Doris Roberts, beloved mom from 'Everybody Loves Raymond', dies at 90

Actress Doris Roberts, best known for playing the doting mother to Ray Romano on the comedy hit Everybody Loves Raymond, has died. 

Roberts, whose acting career spanned more than six decades, died peacefully in her sleep of natural causes, according to family.

She was 90.

Following the news of her death, loved ones and former co-stars of Roberts posted messages on social media: 

Ray Romano also offered a statement:

 

"Doris Roberts had an energy and a spirit that amazed me. She never stopped. Whether working professionally or with her many charities, or just nurturing and mentoring a green young comic trying to make it as an actor, she did everything with such a grand love for life and people and I will miss her dearly."

Roberts' acting career began in 1952 with a role on the TV series Studio One. She appeared in episodes of The Naked CityBen Casey, and The Defenders. In 1961, she made her film debut in Something Wild.

She starred in television series Angie (1979-1980) and the long running Remington Steele (1983-1987) for which she was Emmy nominated.

She is perhaps best known as the original helicopter mom in the Emmy award winning CBS series, Everybody Loves Raymond, where she played the loveable, irascible Marie Barone for nine seasons.  For her work on the series, she was nominated for seven Emmy Awards (and won four times) for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.  She was also nominated for the SAG Award three times and received the award for Best Ensemble.

She previously won an Emmy for a guest appearance on St. Elsewhere and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for the American Playhouse production of The Sunset Gang.

She guest starred in Desperate Housewives, The King of Queens, The Middle, Grey’s Anatomy, Law & Order: SVU, among many other hit series.

Here storied movie career included roles in Barefoot In The Park, A Lovely Way to Die, Little Murders, A New Leaf, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Rose, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Grandma’s Boy, Aliens in the Attic, Madea’s Witness Protection, among many others.

Roberts' stage career began in the 1950s on Broadway. She appeared in numerous Broadway shows including The Desk Set, Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers (with James Coco and Linda Lavin) and Terrence McNally's Bad Habits, for which she won an Outer Critics Circle Award. She starred in McNally's Unusual Acts of Devotion at the LaJolla Playhouse in June 2009. In 2010, she appeared in Nora Ephron’s Love, Loss and What I Wore.

 

An avid cook, Roberts wrote Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs, and Lasagna in 2005, co-written with Danielle Morton.

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