[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion.]
It’s difficult to picture Everybody Loves Raymond without Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle, and that sentiment remains true for series creator Phil Rosenthal and star Ray Romano, who reflected on the pair’s one-of-a-kind approach to their roles as Ray Barone’s (Romano) parents, Marie and Frank.
During CBS‘s Everybody Loves Raymond reunion, Rosenthal shared, gesturing to Romano, “For you and me, it’s very personal because they were so based on our parents.”
“Yeah, the mother was more you, I mean, the mother was definitely your mom,” Romano chimed in, noting that Marie took after Rosenthal’s mother, and adding, “I used to say, everything you saw Peter do, my father probably did in real life without pants on.”
When it came to finding the memorable duo, Rosenthal reveals, “We saw a hundred ladies for the part [of Marie], they all read with that ‘Fruit of the Month’ scene. No one came close to Doris Roberts. No one. She was what was in my head and in my life and was so beyond, even my own mother used to say, ‘You know, it is a little exaggerated.'”
CBS / Courtesy: Everett Collection
While Rosenthal’s mother may have tried distancing herself from Roberts’ portrayal, he shared, “You never saw that with Doris because she was spot on. She was always one-hundred percent believable. Peter, too.” As much as the performers were singing the writers’ praises onscreen during the reunion, Rosenthal was equally complimentary, as he shared, “I keep reiterating the same thing. We could be the best writers in the world, it wouldn’t matter if we didn’t have these people, and Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts.”
The tribute earned a standing ovation from the reunion participants, and Patricia Heaton recalled, “Doris could drink everybody under the table… champagne, that was her choice.” And Romano recalled that “Peter was pretty much the opposite of that guy,” as he complimented Boyle’s Renaissance man lifestyle, among which included formerly studying to be a monk, and having John Lennon as a best man at his wedding.
Romano also shared a sweet anecdote about filming the pilot with Boyle, as he opened up about the nerves he felt stepping onto the set with “the great Peter Boyle, this iconic movie guy… I didn’t know then how sweet he really was, and I hadn’t really had a conversation with Peter, and our paths were crossing… and I guess he could tell that I was a little nervous and… he just goes, ‘It’s just like water, just let it flow.’ And then he leaves, and at that time, I’m like, ‘What does that mean?'”
Ultimately, Romano noted that he’d later understood the advice Boyle had given him. As the stars choked up while talking about their late cast members, it’s clear that Rosenthal’s words about Roberts still ring true: “No one came close.”
Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion, Streaming now, Paramount+
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