Ray Romano Says Writing Is ‘Torture,’ but He Still Wrote a Backstory for His Character in ‘The Irishman’

Ray Romano has come a long way since he played Raymond Barone on his hit sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

Romano, who played a lawyer in Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman, told Vanity Fair he wrote a backstory for the character. It’s a device he’s actually used for each dramatic role he’s played since joining NBC dramedy “Parenthood” in 2012. The only difference was that his role in “The Irishman” was based on a real-life mob attorney. Going through that process for a real person with a thorny past was a much more difficult process than he was used to.

Ray Romano has come a long way since he played Raymond Barone on his hit sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

Romano, who played a lawyer in Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman, told Vanity Fair he wrote a backstory for the character. It’s a device he’s actually used for each dramatic role he’s played since joining NBC dramedy “Parenthood” in 2012. The only difference was that his role in “The Irishman” was based on a real-life mob attorney. Going through that process for a real person with a thorny past was a much more difficult process than he was used to.

Romano explained that on “The Irishman” specifically, his routine was a little different.

“I took what I knew and everything I could find about him and I filled in the blanks,” he said. “So it’s a little different from making stuff up out through the deep canyons in my stupid head.”

Collaborating with Scorsese has continued to push Romano as an actor. The star added that while appearing in Scorsese’s short-lived series “Vinyl,” which debuted in 2016 and was canceled after one season, he had to “go deep” onscreen.

The first time I ever had to go deep — and actually, the scene called for me to break down — was during ‘Vinyl.’ My character contemplates killing himself in the car,” Romano said. “I remember calling my agent and saying, ‘I don’t know if I can do this.’ And my agent being very sensitive said to me, and I’m quoting, said, ‘You better do it.’”

Going to those depths was something he didn’t think he was capable of as a performer in his sitcom era.

“I also feel like — and I know this is not true for other actors — but the older I get, the easier it is to tap into emotion,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s because I’ve lived more life and I’ve experienced more ups and downs. I see many young actors who can tear your heart out in a scene, but I don’t think I was capable of that during the ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ days. I’ve grown as a person and as an actor.”