List of Everybody Loves Raymond characters
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This is a list of fictional characters from Everybody Loves Raymond, an American sitcom, originally broadcast on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005.
The show revolves around the life of Italian-American Ray Barone, a sportswriter from Long Island, and his wife, Debra Barone. Other main characters include Ray's parents, Frank and Marie, Ray's children Ally, Michael and Geoffrey and Ray's brother Robert, with his wife Amy.
Contents
Main characters
| Actor | Role | Seasons | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Romano | Raymond "Ray" Barone | All 9 | 210 |
| Patricia Heaton | Debra Barone | 209 | |
| Brad Garrett | Robert Charles Barone | ||
| Doris Roberts | Marie Barone | 210 | |
| Peter Boyle | Frank Barone | 206 | |
| Madylin Sweeten | Alexandra "Ally" Barone | 146 | |
| Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten | Michael and Geoffrey Barone | 136 | |
| Monica Horan | Amy MacDougall-Barone | 64 |
Ray Barone
| Raymond Albert Barone | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Last appearance | "The Finale" Final character appearance: King of Queens – "Raygin' Bulls" |
| Created by | Ray Romano & Philip Rosenthal |
| Portrayed by | Ray Romano |
| Number of episodes | 210 |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Sportswriter |
| Family | Frank Barone (father) Marie Barone (mother) Robert Barone (brother) Mel Barone (uncle) |
| Spouse | Debra Barone (since 1988) |
| Children | Alexandra "Ally" Barone (daughter) Geoffrey Barone (twin son) Michael Barone (twin son) |
| Relatives | Warren Whelan (father-in-law) Lois Whelan (mother-in-law) Amy MacDougall-Barone (sister-in-law) Jennifer Whelan (sister-in-law) Gerard (maternal cousin) |
Raymond Albert "Ray" Barone (Ray Romano) is the protagonist of the sitcom. Most of the series’ storylines revolve around him, hence the title of the show. He lives on Long Island, with his wife Debra and their three children Ally and twin boys, Michael and Geoffrey Barone. He attended St. Johns University (New York) in Queens, New York. Ray is well-known through the community due to his profession as a sportswriter for Newsday. In some episodes, he is seen reviewing a famous sportsperson. However, this is shown to have subsided in the later seasons. Due to the nature of his work, Ray is often seen on the couch, watching sports, rather than assisting Debra with household duties and the children.
At times Raymond appears rather introverted. He often rants in a nasal, whiny voice. His fears include not being liked by everyone and confronting his parents, particularly his mother. He often gets annoyed because he feels that he and Debra lack intimacy. He is also promoted as chief sports writer.
Parts of the backstory of his childhood have explained Raymond’s attitude and personality as an adult. Raymond and Robert were spoiled by their mother. However, their father, who worked long hours, had been neglectful in showing them affection and instead showed verbal abuse. Ray has sometimes shown this pattern of behavior in his reluctance to participate with his own children.
A running gag in the show is how much Ray was mothered and spoiled by his mother, while Robert was neglected. Raymond was pampered by Marie, which in turn, made him lazy and causing him to act like a child, and very often, to defend himself to Debra, he goes to Marie for advice and protection. He is also very scared of her and often sides with her instead of Debra.
The character has made several crossover appearances:
- 1997: Cosby – "Lucas Raymondicus"
- 1998: The Nanny – "The Reunion Show"
- 1998–2005: The King of Queens (4 episodes)
- 1999: Becker – "Drive, They Said"
Debra Barone
| Debra Louise Whelan Barone | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Last appearance | "The Finale" |
| Portrayed by | Patricia Heaton |
| Number of episodes | 209 |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Homemaker |
| Family | Warren Whelan (father) Lois Whelan (mother) Jennifer Whelan (sister) |
| Spouse | Raymond Barone (since 1988) |
| Children | Alexandra "Ally" Barone (daughter) Geoffrey Barone (twin son) Michael Barone (twin son) |
| Relatives | Frank Barone (father-in-law) Marie Barone (mother-in-law) Robert Barone (brother-in-law) Amy MacDougall-Barone (sister-in-law) Mel Barone (uncle-in-law) Gerard (cousin-in-law) |
Debra Louise Whelan-Barone (Patricia Heaton), is the wife of Ray. She was raised by wealthy parents, Lois (Katherine Helmond) and Warren Whelan (Robert Culp), and grew up in an upper-class background, unlike the other major characters in the sitcom. She has a sister, Jennifer Whelan (Ashley Crow), who is seen only once in the entire series. Following her graduation from high school, she traveled a lot and dated many famous sportspeople. Before marrying Ray, she worked in public relations for the New York Rangers hockey team.
Debra is vulnerable and emotionally sensitive. She is unhappy as a housewife, having to put up not only with Ray’s immature jokes and lazy behavior, but more with his intrusive family members, who often barge in uninvited, leaving havoc in their wake. Though Ray's parents frustrate her, she rarely shows her feelings to them, resulting in occasional bursts in private of yelling, stomping, and throwing objects.
Debra has a feud with Marie, who shows a large amount of distaste of her ability to be a mother and a wife. Throughout the series, Debra often finds Robert the most patient of the Barones, and at times she is shown to get along well with Frank, who thinks of her as a daughter and understands Debra's intolerance towards Marie.
She is also depressed about her parents when they were in an argument, and she was distraught when they were divorcing. Even though she grew up in a traditional conservative family, she was a free-spirited and a popular teen in her early years. Ray once noted that, during college, she went to Mardi Gras and flashed her breasts to many people who gave her beads and also ended up topless in the newspaper.
Her main catchphrase is, usually addressed to Ray in an ominous voice when he has done something bad, "What did you do?"
Barone children
- Alexandra "Ally" Barone (154 episodes; played by Madylin Sweeten) – Ray and Debra's only daughter. She is six years old at the beginning of the series, and is fourteen by the series finale. She was named for Romano's real-life daughter. In the beginning, she is somewhat mischievous and naughty much like her brothers, but becomes loyal and helpful by the end. However, she still occasionally fibs and answers back to her parents if she doesn't get what she wants, such as a $250 silk dress which would only be worn once.
- Geoffrey and Michael Barone (130 episodes; played by Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten) – Ray and Debra's identical twin sons. They are two years old at the beginning of the series and are ten years old by the series finale. A running joke is Frank's insistence that Geoffrey may have homosexual tendencies, such as when he walks in on the two boys rehearsing to play fairies in a school production. The two are stereotypically playful, energetic, and prone to causing chaos even without trying but in general are well-behaved. (In the pilot episode, they were played by a different set of twins plus a set of triplets and were called "Gregory" and "Matthew" after Romano's real-life twin sons.)
Marie Barone
| Marie Janella Barone | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Last appearance | "Finale" |
| Portrayed by | Doris Roberts |
| Number of episodes | 210 |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Homemaker |
| Spouse | Frank Barone (since 1957) |
| Children | Raymond "Ray" Barone (son) Robert Barone (son) |
| Relatives | Debra Barone (daughter-in-law) Amy MacDougall-Barone (daughter-in-law) Alexandra "Ally" Barone (granddaughter) Geoffrey Barone (grandson) Michael Barone (grandson) Mel Barone (brother-in-law) Gerard (nephew) |
Marie Janella Barone (Doris Roberts) is the wife of Frank, and matriarch of the Barone family. As a housewife, she excels in household duties, including cooking, cleaning, and generally keeping and maintaining a good household. Marie appears to have narcissistic personality disorder, and her treatment of people due to this becomes a focal point of several episodes of the show. She is very nosy, snobbish, arrogant, insulting, and has a strong hold over her family due to her penchant for her likely narcissistic abuse, bullying those around her with guilt and a victim complex to get her way. She has very high self-esteem and regards herself as a positive example of what every wife, mother and woman should be, but in reality is responsible for a majority of the misery and conflict within the Barone family. She takes special pride in her Italian background and even arranges a tour of Italy for the whole family out of her own savings.
Throughout the series, she is shown to have favorites with certain people, with her son Raymond being the first and Debra being possibly the last. Other than Frank, everyone has a hard time standing up to Marie due to her ability of making people feel guilty, although Debra does occasionally take a stand. She is well aware of Raymond’s reluctance to stand up to her, and in many situations takes advantage of this to achieve her own interests.
It is established in the flashbacks of "How They Met" that she has never liked Debra ever since Debra asked Ray to fix her futon at dinner time, but Marie has never admitted her dislike of Debra outright and is careful about not saying it out loud, but she never ceases the chance to annoy her or indirectly insult her on many occasions just for her own pleasure.
She has saved a little money on the side every day and admitted to Debra that she collected over $46,000 since her wedding. She also sends money to South America to a fundraiser. She is also shown to actually control the family's finances in front of Frank, who always thought he was the one in charge and remained oblivious to much of her savings or expenses.
As her boys were growing up, she spoiled her younger son while completely cutting Robert out of the picture. (In a later episode, she claims that this was because Robert was able to take care of himself and was independent, in contrast to Ray who was a sensitive, timid, needy little boy; but this was said just to manipulate Robert into getting Amy pregnant, as both he and Raymond note and Marie herself winks to Ray, indicating this is another manipulation). In some cases, however, she is shown to care and be overprotective of Robert as well. This includes when he had nightmares growing up, when he was gored by a bull, when he was interviewing for an FBI position, and her frequent attempts to get Robert out of the police force in effort to keep him safe.
Marie is also seen constantly arguing with her husband Frank in nearly every episode, with them constantly fighting and annoying each other. However, in some situations, there have been times when they do evidence their love for one another, despite their reluctance to be open with it. Much to Debra's annoyance, even Debra's parents find them more interesting, since they are honest to each other.
Her catchphrase is "I don't like that, [insert name]." whenever anyone says anything inappropriate.
The final episode reveals that her birthday is December 9 (this was one of Frank's classic "one-liners" as he adds "1802").
The character has also appeared in the King of Queens episode "Rayny Day".
Frank Barone
| Frank Oscar Barone | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Last appearance | "Finale" |
| Portrayed by | Peter Boyle |
| Number of episodes | 207 |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Bookkeeper (retired) |
| Spouse | Marie Barone (since 1957) |
| Children | Raymond "Ray" Barone (son) Robert Barone (son) |
| Relatives | Debra Barone (daughter-in-law) Amy MacDougall-Barone (daughter-in-law) Alexandra "Ally" Barone (granddaughter) Geoffrey Barone (grandson) Michael Barone (grandson) Mel Barone (older brother) Gerard (nephew by marriage) |
Francis Oscar "Frank" Barone (Peter Boyle) is the husband of Marie and a retired bookkeeper. In the episode "The Gift" (season 2), it is Frank's 65th birthday, making his year of birth 1932. He can be seen as aggressive, selfish, uncaring, and masculine. Although it is briefly mentioned that he has a sensitive side, Frank refuses to accept it. In episodes like "Pet the Bunny", "Christmas Present", "Fathers Knows Least" and "Frank Goes Downstairs", he indicates that, though capable of patience and kindness, he deliberately cultivates a tough guy persona. However, Frank is sometimes shown to be a good family man, such as taking the fall for Debra when Marie's prized canister goes missing or even trying to console Robert after he becomes morose from a breakup.
He is always seen at Ray and Debra’s house on the black armchair with his pants unbuttoned and zipper open watching sports or at home ordering Marie to prepare his meals while sitting and reading the paper. During his sons’ childhood, Frank was virtually absent and had refused to show any sign of affection and love to either boy. He was constantly at loggerheads with his wife Marie to how the boys were to be raised. He is very opinionated, outspoken, and has no problem insulting family members and strangers out in the open (this applies in particular to his wife, Marie). He calls men names like "Nancy", "Shirley", "Peaches", and "Mary" who do not live up to his standards to what it takes to be a man. His main catchphrase on the show is "Holy crap".
Throughout the sitcom, Frank is shown to have socially conservative values, particularly regarding minority groups such as gays and lesbians, and ethnic groups such as the Koreans and Japanese to which he occasionally mutters "Japanese crap". He doesn’t follow or accept anything outside the social norms, to which Marie proclaims "Frank lives in blissful ignorance". Despite Marie’s constant self-regard, she is accepting of these minority groups. Much to other characters' dismay, he's not above engaging in illegal or dubious activities such as gambling or stealing cable from Ray.
In his spare time, Frank is a skilled handyman and a history buff, with a particular interest in the American Civil War. He's frequently seen making repairs in Ray and Debra's house, and in "Frank Goes Downstairs" is injured while fixing their staircase. His regular get-away activity is having naked pool bath with his elderly friends at a community center referred to as "the lodge". On every other Saturday, he takes Raymond's children to The Happy Zone.
Frank is also a war veteran. He fought in the Korean War and he uses this as a reference for recounting stories of survival and how he came to be a "man". In one particular incident, where all three Barone men were pretending to go to counseling sessions it was revealed that Ray and Robert had a long line of physically disciplinarian grandparents. However, Frank vowed to never be physically abusive towards his sons, never enforcing corporal punishment on them and never engaging in anything more than yelling at them.
Though for the most part largely anti-social and honest in his relationships with others, he is often depicted as the only member of the family who is not only unafraid of Marie, but the only one who will put his foot down and stand up to her, much to the combined relief and horror of the other characters. Many of their arguments revolve around trivial and even irrational subjects, such as who invented the lawn and literally comparing apples and oranges.
They also come into conflict over Debra, whom Frank, unlike Marie, overwhelmingly loves, and even tends to be more affectionate with than he is with either of his sons. True to his blunt personality, in one episode in which the entire family (the adults) were at a counseling session with their church priest Father Hubley, he yelled out in front of everyone that the main reason why Marie looks down on Debra – "She [Debra] married him [Raymond], and [Marie] still can't deal with it."
Robert Barone
| Robert Charles Barone | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Pilot" |
| Last appearance | "Finale" |
| Portrayed by | Brad Garrett |
| Number of episodes | 209 |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Police Officer (NYPD) |
| Family | Frank Barone (father) Marie Barone (mother) Raymond "Ray" Barone (brother) Mel Barone (uncle) |
| Spouse | Joanne Glotz (1994–1995; divorced) Amy MacDougall-Barone (since 2003) |
| Relatives | Debra Barone (sister-in-law) Hank MacDougall (father-in-law) Pat MacDougall (mother-in-law) Peter MacDougall (brother-in-law) Alexandra "Ally" Barone (niece) Geoffrey Barone (nephew) Michael Barone (nephew) Gerard (maternal cousin) |
Robert Charles Barone (Brad Garrett) is Raymond's older brother (4 years older than Ray) and the first-born son of Frank and Marie. His birthday is April 6 and his birth weight was 12 pounds (5443 g). Standing at 6' 8½" (204 cm), he is the tallest Barone, and has several quirks, the biggest being a nervous habit of touching food to his chin before eating it, commonly known as the "Crazy Chin", which he developed to cope with anxiety which started when Raymond was born and all of Marie's attention turned to Raymond. Robert is a loving uncle and still deeply cares for his little brother Raymond. Robert has been a police officer with the N.Y.P.D for 27 years, eventually attaining the rank of Sergeant and then, by the end of the series, Lieutenant. His height, appearance and demeanor are the source of much humor, but despite his imposing size, Robert is a very skilled dancer.
After divorcing his first wife Joanne in 1995, Robert moved back in with his parents, became a workaholic, and was acknowledged by the NYPD for never being absent one day of his career for three years straight. Robert's advanced skills as a police officer even got him an interview with the FBI, but his mother intentionally interfered in the interview process. Robert was passed over but simply because the other candidates were more qualified. He was injured on the job when he was gored in the bottom by a bull. When he returned, he left the police force out of a lack of self-confidence, and became a telemarketer. Later, he took a side job as an alarm salesman for a brief time (one episode) but returned to the NYPD, mainly with Raymond's help.
Robert dated Debra's best friend Amy MacDougall for several years, despite a number of breakups. 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 for $26,000, but they had to welcome them back in when the elder Barones were kicked out of a retirement community in New Jersey in the episode "Not So Fast."
Robert is very jealous of his brother Raymond, who was favored by their mother, and though Robert is four years older than Ray and much taller, he constantly feels as if he's stuck in Ray's shadow. Despite the obvious favoring of Ray, Marie has claimed that there was never any favoritism. He has a very dark sense of humor and will make fun of Raymond to no end to get a little belated revenge. He is also known for being very passive-aggressive.
While he enjoys taunting Ray himself, Robert is very protective of his younger brother; in one episode, he overhears a radio sports show host insulting Ray at length and angrily humiliates the man in retaliation. He also respects Ray as a well-meaning, if generally absent, father, in the pattern of Frank. Robert serves as the moral conscience in the family, as the most virtuous of the characters, and often pleads with others when they are considering doing something questionable.
Robert's catchphrase in the show is when he finds the family gathered together silent and says: "Is this about me?"
Amy MacDougall-Barone
| Amy Louise MacDougall-Barone | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | "Who's Handsome?" |
| Last appearance | "The Finale" |
| Portrayed by | Monica Horan |
| Number of episodes | 66 |
| Information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Family | Hank MacDougall (father) Pat MacDougall (mother) Peter MacDougall (brother) |
| Spouse | Robert Barone (since 2003) |
| Relatives | Frank Barone (father-in-law) Marie Barone (mother-in-law) Ray Barone (brother-in-law) Debra Whelan-Barone (sister-in-law) Alexandra "Ally" Barone (niece by marriage) Geoffrey Barone (nephew by marriage) Michael Barone (nephew by marriage) Mel Barone (uncle-in-law) Gerard (cousin in-law) |
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