About Me
Raymond Barone (Ray Romano) Although he got special treatment from his mother, as a child Ray had a difficult relationship with both his father and brother. His brother Robert grew jealous because Ray would get Hot Wheels for Christmas, while Robert got shoes, etc. The jealousy remained into adulthood. Ray's father Frank never had a serious relationship with either of his children, often spending time at work or the Lodge. The only time Frank was a true father was when they watched the game on TV or went to the games. Ray became infatuated with sports and decided to pursue a career in sports writing.Once Ray got the job as sports writer for newspaper Newsday, he proposed to his girlfriend Debra. The two had a daughter named Ally and twin boys, Michael and Geoffrey, originally named Mathew and Gregory. Ray never had a gift for parenting skills, preferring golf over day-to-day parenting. The couple would often argue over minor matters, whether it's about a suitcase that needs to be moved or a new can opener. They do agree on one thing, Ray's parents Frank and Marie are a nuisance to their everyday life. They live across the street and neither Marie's constant criticism nor Frank's oblique comments are appreciated. Ray's parents even went as far as to back a car into Ray's house by accident. This resulted in Ray finally speaking his mind to his mother and father over paying for wallpaper.Ray enjoys playing golf with his brother Robert and several of his friends, including Andy, Gianni, and Bernie. Ray often complains about Debra never being in the mood- even bringing home an adult board game, which was discovered by the rest of the family. Ray is the protagonist of the show and most of the show's plots focus on his lifestyle (though a lot of Robert's life is depicted).Throughout the series, Romano has developed the habit of casting family members for minor characters. In various seasons, we've seen his father playing Frank's friend Albert, his wife as a disturbed parent and daughter as both the flower girl at Ray and Debra's wedding and as the recuring character Molly, the infamous Peggy's daughter. Also, most of the main characters are based on actual Romano family members, such as Robert who is a mix of Ray's two brothers in real life. Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton) The henpeck wife of sportswriter Ray Barone, Debra grew up in Connecticut to loving, caring, and rich parents Warren and Lois, who have traveled all around the world since Debra left them. Debra is a very sensitive, judgmental, nagging woman who is always on Ray's back. She glares at, and picks on Ray in nearly every episode. When her character met Carrie, from the CBS hit, The King of Queens, it made for an interesting King of Queens episode and both were upset with their husbands as they often are when they aren't crossing shows.After learning she was pregnant with twins, Debra brought up the issue that she and Ray would need to move in a bigger home, as they would now have three children. Once Ray's parents learned of this, Frank showed the married couple a nice home across the street from two lovely neighbors, Marie and Frank. Ray at first didn't want to buy the home, but Debra convinced him and they soon realized what a living hell they would be in.Marie often barges into Debra's home criticizing everything her daughter-in-law does. Most of it is aimed at cooking, as Marie has always been a class-A cook, while Debra is terrible and is notorious for making lousy food. Her one decent dish, lemon chicken, is the only one that Ray ever liked. Though she made one good meal once, it was soon revealed that was the same meal Marie made when Frank proposed, and Debra went back to her habit of making lemon chicken. Other things Marie criticizes is how Debra takes care of the kids and keeps the house. Marie often rewashes the kids and spends her days cleaning Debra's house all over again.Debra enjoys reading before going to bed and is also active in the school PTA. Under all her constant nagging and complaining, Debra really does love her family and yes, even Ray. As indicated by the episode where Debra defended Ray from an old hag that was bullying him. Debra is a very caring mother and a loving wife. Robert Barone (Brad Garrett) Most of the jokes are aimed at how Robert is never able to find success and how his love life never picks up. Robert was conceived out of wedlock; one episode features Robert's discovery of that. Standing at 6' 8 1/2", he is the tallest Barone. It may be noted that he has a nervous habit of touching food to his chin before eating it, and this habit is often the center of many a joke. Robert is a caring uncle and still deeply cares for little brother Raymond, no matter how much jealousy he has.After divorcing his first wife Joanne, Robert became a workaholic and was acknowledged by the NYPD for never being absent one day of his career. Robert was an exceptional cop, once stopping an armed robbery at Nemo's Pizza while Ray hid under a table; in another episode he is gored in the backside by a bull, forcing him to move back into his parents' house for several episodes. Robert's work partner is an African-American woman named Judy; she memorably introduced him to the dance club scene in one episode. Robert's diverse skills as a police officer even got him an interview with the FBI; However, his mother interfered in the interview process, and he was passed over for the position (though the FBI interviewer admitted that she had little to do with the actual denial.) He soon pursued early retirement to become an alarms salesman, but in the end returned to the NYPD as a lieutenant.Robert dated Debra's best friend Amy MacDougall for several years and they have broken up several times. When Robert went with the Barones to a family trip in Italy, he had a small connection to an Italian girl named Stefania, who later immigrated to America, leading to one of his break-ups with Amy. Another occurred when Amy discovered Robert had been considering getting back together with his ex-wife. After a bad date with yet another woman, Robert ran into Amy in a bar and they soon got back together and married in 2003. In 2004 they purchased Frank and Marie's home, but they had to welcome Marie and Frank back in when they were kicked out of a retirement community 85 miles away. Robert is also very jealous of his brother Raymond, who was favored by their mother, and also earned great success in life, becoming a sportswriter and winning many awards. Though they have this sibling rivalry and Robert's jealousy can confound matters, Ray and Robert are easily each other's closest friend. Marie Barone (Doris Roberts) The very insinuative mother of Raymond and Robert and wife to Frank, Marie is an Italian housemom who excels in cooking, cleaning, and other things dealing with keeping a good home and bringing up a nurturing and caring family.One of Marie's most common acts is to behave cattily toward her daughter-in-law Debra. Marie often barges into Debra's house and gives her cooking tips and whenever something smells strange, she immediately asks if Debra is cooking anything. Marie also criticizes Debra's housekeeping, and a result she often rewashes all of the clothes and vacuums the house several more times. When Debra got an advanced vacuum cleaner, she couldn't find a spot of dust in Marie's home.Though Marie is a kind woman and often does the things she does out of love, Marie has a history of making matters worse. One of the worst things she ever did was accidentally back up her car into Ray and Debra's home and she even once refused to speak to Debra for weeks, which resulted in several episodes interlocking with each other. A close second is when she stands up to object at Robert's wedding, to ensure he is marrying Amy for love, and not because he's being pressured. Frank Barone (Peter Boyle) Frank Barone has lived in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York for most of his life and is of Italian heritage. His father (originally named Albert but was later renamed Joe) came to America and changed his name to Barone, causing much confusion when Raymond and Ally attempted to contact Frank's aunt Serena, still in Italy. The actual family name is unknown.Frank is the one member of the Barone family who will unleash anything that is on his mind. Very derogatory and very derisive, Frank uses names like Nancy and Shirley to describe men (including his sons) who are not macho enough. He often hangs out at the Lodge, where lodge policy (or tradition; it is not definitively explained) is to swim naked in the pool. Refusing to pay for any kind of repair, Frank also considers himself a general handyman and attempts to make repairs around Ray's household (often with disastrous results).Frank's pastimes are eating and watching TV. He proclaims Marie is his cook and she often gives in, cooking him things from grilled cheese to ham, but once Ray comes over Frank has to wait till Ray gets his hands on the food. Frank will usually eat anything, even if Debra cooked it. Frank often watches television with his pants unzipped and that has become a running gag. When Marie temporarily moved in with Ray and Debra, Frank rented the Arnold Schwarzenegger collection and discovered salsa.Frank's behavior often results in many people disliking him. Some of Frank's behavior include keeping score at his granddaughter's t-ball game, holding a record breaking football for ransom, and getting insider information on sporting events from Ray and betting on them. Despite his transgressions, Frank is a very passionate man and has a passion for dancing. He also deeply cares for Marie as he bursted out when she said they had a "loveless marriage.", as well as his family. Some of Frank's more tender moments involve taking the fall for Debra when Marie loses a sentimental item or handing Ray money for the zoo to take his children. During a moment of father-son bonding, Raymond and Robert discover that their grandfather was a physically abusive disciplinarian towards Frank, and that Frank had vowed never to be like him with his own children. This cast their father's abrasive and derisive behavior towards them into a new light, and drew the trio imperceptibly closer.The cast often makes jokes about Frank being fat and bald as well as the way he smells. He brushes these jokes off with complete acceptance of his slovenly behaviour and his trademark "Holy crap!"Amy MacDougall-Barone (Monica Horan) Amy is Debra's friendly best friend and dated Robert for several years on and off. When she learned Robert was considering getting back together with his ex-wife and had also been seeing Stefania during a family vacation in Italy, she was furious and walked out on him. This caused problems, as both Amy and Robert wanted to get back together.After briefly dating Gianni, Amy was single until a waiter tripped and dropped a tray of food all over her. Robert was in that bar that night and they got back together. Their relationship was fixed and they married in 2003. Robert bought Frank and Marie's home in 2004, but they were forced to allow them back in when Frank and Marie were kicked out of their condo 85 miles away.Amy was a virgin for more than 36 years and she was finally ready to give it up for Robert. Her parents, Henry "Hank" and Patricia "Pat," are very religious and old-fashioned, astonished when their son Peter told them how Robert took away Amy's virginity. At first Amy's family and Robert's family had a total dislike for each other, resulting in a small Holy War, but they mended fences after Robert and Amy's wedding and occasionally visit each other during the holidays.Monica Horan, the actress who plays Amy, is producer and co-creater, Phil Rosenthal's, real-life wife. Rosenthal had the idea to use his wife as Robert's love interest when the cast wondered what it would be like if Robert had a girl that Marie actually likes.I got this information from wikipedia.
