Patricia Heaton
Actress
About This Interview
Patricia Heaton was interviewed for nearly two hours in Burbank, CA. Heaton talks of growing up a "daydreamer" in Cleveland and enjoying the attention she got as the daughter of Chuck Heaton, a well-known local sportswriter. She describes her early years as a struggling actress in New York City and Los Angeles, picking up small roles in commercials and television series. She discusses her recurring role in the hit dramedy series thirtysomething and her co-starring roles in the short-lived series Room for Two (opposite Linda Lavin, who mentored her) and Women of the House. Heaton then details the role and series for which she is best known, "Debra Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond. She chronicles her work on the series from her audition, to shooting the series finale (which was delayed when she contracted laryngitis). She describes the series' shooting schedule, working with series' directors Gary Halvorson and Will MacKenzie, and how her real-life pregnancies were covered up on the show. She also notes some of the moments of the show that garnered the biggest laughs, including: Debra's desperate attempts to get a turkey in the oven, Raymond trying lift Debra onto the refrigerator in a moment of glee and slamming her into it, and Debra dropping ice cream on Raymond's lap (eliciting a "minute and a half laugh"). Lastly, she touches on her appearances as spokesperson for Albertsons grocery stores and on some of her post-Raymond television movies. Karen Herman conducted the interview on October 23, 2006.
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Highlights
Patricia Heaton on "Debra Barone," her character on Everybody Loves Raymond
Clip begins at: 13:04, Duration: 08m 55s
Patricia Heaton on working with Ray Romano
Clip begins at: 05:06, Duration: 02m 33s
Patricia Heaton on the series finale of Everybody Loves Raymond
Clip begins at: 26:57, Duration: 02m 06s- Patricia Heaton on winning an Emmy for the "Bad Moon Rising" episode of Everybody Loves Raymond
Clip begins at: 18:58, Duration: 01m 14s - Patricia Heaton on the legacy of Everybody Loves Raymond as a classic comedy
Clip begins at: 03:28, Duration: 01m 38s
Interview
- Part 1
- On her childhood and early influences; on her father being a local sportswriter in Cleveland and a minor celebrity; on always enjoying performing; on working at the ABC affiliate in Cleveland; on moving to New York; on TV shows she enjoyed as a child; on her childhood daydreams
Clip begins at: 0:33 - On her first professional job; on working odd jobs in New York to get by; on moving to Los Angeles to produce a play; on acting tips from William Esper; on forming a theater company; on her first television work in LA; on her first steady television gig on Thirtysomething; on Room for Two with Linda Lavin
Clip begins at: 13:34 - Part 2
- On Room for Two going off the air; on playing a mother on Someone Like Me; on a guest appearance on Party of Five as Jennifer Love Hewitt's birth mother; on her role on Women of the House with Delta Burke; on reading for the pilot of Everybody Loves Raymond
Clip begins at: 0:20 - On "Debra Barone," her character on Everybody Loves Raymond; on the benefits of performing in front of a live audience; on the relationship between "Debra Barone" and her family on Everybody Loves Raymond
Clip begins at: 13:04 - Part 3
- On her Everybody Loves Raymond character "Debra's" relationship with friend "Amy"; on her wardrobe on the show; on how the show dealt with her pregnancies; on working with Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal; on her interactions with the show's writers and directors; on a typical work week on the show
Clip begins at: 0:23 - On her favorite episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond; on winning an Emmy for the "Bad Moon Rising" episode; on the series finale
Clip begins at: 14:03 - Part 4
- On working with director Will Mackenzie on Everybody Loves Raymond; on winning her first and second Emmy for the show; on the legacy of the program; on working with Ray Romano; on being an Albertson's spokesperson
Clip begins at: 0:20 - On pilots since Everybody Loves Raymond; on then-current projects; on her production company, Four Boys; on her proudest career achievement; on advice to an aspiring actress
Clip begins at: 09:38
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I think that she is absolutely gorgeous and would to meet her
This is the best interview I've seen with her. Thank you!
She's right about "Room For Two": Great show, underrated by its network, cancelled too soon. Had it run longer, she and Linda Lavin would have gotten Emmy nominations.
I Love Patricia.
The Middle is just watchable for me because of her.
She is wasting her youthful good looks on the middle being frumpy.
Get back to being so good looking.
Please.
I can watch you easier than worring about losing your recordable youth.
Any age is good but your Hotter than you portray. So be frumpy later. Your Pal Vic
I have loved Ms. Heaton's great talent on "Everybody Loves Raymond" & "The Middle". I don't think I will able to enjoy either of those shows (ELR is syndicated in my
area & has reruns daily) very much now that I've heard Ms. Heaton's rants against Ms. Fluke. She is old
enough to know better- I'm only 6 yrs. older than her and was treated in
college with birth control pills in early
1970 for health problems. I was a virgin & stayed that way even though I was on the pill. I'm now the
proud mother of a 32 yr.old son. Her
comments re: Ms.Fluke were ignorant & hurtful.
Just so I'm not anonymous, I left the comment about Heaton's Twitter attack on Fluke.
She supports Limbaughs hateful comments directed towards a young woman when he called that woman a slut and then Heaton went on twitter doing the same, she is a shameful excuse for a human being.
She's so talented!! I just love and admire her so much!! Thanks
What a terrific interview. I love her even more than I thought!
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