Ray Romano Revealed The Truth About His Relationship With Patricia Heaton During And After Everybody Loves Raymond

Summary

• Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton had a friendly and positive relationship while filming Everybody Loves Raymond.
• Romano praised Heaton's acting talent and said she was his favorite during auditions.
• Romano and Heaton have continued to stay in touch and spend time together.

Ray and Debra Barone have a relatable yet unique marriage on Everybody Loves Raymond. They fight and put up with each other's quirks but love each other more than anything. Of course, Ray's family drives Debra wild, which is the main plotline of the popular sitcom.

While Everybody Loves Raymond made stars out of its actors, Romano's high salary upset his co-stars, which must have made life on set pretty tense for a while. Since Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton played a married couple for nine seasons, fans wonder what their relationship was truly like. Perhaps they fought every day on set and refused to see each other after the show ended... or maybe they're still the best of friends.

Did Everybody Loves Raymond Stars Ray Romano And Patricia Heaton Get Along While Filming The Sitcom?

When Ray Romano spoke at Patricia Heaton's Walk of Fame ceremony in 2012, he praised her acting talent and shared a sweet story about her audition. He made it clear that the stars have always been friendly and that he was thrilled that she was cast in the role of Debra Barone.

Romano mentioned that Heaton stood out among the others who auditioned and said, "Patty came in and she just hit it, she nailed it, she was real, her instincts were right on." Romano added that she was his favorite out of everyone who tried out because "She was the only one who kissed me on the lips during that audition."

Romano affectionately joked that Heaton is a talented actor because:

"She had to pretend to like to kiss me every week for nine years."

Romano said that since Heaton was pregnant twice while filming Everybody Loves Raymond, they related to each other since they are both parents.

What Movies Has Ray Romano Starred In?

• Somewhere in Queens (2022)
• The Big Sick (2017)
• The Ice Age Franchise (2002-2016)
• The Irishman (2019)
• Bad Education (2019)
• Funny People (2009)
• The Last Word (2006)

When stars work together on a sitcom for almost a decade, they are hopefully going to feel inspired by each other and maybe learn some life lessons as well. It sounds like both of those things were true for Romano. When he continued his Walk of Fame speech, he said that Heaton taught him a lot about both acting and parenthood. He said:

"I learned a lot about being an actor, but more about being a parent, being a person... When the show became popular and we became more popular, she was the same person. The career was important, the show was important, but nothing was more important than family and values."

Before wrapping up his speech, Ray Romano said that the Hollywood Walk of Fame committee "got it right" when they decided to honor Patricia Heaton. While his warm and friendly sense of humor was evident in his speech and he joked that he hadn't received a Walk of Fame star yet, it was clear that he was genuine and sincere about his love for Heaton.

Since Romano guest starred on The Middle with Heaton, the two seem to be on positive terms. Whenever the actor is interviewed about Everybody Loves Raymond, he makes his love for all of his co-stars very clear.

Ray Romano And Patricia Heaton Stayed Close After Everybody Loves Raymond

Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton have continued to be fairly close since Everybody Loves Raymond wrapped. This is good news for fans who enjoyed watching them play a (not always happily) married couple for so many years. While they could have simply ignored each other as soon as the show ended, that wasn't what happened at all.

In 2012, Heaton talked about Romano in an interview with NBC Chicago and shared what her relationship with her Everybody Loves Raymond co-star was like at that moment. She explained that they both have busy lives and have been raising their children, but they are on good terms and spend time together at least once a year. Heaton said:

"I just saw him. He does like a Labor Day party every year, and so we get a chance to get together. Sometimes we'll have a chance at a charity benefit, but really because he's only one kid left in high school and my kids are all still in high school we really don't have much time to stay in touch."

Since then, Heaton has mentioned Romano in several interviews, and their relationship seems to still be a positive one. In 2020, she spoke to Extra TV and shared a funny story about texting Romano because she forgot her son's 21st birthday.

What Other TV Shows Has Ray Romano Starred In?

• Parenthood (2012-2015)
• Men Of A Certain Age (2009-2011)
• four episodes of The King of Queens (1998-2005)
• Made for Love (2021-2022)
• Get Shorty (2007-2019)

Heaton explained that Romano made a video for her son, which must have been hilarious and fun. If the actors weren't still friends, it's unlikely that she would feel comfortable enough to ask him for that.

While the former co-stars might not hang out regularly, they still think about each other fondly. Also in 2012, Heaton was interviewed on The Drew Barrymore Show and asked if her The Middle co-star Neil Flynn or Romano was a "better kisser." Heaton answered Romano and said "He's got a lot of practice" as he has been married to his wife Anna since 1987.