Stars From Everybody Loves Raymond You Didn't Know Died
During the filming of the third episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond," creator Philip Rosenthal turned to someone and said, "We're all gonna be millionaires." He was reacting to the studio audience's raucous response to a gag where Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton) had just dumped ice cream into the lap of her husband Ray (Ray Romano), upset because he scored higher than she did on an IQ test. "The audience coming to the taping of that show, they don't know these characters. The show hasn't even been on television yet," Rosenthal explained to the Archive of American Television. The audience laughed for 38 straight seconds. Rosenthal knew he had a hit on his hands.
And what a hit it was. "Everybody Loves Raymond," about the misadventures and squabbles between the married couple and Ray's parents across the street — played unforgettably by Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle — lasted nine years and 210 episodes. Audiences loved the relationship between the harried sitcom wife and her nosy mother-in-law, and they showed up in droves not just for the jokes, but because the characters had a real love for one another beneath all the comedic bickering. Vox even calls the show "one of the most psychologically astute programs ever made."
Unfortunately, because the show has been off the air for so long, and because it employed a number of older actors, not everybody from the cast is still with us. Read on for a roundup of stars you may not know have passed.
Peter Boyle
Peter Boyle played Ray's dad Frank throughout "Everybody Loves Raymond," a lovable curmudgeon fond of reacting with a surprised "Holy crap!" Looking back on how he got involved with the show, Boyle recalled a hectic audition process involving a changed location, trouble with parking, and missing identification for his family who accompanied him to the audition; when he finally walked in the room, he remembered being "grouchy." "I barked at him..." Boyle said of Phil Rosenthal, "and I got the job, because I was in character."
While filming the show, Boyle survived a heart attack on set. He told the Archive of American Television, "[I] had this cough and cold sweat and everything, and I joked that I probably would have a heart attack. And then the Assistant Director came over, and says, 'I think you're having a heart attack.'" He was back to work within two weeks.
Boyle, otherwise best known as the tap-dancing monster in "Young Frankenstein," passed away in 2006 having had both heart disease and multiple myeloma. He had lived an exciting life, including having been a monastery student and having John Lennon as the best man at his wedding. After he died, Brad Garrett, who played his son Robert, told CBS News, "I've lost an amazing friend and colleague. Being able to share nine years with Peter on 'Raymond' and witness his talent and humanity was an honor." Doris Roberts, who played Frank's nosy wife Marie, mourned, "It's like losing a spouse."
Doris Roberts
Doris Roberts played Ray's mother Marie on the show, the nosy mother-in-law across the street who made Ray's married life difficult. Speaking with the Archive of American Television, Roberts clarified that she had a hand in creating her character, too, a part in making her three-dimensional rather than a stock sitcom type. "It's wonderful writing, but I also credit myself for what I did," Roberts said. "Because she is a virago if you play her that way, as written. She is a control freak, she's a pain in the neck — and I've raised the area of the anatomy about that." Roberts was determined to make audiences laugh, and she succeeded. The actor enjoyed a long career stretching back to the 1950s; aside from "Everybody Loves Raymond," her other most memorable role is as Chevy Chase's mother-in-law in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."
In 2016, Roberts died "peacefully in her sleep of natural causes," according to the statement from her family (via the Los Angeles Times). She lived to be 90 years old.
Patricia Heaton, whose character Debra frequently sparred with Marie on the show, tweeted, "My wonderful TV mother-in-law and ELR nemesis Doris Roberts was a consummate professional from whom I learned so much. She was funny and tough and loved life... It truly was a privilege Doris. I love you and miss you." Ray Romano told Inside Edition that he got together with Heaton and a number of the writers of the show to honor Roberts. "We talked about her. And we drank for her. And we ate pizza for her," he revealed.
Sawyer Sweeten
Alongside his twin brother Sullivan, Sawyer Sweeten played one of Ray and Debra's twin sons; their sister Madylin played the Barones' daughter. The twins were only 16 months old when they joined the show, and they grew up on screen; by the time the show ended in 2005, the boys were 10 years old and were playing full-fledged characters with storylines. After "Everybody Loves Raymond" went off the air, the boys stepped back from acting. They attended the TV Land Awards in 2010 for an "Everybody Loves Raymond" reunion (via BroadwayWorld), but otherwise, they went on to live private lives out of the public eye.
Sawyer tragically died by suicide in 2015 at the age of 19, according to Variety, a few weeks shy of his 20th birthday.
His TV dad Ray Romano told People, "I'm shocked and terribly saddened by the news about Sawyer. He was a wonderful and sweet kid to be around. Just a great energy whenever he was there. My heart breaks for him, his family and his friends during this very difficult time." His sister Madylin wrote on Facebook, "At this time I would like to encourage everyone to reach out to the ones you love. Let them have no doubt of what they mean to you."
Georgia Engel
Legendary sitcom actor Georgia Engel played Pat MacDougall, Ray's brother Robert's eventual mother-in-law. In a comedic contrast to the more caustic Marie, Pat was a sweet older woman who apologized for things like saying "gosh." Engel was also well-known for having been on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and she reunited with former co-star Betty White on the latter's series, "Hot in Cleveland." "I was enamored of Betty instantly," Engel remembered of their days on the classic sitcom, while White countered, "Well, you can't meet this lady and not fall in love with her, that's impossible. She makes everybody laugh."
Engel was a Christian Scientist who did not visit doctors, so when she passed away in 2019, there was no cause of death available. Philip Rosenthal, creator of "Everybody Loves Raymond," told The New York Times that, despite Engel reportedly saying she didn't think of herself as a great actor, he disagreed entirely. "She could get a laugh on literally every line you gave her. I've never seen anything like it," he said.
Betty White memorialized her friend on Instagram, sharing a picture of them cuddled up to a bear. She captioned the photo simply, "'Friends Forever' says it all."
Fred Willard
Character actor Fred Willard, best known as the star of multiple Christopher Guest comedies like "Best in Show" and "Waiting for Guffman," recurred on "Everybody Loves Raymond" as Hank MacDougall. Hank was Amy's father, which made him Robert's father-in-law. Willard described the character to the Archive of American Television as "this Southern, religious guy who was so strict and so stiff." He recalled feeling constricted by the uptight character's personality and asking for more to do. "I wanted to cut loose..." he explained. "They gave me some wonderful lines, and lo and behold, I was nominated for an Emmy three years in a row."
In one particularly memorable episode, after he discovers that his wife Pat (Georgia Engel) is secretly a smoker, Hank admits to having an obsession with fireworks. "I blow up nature..." he reveals... "BOOM!" Though he didn't win an Emmy for playing Hank, he would be nominated two further times for his role as Frank Dunphy on "Modern Family."
Willard passed away in 2020 from natural causes, according to his obituary in Variety, shortly before the premiere of Netflix comedy "Space Force," in which he had a major role. Co-star Steve Carell wrote on Twitter that Willard "was the funniest person [he'd] ever worked with," adding that the actor "was a sweet, wonderful man." "Everybody Loves Raymond" creator Phil Rosenthal shared, "Our beloved friend and one of the world's funniest people has passed. Rest In Peace Fred. We all love you."
Charles Durning
Prolific actor Charles Durning recurred as Father Hubley, the priest that the Barones turned to in times of need. In one of his more memorable appearances, in the episodes "The Wedding Part 1" and "Part 2," Father Hubley officiated Debra and Ray's wedding in a flashback and then presided over their vow renewal ceremony in present day. He was called "the king of character actors" for his versatility, per USA Today; he moved easily between "Dog Day Afternoon," "The Muppet Movie," and a Sean Penn-directed Shania Twain music video. He even received two back-to-back Oscar nominations, for his work in "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" and "To Be or Not to Be."
While in the military, at only 21 years old, Durning was part of the force that landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, and he was both stabbed and shot in the war. He told The Washington Post that he didn't like to think about what he witnessed that day. "I'd like to have a decade of my life back. I dropped into a void for almost a decade. It's your mind that's hard to heal," he explained. "There are many horrifying secrets in the depths of our souls that we don't want anyone to know about."
Durning passed away on Christmas Eve in 2012 of natural causes, per his obituary in The Hollywood Reporter, at the age of 89.
Katherine Helmond
Katherine Helmond recurred on "Everybody Loves Raymond" as Debra's mother Lois, Ray's mother-in-law. She told the Archive of American Television that she had suggested details about her character to the writers of the sitcom, based on an actual couple that she knew who were completely self-absorbed and only wrapped up in each other, to the detriment of their relationship with their child. "I thought that was quite interesting and quite funny," Helmond said. The "Raymond" writers loved the idea — having Debra's family be indifferent to her forms a perfectly comedic contrast to Ray's over-involved parents — and they incorporated her suggestion into the character of Lois.
Helmond, who also starred in the Terry Gilliam films "Brazil" and "Time Bandits," was otherwise best known as Mona Robinson, Angela's boy-crazy mother on "Who's the Boss?" She passed away in 2019 "of complications from Alzheimer's disease," per her obituary in The Hollywood Reporter. Patricia Heaton, who played her daughter on "Raymond," tweeted, "Katherine Helmond was such a class act and incredibly down to earth. She was terrific as my mother on #EverybodyLovesRaymond and I looked up to her as a role model." Tony Danza, her "Who's the Boss?" co-star, later said that he didn't expect their sitcom to ever be rebooted. "Can't reboot ['Who's the Boss?'] because we've got no Katherine Helmond," he told Good Day New York (via Closer Weekly). "That's why not."
Len Lesser
Character actor Len Lesser had a recurring role as Garvin on "Everybody Loves Raymond," best friend of Ray's ornery dad Frank. Fans will remember the way Garvin always pumped his hands in the air and shook them in excitement any time he saw Ray, whether at a bar, a sauna, or someone's home, shouting his catchphrase, "Hey, Ray's here!" Len Lesser was also well-known as Uncle Leo on "Seinfeld," where his character behaved in a very similar way whenever Jerry entered the room. Lesser was a prolific actor aside from those two roles, having appeared in such iconic films as "Birdman of Alcatraz" and "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and on TV shows ranging from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" to "Boy Meets World."
Lesser died in 2011 of cancer-related pneumonia, per his Associated Press obituary. His daughter Michele told CNN that he had passed peacefully, adding, "He was a great grandpa, and an amazing father. He had a heart of gold — and a sense of humor of platinum."
Jean Stapleton
Very early in the series, iconic actor Jean Stapleton stopped in on "Everybody Loves Raymond" to play Ray's Aunt Alda, Marie's sister. Aunt Alda showed up for a funeral at which Ray was meant to deliver a eulogy, and he found himself nervous to speak in front of her.
Stapleton was, of course, best-known for playing sitcom matriarch Edith Bunker on "All in the Family," and she recalled to the Archive of American Television that "All in the Family" was a "marvelous collaboration." She explained that actors on the show were allowed to dispute the writing of their lines if they felt out of character, which is a rarity in television. The directors told them, "You are in a free theater. Enjoy it and relish it while you have it."
Stapleton passed away in 2013 at the age of 90 from natural causes, per her obituary in the Los Angeles Times. Dick Van Dyke, who starred opposite Stapleton in the film "Cold Turkey," called her "such a sweet lady" on Twitter and shared a video of himself singing the "All in the Family" theme song in her honor. Norman Lear, producer and writer of "All in the Family," told CNN, "No one gave more profound 'how to be a human being' lessons than Jean Stapleton."
Phil Leeds
Phil Leeds, who memorably played a Satanist in "Rosemary's Baby," recurred on "Everybody Loves Raymond" as Uncle Mel, brother of Peter Boyle's Frank. Leeds had a long and prolific career in Hollywood, but he understood what level of famous he was precisely, and he seems to have had a good sense of humor about it. He told the Los Angeles Times, "Here's how I describe myself: I am the guy who people say, 'Here comes what's-his-face.' No one ever knows my name, just my face." In a lovely nod to the actor's contribution to film history, he made a cameo referencing his most iconic role in a "Rosemary's Baby"-themed episode of "Roseanne."
Leeds died in 1998 of pneumonia at the age of 82, per his obituary in Variety. When he passed, he had a recurring role on "Ally McBeal," playing Judge "Happy" Boyle. The seventh episode of "Ally McBeal's" second season was dedicated to the actor and served as a sort of tribute, with all of the characters gathering to remember the departed judge. "I'll never retire," he'd told the Los Angeles Times in 1995, three years before his death. "Time doesn't hang heavily on my hands. I'm very comfortable, I don't need the money, but as they say, you gotta use it or lose it. I keep the blood flowing."
Robert Culp
Prolific actor Robert Culp was best known for his role in "I Spy," where he played a spy alongside Bill Cosby in the '60s. The show was groundbreaking for its depiction of inter-racial relations; some television stations refused to even air it, so controversial was the idea of a Black man working with a white one. Culp told the Archive of American Television that he was willing to defer to Cosby for how to handle the racist backlash to the show, and that he followed Cosby's lead when the comedian essentially declared that the show is their statement. However, it wasn't all tense; Culp clarified, "I never had so much fun in my life. Ever. Before or since. And I've had a lot of fun in this business."
On "Everybody Loves Raymond," he played Warren, Debra's father, opposite Katherine Helmond as her mother. They made their first appearance in the Season 1 episode called "The In-Laws," which series creator Phil Rosenthal told the Archive of American Television has "special meaning" to him, as he was almost fired as showrunner during production. "Katherine Helmond and Robert Culp played Debra's parents, and they stayed with us for nine years, and they were fantastic," he said.
Culp died in 2010 due to injuries suffered in a fall, according to his CNN obituary. The trailblazing actor lived to be 79 years old.