Doris Roberts

Actress

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In her two-and-a-half-hour interview, Doris Roberts (1930-2016) recalls how legendary comedian Lily Tomlin discovered her in a Broadway play and brought her to Los Angeles to perform on The Lily Tomlin Comedy Hour. Roberts shares the tale of how getting fired from Maude was a blessing in disguise and discusses her work as a regular on two hit television series in the 1980s: Angie and Remington Steele. She speaks of her guest appearance on St. Elsewhere, for which she won an Emmy award, and details the role for which she is best known, that of "Marie Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond. Roberts describes her approach to the character, her thoughts on fellow cast members, and her recollections of favorite episodes. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on April 26, 2005 in Los Angeles, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"I can make you both cry and laugh in the same sentence. That's my talent and I'm very proud of that."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Doris Roberts on her ability to mix the comedic and the dramatic on Everybody Loves Raymond

00:54

Doris Roberts on a heartfelt fan letter she received in response to Angie

01:25

Doris Roberts on how she came to be cast on Remington Steele

04:14

Doris Roberts on meeting 9/11 first responders and finding out how much Everybody Loves Raymond meant to them

02:04

Doris Roberts on how she would like to be remembered

00:36

Doris Roberts on the Everybody Loves Raymond episode "The Wallpaper" where "Marie" and "Frank" crash a car into "Ray's" living room

01:17

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On her childhood and early influences; on studying acting at NYU, the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, and The Actors Studio; on her professional stage debut in William Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life"

On her early roles on television, in films, and on stage; on being discovered by Lily Tomlin and moving to Los Angeles; on nearly being cast on Maude and other television appearances

Chapter 2

On her various television and film appearances in the 1970's; on Angie

On appearing on Fantasy Island and The Love Boat; on The Diary of Anne Frank; on being cast on St. Elsewhere, her character on the show, and winning an Emmy for her role

Chapter 3

On Remington Steele; on other shows she appeared on in the 1980's: Fairytale Theater, Perfect Strangers, Full House, Dream On

On being cast on Everybody Loves Raymond; on her Everybody Loves Raymond character, "Marie Barone"; on working with Ray Romano

Chapter 4

On her working with the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond: Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, and Peter Boyle; on the series finale of Everybody Loves Raymond

On stunts performing her own stunts; on a typical work week on Everybody Loves Raymond; on working with show creator Phil Rosenthal and various directors on Everybody Loves Raymond; on the "Italy" episodes of the show

Chapter 5

On various episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond; on the cast of the show having been in New York City on 9/11; on her Emmy Award wins

On the challenges of being an older woman in Hollywood and beyond; on the legacy of Everybody Loves Raymond; on advice to aspiring actors and how she would like to be remembered

Chapter 6

On photos and objects from her career: four Emmy Awards and SAG Awards; photos with Hillary Clinton and Tony Danza; photos of Leslie Moonves and James Coco; photos of Peter Boyle

Shows

All in the Family

Doris Roberts on appearing on All in the Family

00:53

Angie

Doris Roberts on Angie

08:02

Doris Roberts on a heartfelt fan letter she received in response to Angie

01:25

Doris Roberts on a line she refused to say on Angie

02:15

Barney Miller

Doris Roberts on appearing on Barney Miller

00:24

Diary of Anne Frank, The

Doris Roberts on appearing in The Diary of Anne Frank

02:05

Dream On

Doris Roberts on her appearance on Dream On

01:01

Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)

Doris Roberts on being nominated for an Emmy for her role on St. Elsewhere and what her husband, William Goyen, who was very ill said about her then-recent appearance on The Love Boat

00:27

Doris Roberts on both she and James Coco winning Emmys for St. Elsewhere

01:45

Doris Roberts on her Emmy Award wins, as well as other award wins

01:15

Everybody Loves Raymond

Doris Roberts on being cast on Everybody Loves Raymond

01:51

Doris Roberts on her character "Marie Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

06:16

Doris Roberts on the costuming of her character "Marie Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

01:48

Doris Roberts on her character, "Marie Barone's" relationship with Ray Romano's character, "Ray Barone," on Everybody Loves Raymond

03:26

Doris Roberts on her ability to mix the comedic and the dramatic on Everybody Loves Raymond

00:54

Doris Roberts on working with Patricia Heaton as "Debra Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

01:06

Doris Roberts on her creative input on Everybody Loves Raymond

02:48

Doris Roberts on her character "Marie Barone's" relationship with Patricia Heaton's character, "Debra Barone," and Peter Boyle's character "Frank Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

00:54

Doris Roberts on working with Brad Garrett as "Robert Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

02:08

Doris Roberts on her character "Marie Barone's" relationship with Peter Boyle's character, "Frank Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

02:05

Doris Roberts on the series finale of Everybody Loves Raymond

02:20

Doris Roberts on the Everybody Loves Raymond episode "The Wallpaper" where "Marie" and "Frank" crash a car into "Ray's" living room

01:17

Doris Roberts on a typical work week on Everybody Loves Raymond

04:08

Doris Roberts on Everybody Loves Raymond creator and show runner Phil Rosenthal

01:43

Doris Roberts on various directors she worked with on Everybody Loves Raymond

02:43

Doris Roberts on the "Italy" episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond and shooting in Italy

01:57

Doris Roberts on various episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond

06:33

Doris Roberts on her favorite episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond

00:40

Doris Roberts on meeting 9/11 first responders and finding out how much Everybody Loves Raymond meant to them

02:04

Doris Roberts on the series finale of Everybody Loves Raymond

01:50

Doris Roberts on where she imagines her Everybody Loves Raymond character "Marie Barone" will be beyond the end of the series

00:43

Doris Roberts on the legacy of Everybody Loves Raymond

01:22

Lily Tomlin Comedy Hour

Doris Roberts on being discovered by Lily Tomlin and moving to Los Angeles to appear on The Lily Tomlin Comedy Hour

00:42

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

Doris Roberts on playing "Dorelda Doremus" on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

01:02

Maude

Doris Roberts on being offered a regular role on Maude and then being fired before she appeared on the show

02:44

Remington Steele

Doris Roberts on how she came to be cast on Remington Steele

04:14

Doris Roberts on Remington Steele

12:56

Doris Roberts on her character "Mildred Krebs" on Remington Steele

01:13

Ruby and Oswald

Doris Roberts on appearing in the television movie Ruby and Oswald

01:32

Soap

Doris Roberts on playing "Flo Flotsky" on Soap

01:23

St. Elsewhere

Doris Roberts on being nominated for an Emmy Award for her role on St. Elsewhere and what her husband, William Goyen, who was very ill said about her then-recent appearance on The Love Boat

00:27

Doris Roberts on St. Elsewhere

07:52

Doris Roberts on how she came to be cast as "Cora" on St. Elsewhere

01:14

Doris Roberts on doing research for her role on St. Elsewhere and how she translated that into her acting

00:49

Studio One

Doris Roberts on appearing on an episode of Studio One

01:18

Topics

1939-40 World's Fair

Doris Roberts on seeing television at the 1939-40 World's Fair

00:49

9/11

Doris Roberts on the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond having been in New York City on 9/11

05:40

Doris Roberts on meeting 9/11 first responders and finding out how much Everybody Loves Raymond meant to them

02:04

Advice

Doris Roberts on advice to aspiring actors

03:11

Classic TV series episodes

Doris Roberts on the Everybody Loves Raymond episode "The Wallpaper" where "Marie" and "Frank" crash a car into "Ray's" living room

01:17

Comedy

Doris Roberts on the Everybody Loves Raymond episode "The Wallpaper" where "Marie" and "Frank" crash a car into "Ray's" living room

01:17

Emmy Awards

Doris Roberts on being nominated for an Emmy for her role on St. Elsewhere and what her husband, William Goyen, who was very ill said about her then-recent appearance on The Love Boat

00:27

Doris Roberts on both she and James Coco winning Emmys for St. Elsewhere

01:45

Doris Roberts on her Emmy wins, as well as other award wins

01:15

Historic Events and Social Change

Doris Roberts on seeing television at the 1939-40 World's Fair

00:49

Doris Roberts on the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond having been in New York City on 9/11

05:40

Doris Roberts on meeting 9/11 first responders and finding out how much Everybody Loves Raymond meant to them

02:04

Doris Roberts on the challenge of being an older woman in Hollywood and beyond

04:13

Pop Culture

Doris Roberts on the Everybody Loves Raymond episode "The Wallpaper" where "Marie" and "Frank" crash a car into "Ray's" living room

01:17

Representation on Television

Doris Roberts on the challenge of being an older woman in Hollywood and beyond

04:13

Television Industry

Doris Roberts on advice to aspiring actors

03:11

Women

Doris Roberts on the challenge of being an older woman in Hollywood and beyond

04:13

Professions

Actor

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Doris Roberts on advice to aspiring actors

03:11

Actress

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Doris Roberts on the difference between acting on stage and acting on television

00:32

Performers

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Doris Roberts on the difference between acting on stage and acting on television

00:32

Doris Roberts on advice to aspiring actors

03:11

Genres

Awards Shows

Doris Roberts on both she and James Coco winning Emmys for St. Elsewhere

01:45

Doris Roberts on her Emmy Award wins, as well as other award wins

01:15

Classic Anthology Series

Doris Roberts on appearing on Studio One, Playhouse 9 0, and other classic anthology series

02:34

Comedy Series

Doris Roberts on being offered a regular role on Maude and then being fired before she appeared on the show

02:44

Doris Roberts on appearing on All in the Family

00:53

Doris Roberts on playing "Dorelda Doremus" on Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman

01:02

Doris Roberts on playing "Flo Flotsky" on Soap

01:23

Doris Roberts on appearing on Barney Miller

00:24

Doris Roberts on Angie

08:02

Doris Roberts on her appearance on Dream On

01:01

Doris Roberts on Everybody Loves Raymond (Part 1)

11:58

Doris Roberts on Everybody Loves Raymond (Part 2)

28:38

Doris Roberts on Everybody Loves Raymond (Part 3)

14:48

Doris Roberts on Everybody Loves Raymond (Part 4)

03:55

Commercials

Doris Roberts on appearing in Glade commercials

00:36

Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

Doris Roberts on Remington Steele

12:56

Medical Dramas

Doris Roberts on St. Elsewhere

07:40

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

Doris Roberts on appearing in the television movie Ruby and Oswald

01:31

Doris Roberts on appearing in The Diary of Anne Frank

01:36

People

Beatrice Arthur

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Doris Roberts on being offered a regular role on Maude and then being fired before she appeared on the show due to her similarity to Beatrice Arthur

02:44

Brad Garrett

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Doris Roberts on working with Brad Garrett as "Robert Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

02:08

Garry Marshall

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Doris Roberts on Angie and its relationship to Garry Marshall's other shows, including Mork & Mindy

00:50

Gary Halvorson

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Doris Roberts on working with director Gary Halvorson on Everybody Loves Raymond

01:23

James Coco

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Doris Roberts on her close friendship with James Coco

01:23

Doris Roberts on both she and James Coco winning Emmys for St. Elsewhere

01:45

Doris Roberts on the relationship between her and James Coco's characters, "Cora" and "Arnie," on St. Elsewhere

00:49

James Dean

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Doris Roberts on Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, who she studied with at The Actors Studio

02:12

Jerry Zaks

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Doris Roberts on working with director Jerry Zaks on Everybody Loves Raymond

00:38

Katherine Helmond

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Doris Roberts on appearing on Soap with Katherine Helmond

00:21

Leslie Moonves

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Doris Roberts on Leslie Moonves telling her about Everybody Loves Raymond: "You're the center of it, my dear. There's no show without you"

00:42

Lily Tomlin

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Doris Roberts on being discovered by Lily Tomlin and moving to Los Angeles to appear on The Lily Tomlin Comedy Hour

00:42

Maria Riva

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Doris Roberts on appearing on an early "live" television show with Maria Riva and Marlene Dietrich visiting the set

00:31

Marilyn Monroe

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Doris Roberts on Marilyn Monroe and James Dean, who she studied with at The Actors Studio

02:12

Marlene Dietrich

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Doris Roberts on appearing on an early "live" television show with Maria Riva and Marlene Dietrich visiting the set

00:31

Maximilian Schell

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Doris Roberts on appearing in The Diary of Anne Frank with Maximillian Schell

02:05

Monica Horan

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Doris Roberts on Monica Horan as "Amy MacDougall" on Everybody Loves Raymond

00:49

Neil Simon

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Doris Roberts on appearing in Neil Simon's play "Last of the Red Hot Lovers"

01:23

Patricia Heaton

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Doris Roberts on working with Patricia Heaton as "Debra Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

01:06

Doris Roberts on her character "Marie Barone's" relationship with Patricia Heaton's character, "Debra Barone," and Peter Boyle's character "Frank Barone" on Everybody Loves Raym ond

00:54

Peter Boyle

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Doris Roberts on her character "Marie Barone's" relationship with Patricia Heaton's character, "Debra Barone," and Peter Boyle's character "Frank Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

00:54

Doris Roberts on her character "Marie Barone's" relationship with Peter Boyle's character, "Frank Barone" on Everybody Loves Raymond

02:05

Doris Roberts on Peter Boyle having a heart attack during the filming of Everybody Loves Raymond

01:16

Phil Rosenthal

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Doris Roberts on meeting Everybody Loves Raymond creator, Phil Rosenthal's, mother

00:35

Doris Roberts on Everybody Loves Raymond creator and show runner Phil Rosenthal

01:43

Ray Romano

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Doris Roberts on working with Ray Romano on Everybody Loves Raymond

01:27

Doris Roberts on her character, "Marie Barone's" relationship with Ray Romano's character, "Ray Barone," on Everybody Loves Raymond

03:26

Robin Williams

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Doris Roberts on Angie and its relationship to Garry Marshall's other shows, including Mork & Mindy

00:50

Sanford Meisner

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Doris Roberts on studying with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre

01:52

Seymour Robbie

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Doris Roberts on working with director Seymour Robbie on Remington Steele

02:42

Will Mackenzie

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Doris Roberts on working with director Will Mackenzie on Everybody Loves Raymond

00:42

William Saroyan

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Doris Roberts on her professional stage debut in "The Time of Your Life" by William Saroyan and Saroyan nearly cutting one of her three lines in the play

01:23