Ray Romano Reveals How His Wife Felt About Patricia Heaton's Iconic 'Everybody Loves Raymond' Character

Published: June 17, 2025

Ray Romano recently opened up about the parallels between his real marriage to Anna Scarpulla and his on-screen relationship with Patricia Heaton in Everybody Loves Raymond. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Romano shared how his wife felt about Heaton's iconic character, Debra Barone.

"My wife would watch the show and she loved it when Patricia [Heaton] would call me on my crap because she did," Romano joked. "We were watching a scene once, my wife and I, we were in bed watching it, and she watched a scene with me and Patty and she said, 'You just talked to her in that scene more than you've talked to me the whole week.' And I told her, 'Well, we have writers though. They write for me.'"

Romano continued to share how his personal life played a role in the show. "I brought everything from my life to the show just like [show creator] Phil [Rosenthal] did, and we would write those stories. I think Patty was in love and as frustrated with her husband as much as her character was on the show with me."

The actor also shared how the popular show, which aired for nine seasons from 1996 to 2005, changed his life. "I was a working stand-up comic before the show and I was making a living doing stand-up. Let me just say this, I love doing stand up. I'm passionate about it. I still am," he said. "I had three kids at the time and I thought, if there's another level, maybe it'll happen now. It was 11 years into my stand-up career and it wasn't really happening."

Romano recalled appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman, where he was then "signed to a deal to develop the show." "And here we are," Romano continued. "[Everybody Loves Raymond] changed my life. It changed my family's life. I've made such great friends. It changed my career. I've gotten from that show to continue acting and to work with [Martin] Scorsese. What's happening? That can't be right."

Heaton also told PEOPLE about her special relationship with Romano that led to the creation of one of the most popular TV families. "We have this wonderful relationship. Whatever was happening in the writers' lives at home, they would write stories about that," Heaton, 67, said. "And so it was like that with all of us. I'd get a script and it would be just what I was going through at home with my husband."