Tucker Cawley

In his two-hour interview, Tucker Cawley talks about breaking into the entertainment industry in Los Angeles in a series of entry-level positions before being hired on the writing staff of the series Everybody Loves Raymond. For Everybody Loves Raymond, he describes the way in which ideas were discussed in the writers' room, a typical show's workweek, and the experience of working with each member of the ensemble cast. He discusses several memorable episodes from the series (and relates their real-life inspiration), including, "Silent Partners," "Lucky Suit," and "Baggage." Additionally, Cawley gives an animated description of his anxiety-filled win of the Emmy award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for "Baggage." He describes other behind-the-scenes details from the series, including the reaction of the studio audience to episodes he wrote and setting up a feat of physical comedy that constituted shortening the refrigerator at the Barone's house. Finally, Cawley talks about the casting of the pilot for his 2006 sitcom Play Nice, starring Fred Willard and Sara Rue. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on April 25, 2006 in Burbank, CA.