Ray Romano | |
|---|---|
 Romano at the Voice Awards 2014 | |
| Born | Raymond Albert Romano (1957-12-21)December 21, 1957 (age 68) New York City, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Comedy career | |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Medium | |
| Genres | |
| Website | rayromano |
Raymond Albert Romano[1] (born December 21, 1957)[2] is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his role asRaymond "Ray" Barone on theCBS sitcomEverybody Loves Raymond (1996–2005), for which he won threePrimetime Emmy Awards (one as an actor and two as producer). He is also known for being the voice ofManny in theIce Age franchise. He has received several other awards including nominations for twoGrammy Awards and twoGolden Globe Awards.
He created and starred in theTNT comedy dramaMen of a Certain Age (2009–2011). From 2012 to 2015, Romano had a recurring role as Hank Rizzoli, a love interest of Sarah Braverman in theNBC seriesParenthood. More recently he co-starred in the romantic comedyThe Big Sick (2017) and portrayed mob lawyerBill Bufalino inMartin Scorsese's epic crime filmThe Irishman (2019). From 2017 to 2019, Romano portrayed Rick Moreweather in theEpix comedy-drama seriesGet Shorty.
Romano was born inQueens, New York City,[2] the second son of Luciana "Lucie" (née Fortini) (d. 2021),[1] a piano teacher, and Albert Romano (1925–2010), a real estate agent and engineer.[3][4] He is of Italian descent.[5] He grew up in theForest Hills neighborhood of Queens.[6] He has an older brother, Richard (born 1956), anNYPD sergeant,[1] and a younger brother, Robert (born c. 1966), a second grade teacher in New York City.[7]
Romano attended elementary and middle school at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Forest Hills. After transferring fromArchbishop Molloy High School, Romano graduated fromHillcrest High School in 1975.[1][8] He was in the same high school class asFran Drescher.[2] Before getting into show business, Romano briefly attendedQueens College, inFlushing, New York, where he studied accounting.[9]
His early comedy career started when he competed in the Johnnie Walker Comedy Search in 1989, directed bySaturday Night Live short film producerNeal Marshad and appeared onThe Comedy Channel. His career included many outlets, such asComedy Central, where he had been a recurring guest voice on the showDr. Katz, Professional Therapist. He also was a contestant onStar Search in the stand-up comedy category. He was cast to play Joe (originally named Rick) on the American televisionsitcomNewsRadio, but was fired and replaced withGreg Lee in the pilot and thenJoe Rogan for the rest of the show. He then appeared onLate Show with David Letterman doing his stand up routine which formed his ties withCBS. Shortly thereafter, he became the star of his own show,Everybody Loves Raymond onCBS, that featured a cast and format more suitable to Romano's brand of humor. His work on the series earned him sixPrimetime Emmy Award nominations as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, a category he won in 2002. He also shared two Emmy Awards as an executive producer when his show won as Outstanding Comedy Series in 2003 and 2005.[10]
Romano performed the opening monologue at the 1998White House Correspondents' Association dinner.[11][12]
Romano and his comedian friendKevin James starred in the salesman comedyGrilled as twoaverage Joes of the same profession who are both desperate to land a big sale.
Romano was featured on a 2000 episode ofWho Wants to Be a Millionaire, on which he won $125,000 for theNYPD'sD.A.R.E. unit.[citation needed] The following year, he and one of his brothers appeared on a New York Police Department recruiting poster.[citation needed]
In 2004, Romano became the highest-paid television actor in history for his role of Raymond on CBS'sEverybody Loves Raymond.[citation needed] The show broke another record by having the highest revenue, at $3.9 billion.[citation needed]
On December 13, 2003, Romano was a guest star, sending a birthday card toBob Barker for Barker's 80th birthday on the 27th "Million Dollar Spectacular" special of the CBS game showThe Price Is Right.[citation needed]
Romano was the subject of the documentary film95 Miles to Go. The film documents Romano's road trip for a series of rides across the south of the United States. The film was released in theaters on April 7, 2010, byThinkFilm.[13] In August 2006 Romano was interviewed in front of a live audience atUCLA by fellow stand-up veteranDavid Steinberg, for an episode ofSit Down Comedy with David Steinberg. The program first aired on theTV Land network in March 2007.
Romano returned to television with a new dramedy forTNT in 2008,Men of a Certain Age, which he co-created with formerEverybody Loves Raymond writerMike Royce. It co-starredScott Bakula andAndre Braugher.
Romano made an appearance in the seventh season ofNBC seriesThe Office as Merv Bronte, a nervous job applicant interviewing for the job left vacant byMichael Scott.[14]
Romano made an appearance in the third-season premiere of theABC sitcomThe Middle as Nicky, a friend of Mike, who ruined his and Frankie's honeymoon. Romano was the second actor fromEverybody Loves Raymond to be reunited withPatricia Heaton onThe Middle;Doris Roberts guest starred in three episodes.
He joined the cast ofParenthood beginning with its fourth season premiere.[15][16] He became a semi regular, playing photographer Hank Rizzoli, who hired and later had a romantic relationship withSarah Braverman and developed a friendship with her nephew who hasAsperger syndrome. The role was specifically created for him after he expressed his love for the series and met with creatorJason Katims on the set ofFriday Night Lights.[17]
In 2002, Romano voiced the woolly mammothManny in the animatedBlue Sky Studios filmIce Age. He has since reprised the role in four sequels:Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006),Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009),Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), andIce Age: Collision Course (2016), along with two TV specials, and is set to return forsixth film in 2026.[18]
From 2017 to 2019, Romano played a leading role in three seasons of theMGM+ television showGet Shorty, created byDavey Holmes and co-starringChris O'Dowd.[19]
In 2019, Romano starred in the Netflix comedy filmPaddleton and portrayed mob lawyerBill Bufalino inMartin Scorsese'sThe Irishman.[20]
Romano is set to playJim Valvano in an upcoming film about him.[21]
Romano competed in theWorld Series of Poker in2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2013,2015 and2023.
In early 2010, Romano starred in the second season ofThe Golf Channel's original seriesThe Haney Project in whichTiger Woods' former coachHank Haney attempts to improve the golf games of different celebrities and athletes. Romano's goal was to finish the show being able to break 80.[22] Romano took time off from the show to be with his father, Albert Romano, who died in March 2010. Romano is also a regular competitor in theAT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, where he finished fifth in 2012 with his partner, Australian professionalSteven Bowditch. It was the first time Romano had qualified for the final round after failing to do so on 11 successive occasions. He also competes annually in the American Century Championship, a celebrity golf tournament owned by NBC and held atLake Tahoe[23][24] each July.
Romano married his wife, Anna Scarpulla, in 1987. They met while working at the same bank.[9] They have four children,[9][25] and they own a property inLa Quinta, California.[26][27] Romano's character's daughter onEverybody Loves Raymond was named after his real life daughter, Alexandra "Ally" Romano. Also, in the series pilot, Ray and Debra's twin boys were named Gregory and Matthew, after Romano's real life twin sons, but Romano felt it was inconvenient to have all his television children have the same names as his real children and changed the twins' names to Geoffrey and Michael onscreen. He also said his brother was not pleased withRay Barone's television brother.[28]
Romano's family has made various appearances in the show. Romano's daughter made several appearances onEverybody Loves Raymond as Molly, the best friend of his on screen daughter, Ally, and the daughter of Ray Barone's nemesis, Peggy the Cookie Lady. Romano's father, Albert Romano, has made various appearances as Albert, one of Frank Barone's lodge buddies in various episodes, such as "Debra at the Lodge", and "Boys' Therapy". Romano's brother, Richard Romano, appeared in the episodes "Golf For It", "Just a Formality", and "The Toaster". Romano's wife, Anna, appeared as one of the moms in the background at Geoffrey and Michael's school in season 6's episode titled "The Angry Family".[citation needed]
In February 2012, Romano revealed that his wife, Anna, had successfully battled stage onebreast cancer in 2010. Romano toldPeople magazine that "the reason we're going public is to share our experience, yeah, but to have an effect. Our goal is to help people."[29]
Romano was close friends withDoris Roberts, who playedMarie Barone, Ray Barone's mother, onEverybody Loves Raymond. At the time of her death, Romano said he was inspired by her desire to continue learning throughout her life. She also served as a mentor, helping him to feel more comfortable on set.[30]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Caesar's Salad | Policeman | Short film |
| 2002 | Ice Age | Manny | Voice role[31] |
| 2004 | Welcome to Mooseport | Handy Harrison | |
| Eulogy | Skip Collins | ||
| 95 Miles to Go | Himself | ||
| 2006 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | Manny | Voice role[31] |
| Grilled | Maurice | ||
| 2008 | The Last Word | Abel | |
| The Grand | Fred Marsh | ||
| 2009 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | Manny | Voice role |
| Funny People | Himself | Cameo | |
| 2010 | Exporting Raymond | ||
| 2012 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | Manny | Voice role[31] |
| 2014 | Rob the Mob | Jerry Cardozo | |
| 2016 | Ice Age: Collision Course | Manny | Voice role[31] |
| 2017 | The Big Sick | Terry Gardner | [32] |
| 2019 | Paddleton | Andy Freeman | Also executive producer |
| Bad Education | Big Bob Spicer | [33] | |
| The Irishman | Bill Bufalino | ||
| 2022 | Somewhere in Queens | Leo Russo | Also director, writer, and producer[34] |
| 2024 | Fly Me to the Moon | Henry Smalls | [35] |
| 2027 | Ice Age: Boiling Point† | Manny | In production; voice role[18] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–1997 | Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Ray | Voice role; 7 episodes[31] |
| 1995–2015 | Late Show with David Letterman | Himself | 31 episodes |
| 1996–2005 | Everybody Loves Raymond | Raymond Barone | Main role; also writer and executive producer |
| 1997 | Cosby | Episode: "Lucas Raymondicus" | |
| 1998–2005 | The King of Queens | 4 episodes | |
| 1998 | The Nanny | Episode: "The Reunion Show" | |
| 1999 | Becker | Episode: "Drive, They Said" | |
| 1999–2003 | Saturday Night Live | Himself (host) | 2 episodes |
| 2002 | All That | Himself | Episode 709 |
| Sesame Street | Episode 3,983 | ||
| 2005 | The Simpsons | Ray Magini | Voice role; episode: "Don't Fear the Roofer" |
| Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List | Himself | Episode: "Hot to Tot" | |
| 2007 | 'Til Death | Guest at Italian Restaurant | Episode: "The Italian Affair" |
| The Knights of Prosperity | Himself | Episode: "Operation: Oswald Montecristo" | |
| After Hours with Daniel | Episode: "Ford's Filling Station" | ||
| 2008 | Hannah Montana | Episode: "We're All on This Date Together" | |
| 2009–2011 | Men of a Certain Age | Joe Tranelli | Main role; also writer, creator, and executive producer |
| 2011 | The Office | Merv Bronte | Episode: "Search Committee" |
| The Middle | Nicky Kohlbrenner | Episode: "Forced Family Fun" (parts 1 & 2) | |
| Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas | Manny | Voice role; TV special[31] | |
| 2014 | Maron | Himself | Episode: "Marc's New Friend" |
| 2012–2015 | Parenthood | Hank Rizzoli | Recurring role; 44 episodes |
| 2015 | David Letterman: A Life on Television | Himself (host) | TV special[31] |
| 2016 | Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade | Manny | Voice role; TV special[31] |
| Vinyl | Zak Yankovich | Main role | |
| Kevin Can Wait | Vic | Episode: "Beat the Parents" | |
| 2017–2019 | Get Shorty | Rick Moreweather | Main role |
| 2019 | Crashing | Himself | Episode: "The Secret" |
| 2020 | One Day at a Time | Brian | Episode: "Checking Boxes" |
| 2021 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2021–2022 | Made for Love | Herbert Green | Main role[36] |
| 2023 | Bupkis | Himself | 3 episodes |
| Bookie | Artie | Episode: "Always Smell the Money" (uncredited) | |
| 2024 | Celebrity IOU | Himself | Episode: "Everyone Loves a Ray Romano Renovation" |
| No Good Deed | Paul Morgan | Main cast[37] |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Ice Age 2: The Meltdown | Manny[31] |
| 2009 | Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs | |
| 2013 | Ice Age Village |
In addition to his roles as star and producer ofEverybody Loves Raymond, Romano also co-wrote the following episodes:
Robert, who, at 39, is still Bean to everyone, worked in public relations before becoming a second-grade teacher in New York City.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
