CBS Wanted A Certain Friends Star To Play The Role Of Debra But Ray Romano Pushed Patricia Heaton Instead
Had it not been for Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal, the role of Debra might’ve looked very different on Everybody Loves Raymond.
For nine seasons, Everybody Loves Raymond turned into a juggernaut for CBS. The sitcom is still relevant today, and some of the cast will make bank for a very long time thanks to reruns and backend profits.
That’s especially true for Ray Romano, though a lot his peers were not pleased with the gap in their pays compared to the star of the show.
For the time being, we’ll take a look at Patricia Heaton’s journey on the show and how she got the role of Debra. As it turns out, there were a few debates behind the scenes. Let’s take a look at what went down.
Patricia Heaton Faced Some Tough Battles Behind The Scenes During Everybody Loves Raymond
Patricia Heaton enjoyed major success on Everybody Loves Raymond, with the show lasting nine seasons and over 200 episodes. However, behind the curtain, Heaton was facing a certain struggle which involved having one too many drinks on the regular, especially following shoots for the sitcom.
Alongside The Hollywood Reporter, Heaton opened up about her problem and how Peter Boyle, aka Frank, became a huge help in the process of getting sober.
“‘You’re pumped up from the show. You just want to have a drink with everybody. You want to celebrate. You want to kind of have your adrenaline come down. How do you not — how do you keep yourself from drinking?’” she recalled asking.
“He said, ‘You know, I just think about the first drink. And I think about it leading to the second one, and then to the third one, and I just walk through it in my brain. And by the time I think about that, I know I don’t want to be in that position.’”
Patricia Heaton on the Advice ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Co-Star Peter Boyle Gave That’s Kept Her Sober https://t.co/HBXa3uCkJA
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 21, 2021
Heaton would use Boyle’s approach to defeat her struggles, “I just remember Peter talking about that, and so I would just think about it, and just think how I would feel at the end of the meal where I would have eaten too much, and then I wouldn’t sleep well that night because of the alcohol.”
“If I gave myself that 30 seconds or 60 seconds to think about it, the urge would subside. And then I could get through the meal,” she added.
These days, the sitcom star is celebrating years of being sober and seems to be in a much better place.
Patricia Heaton Was Desperate For Work During Her Everybody Loved Raymond Audition
Money does not matter these days for Heaton who’s in her 60s and continues to enjoy a fabulous career, with a worth of $40 million. She keeps going with projects these days, just finishing up with The Unbreakable Boy and working on Mending the Line.
According to Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton got the part of Debra because "she was the only one willing to kiss me on the lips in the auditions". #EverybodyLovesRaymond
Shop: https://t.co/6ulxfvUqpH pic.twitter.com/Ig4GiwDqDJ
— DeJaViewed (@DeJaViewedUSA) April 10, 2019
Once upon a time however, things weren’t as smooth. Heaton recalls her audition process for Everybody Loves Raymond, desperately needing to find work.
Hilariously, Heaton revealed that the desperation had hit a new low, when she agreed to kiss Ray Romano during the casting process.
“That’s how desperate I was for a job,” she joked about her onscreen husband. “[I was like], ‘I don’t know who that guy is in the corner, but if I have to kiss him, I’ll do it.’ I really didn’t know who it was.”
Heaton was the perfect for the role, however, CBS thought otherwise…
CBS Wanted Jane Sibbett Instead Of Heaton, But Ray Romano And Phil Rosenthal Wouldn’t Budge
Alongside Us Magazine, Phil Rosenthal revealed certain details relating to the casting of Patricia Heaton. According to the man behind the series, CBS had pushed for a better looking option.
“CBS wanted someone hotter to play Debra. I almost quit the show over it.”
“They insisted on this actress. I thought she was wrong, but I met with her and she was a very pleasant, very nice person,” Rosenthal explained. “She wasn’t going to read for the role, but during the meeting, I convinced her to read a little bit with me, and she was 10 times worse for the part than I thought she would be!”
Once Heaton came to read, Romano and Rosenthal instantly knew she was perfect for the role. They got their way, but others were considered, including Jane Sibbett, who played Carol Willick on Friends. According to IMDb, she was the preferred choice of the network but ultimately, they let it slide… good on them.
