not wanting his daughter to marry into their dysfunctional family.
Willard starred as Jerry Hubbard in America 2-Night and Frank Dunphy in Modern Family, in addition to guest starring in classic shows like Laverne & Shirley, The Bob Newhart Show, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Roseanne, and, in his final television performance, Space Force. He has also appeared in films like This Is Spinal Tap, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Best in Show, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.
Pat MacDougall (Georgia Engel)
Pat is Amy’s mom and Hank’s wife. She is soft-spoken and has a reserved and sweet personality that is in direct contrast to the members of the Barone family. She grew up on a farm and is religious like her husband which sometimes frustrates her son, Peter, especially when they turn his bedroom into a prayer room. Though Pat is meek and mild, it is revealed that she has a secret smoking habit that she has managed to keep hidden from her family for years. She is quick to bond with members of the Barone family when Amy marries Robert, and enjoys spending time talking with Robert, building jigsaw puzzles with Ray, or walking to the library to read his Newsday column.
Engel was a multi-Emmy-nominated actress who was best known for portraying Georgette Franklin Baxter in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mitzi Maloney in The Betty White Show, and Mamie Sue Johnson in Hot in Cleveland. She also had recurring roles on Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, The Office, and Two and a Half Men. Despite a long career in television, her work can also be seen in films such as Signs of Life, the Open Season series, and Grown Ups 2.
Additionally, Madylin Sweeten plays Ray and Deb’s daughter, Ally, Sullivan Sweeten and Sawyer Sweeten play their twin boys, Michael and Geoffrey, respectively, while Chris Elliott recurs as Amy’s brother, Peter.
