Everybody Loves Doris

Background:

Among all her screen roles, American actress Doris Roberts might be best remembered for playing the nosy mother Marie Barone in the acclaimed sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” (1996-2005), for which she received five Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award, as well as three additional Emmy and eight Screen Actors Guild nominations. Roberts, who beat out 100 other actresses for the comic role in the series, earned her first Emmy Award after guest starring in the drama series “St. Elsewhere” (1983).

The three-time Emmy nominee was also known for her roles in “Remington Steele” (1983), “Perfect Strangers” (1989) and The Sunset Gang (1991). In 2003, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“It’s about sharing things I’ve learned that have changed my life.” Doris Roberts on her book

In 2005, Roberts published a cookbook titled “Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs, and Lasagna,” which she co-wrote with Danelle Morton. As a concerned public figure, she testified before a U.S. Congressional panel that the common age discrimination in Hollywood should be considered seriously (2002). The actress also joined the “Puppies Behind Bars” dog-training group and the “Children with AIDS” Foundation (serves as the chairwoman).

After marrying Michael Cannata (divorced in 1962, has 1 son), Roberts was married to writer William Goyen, who died of leukemia in 1983. Roberts’ only son is also her manager.


In James Dean’s Residence

Childhood and Family:

Doris May Roberts was born on November 4, 1929, in St. Louis, Missouri. After her father abandoned the family, little Doris was raised by mother Ann Meltzer in New York. Doris, who never reveals her father’s identity, has a stepfather named Bob Roberts.

Often skipping classes to attend the movies or theater, Doris eventually decided to become an actress and studied at New York’s Actors Studio and Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. She began her professional career in the 1950s.

Doris was first married to Michael Cannata (divorced in 1962). They share a son named Michael Cannata Jr., who became Doris’ manager and the father of three children. In 1963, she married writer William Goyen, whom died of leukemia on August 30, 1983, in Los Angeles. Doris now lives in an L.A. house once owned by movie legend James Dean.


Remington Steele

Career:

Doris Roberts’s career began with a role in the “Jane Eyre” episode of the series “Studio One” (1952). Later, Roberts worked in various New York stage productions, such as “The Time of Your Life” (1955), the Broadway play “Desk Set” (1956, as the understudy of Shirley Booth), Neil Simon’s “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” (1969, costarred with James Coco) and Paul Zindel’s “The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild” (1972).

On screen, Roberts worked in the drama Something Wild (1961), as the co-worker of the main character. She then accepted episodic roles in the series “The Defenders” (1962, 1964), “Ben Casey” (1963) and “The Nurses” (1964, 1965), before taking the supporting role of Sylvia Poppie in the movie No Way to Treat a Lady (1968).

After having a part in the anthology series “CBS Playhouse” (1969), Roberts appeared in the fact-based film The Honeymoon Killers (1970) and tried the comedy genre with a role in the Walter Matthau-starring A New Leaf (1971). She also made a TV movie debut in the drama Look Homeward, Angel (1972) before re-teaming with Matthau in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).

Also in 1974, Roberts delivered a compelling stage performance in Terrence McNally’s “Bad Habits” and later won an Outer Critics Circle award. It soon brought her to the attention of comedienne Lily Tomlin, who had her perform in the TV special program The Lily Tomlin Special (1975). A year later, she could be seen as Dorelda Doremus in the syndicated spoof of soap operas “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (1976).

Roberts had a more prominent role in the TV film The Storyteller (1977), costarring as the wife of the screenwriter played by Martin Balsam. Wrapping up the decade, the actress appeared as Flo Flotsky in some episodes of the sitcom “Soap” (1978) and became a regular in the little sitcom “Angie” (1979, played meddling Theresa Falco).

Following her turn in the sitcom “Maggie” (1981) and other series, Roberts made a memorable guest appearance as the titular bag lady, opposite James Coco, in the “Cora and Arnie” episode of the drama series “St. Elsewhere” (1983) and won her first Emmy. Also in 1983, the actress joined the cast of the famous series “Remington Steele,” as the efficient secretary Mildred Krebs, alongside Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist. Carrying out the role until the show ended in 1987, Roberts later earned an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Roberts, who appeared in two episodes of “Cagney & Lacey” with two different roles, was again nominated for an Emmy after guest starring as Mrs. Bailey in the ABC sitcom “Perfect Strangers” (1989). Working in TV films, the actress acted with Olivia Newton-John in the holiday film A Mom for Christmas (1990) and made an Emmy-nominated performance as Mimi Finkelstein in the short story collage The Sunset Gang (1991). She was next seen in the film Used People (1992), the HBO series “Dream On” (1993), the TV movie A Time to Heal (1994) and the comedy drama The Grass Harp (1995).

Roberts’ huge break came in 1996, when she was picked to portray Marie Barone, the title character’s overbearing mother, in the CBS long-running sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” (show ended in 2005). For her witty acting performance, Roberts later swept up five Emmys, a Screen Actors Guild, an American Comedy award, three Q awards, a TV Guide award and a Golden Satellite award. In addition, she was nominated for three more Emmys, eight Screen Actors Guilds, an American Comedy award and an AFI TV award. Other cast members of the series included Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett and Peter Boyle.

In 2006, Roberts made screen appearances in several big screen comedies, such as I-See-You.Com, Grandma’s Boy, as well as Keeping Up with the Steins. Also, she starred as socialite Ruth Galloway in the TV drama Our House (2006). The actress is now assigned to play Mrs. Partridge in the thriller Walk Two Moons (2007), alongside Blythe Danner, Jill Hennessy, Martin Landau and Kevin Zegers.


Awards:

- Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 2005
- Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 2003
- Golden Satellite: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Comedy or Musical, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 2003
- Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 2003
- Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 2002
- Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 2001
- TV Guide: Supporting Actress of the Year in a Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 2001
- Viewers for Quality Television: Q Award - Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 2000
- American Comedy: Funniest Supporting Female Performer in a TV Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 1999
- Viewers for Quality Television: Q Award - Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 1999
- Viewers for Quality Television: Q Award - Best Supporting Actress in a Quality Comedy Series, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” 1998
- Emmy: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, “St. Elsewhere,” 1983
- Outer Critics Circle: “Bad Habits,” 1975