Bio
Ray Romano is an American actor and comedian best known for his starring role on the comedy series Everybody Loves Raymond, from 1996-2005.
As Ray Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond, Romano was part of one of the most respected sitcoms in television history. He won numerous awards, including the 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and two additional Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series as executive producer of the show.
Along with the rest of the cast, he earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2003.
He won the People’s Choice Award as Favorite Male TV Performer in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005, while the show picked up the award for Favorite Television Comedy in 2005.
Romano admits he always knew he could make his friends laugh but never really gave stand-up comedy any serious thought until one fateful open-mic night at a New York comedy club in 1984. He did well, the bug bit hard and Romano was smitten.
After various odd jobs, including working as a futon mattress delivery man and bank teller by day and comedian by night, he decided to leave the 9-to-5 ranks and pursue comedy full time.
After winning a standup comedy competition sponsored by a major New York radio station, Romano continued to regularly perform at comedy clubs through out the country, leading to appearances on The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman.
The latter led to a development deal with Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants, and the creation of the hit Everybody Loves Raymond.
Romano made his big screen debut as the voice of Manny the woolly mammoth in the hit animated film Ice Age, which was followed up by two hit sequels.
He also starred in Eulogy, Welcome to Mooseport with Gene Hackman, Grilled with Kevin James and Burt Reynolds, The Grand with Woody Harrelson, and 95 Miles To Go, an autobiographical documentary about Romano’s life on tour.
Romano is the author of The New York Times bestseller Everything and a Kite and the children’s book Raymie, Dickie, and The Bean: Why I Love and Hate My Brothers, co-written with his brothers Bobby and Rich Romano.
The audio version of the book was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for Best Spoken Word album. Romano’s comedy album, Live at Carnegie Hall, was nominated for a Grammy in 2002.
Romano lives in California with his wife and four children.