For nine seasons, Everybody Loves Raymond turned into a juggernaut for CBS. The sitcom is still relevant today, and some of the cast will make a great deal of money for a very long time thanks to reruns and backend profits.
That’s especially true for Ray Romano. While his peers were not pleased with the gap in their pay compared to the star of the show, many have fared better than other sitcoms when it comes to salary and money for syndication.
Let’s take a look at Patricia Heaton’s journey on Everybody Loves Raymond and how she got the role of Debra. As it turns out, there were a few debates behind the scenes. Debates that eventually led to Heaton landing the starring female role on the show.
Updated March 2024: Patricia Heaton’s role on ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ allowed her to go on to have a very successful career after the show ended. From ‘Back To You’, ‘Easy To Assemble’, and ‘The Middle’, Heaton has amassed a fortune of $40 million. And with projects scheduled to come out in 2025, Heaton’s success continues on.
Patricia Heaton Was Desperate For Work During Her Everybody Love Raymond Audition
Patricia Heaton landed the role on Everybody Loves Raymond after kissing Ray Romano during the audition
Once upon a time, however, things weren’t as smooth. Heaton recalls her audition process for Everybody Loves Raymond, desperately needing to find work.
Hilariously, Heaton revealed that the desperation had hit a new low when she agreed to kiss Ray Romano during the casting process.
“That’s how desperate I was for a job,” she joked about her onscreen husband. “[I was like], ‘I don’t know who that guy is in the corner, but if I have to kiss him, I’ll do it.’ I really didn’t know who it was.”
Heaton was perfect for the role. However, CBS thought otherwise…
CBS Wanted Jane Sibbett Instead Of Patricia Heaton, But Ray Romano And Phil Rosenthal Wouldn’t Budge
Jane Sibbett, who played Carol Willick on Friends was the preferred choice to play Debra on Everybody Loves Raymond
Alongside Us Magazine, Phil Rosenthal revealed certain details relating to the casting of Patricia Heaton. According to the man behind the series, CBS had pushed for a better-looking option.
Rosenthal went on to say, “They insisted on this actress. I thought she was wrong, but I met with her and she was a very pleasant, very nice person. She wasn’t going to read for the role, but during the meeting, I convinced her to read a little bit with me, and she was 10 times worse for the part than I thought she would be!”
Once Heaton came to read, Romano and Rosenthal instantly knew she was perfect for the role. They got their way, but others were considered, including Jane Sibbett, who played Carol Willick on Friends. According to IMDb, she was the preferred choice of the network but ultimately, they let it slide… good on them.
Patricia Heaton Faced Some Tough Battles Behind The Scenes During Everybody Loves Raymond
Patricia Heaton chose sobriety after being cast on Everybody Loves Raymond
Patricia Heaton enjoyed major success on Everybody Loves Raymond, with the show lasting nine seasons and over 200 episodes. However, behind the curtain, Heaton was facing a certain struggle which involved having one too many drinks on the regular, especially following shoots for the sitcom.
Alongside The Hollywood Reporter, Heaton opened up about her problem and how Peter Boyle, aka Frank, became a huge help in the process of getting sober.
“He said, ‘You know, I just think about the first drink. And I think about it leading to the second one, and then to the third one, and I just walk through it in my brain. And by the time I think about that, I know I don’t want to be in that position.
Heaton would use Boyle’s approach to defeat her struggles, “I just remember Peter talking about that, and so I would just think about it, and just think how I would feel at the end of the meal where I would have eaten too much, and then I wouldn’t sleep well that night because of the alcohol.”
