Ray Romano, Pictures, Bio, Clips

MAIN Art &... Pop Culture TV Stars Ray Romano

Ray Romano Born in Queens, New York on December 21, 1957, and most recently the star of one of the highest-rated shows on television (and he one of the TV's highest paid actors) had first planned to become a full-time accountant.

However, a natural talent for making people laugh had already shown itself in his early teens - when he formed a local neighborhood comedy troupe - resulting in a growing determination into adulthood to follow his dream of a show business career.

Holding down various day jobs to support a wife and family, Romano decided to pursue comedy full-time in 1987 and two years later won a local New York comedy contest, kicking off a career that eventually won him a spot on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1991, prompting even more TV appearances.

One of these included a 1995 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman resulting in discussions between the comic and the popular talk show host about developing a sitcom based on Romano's life.

Premiering on CBS in 1996, Everyboy Loves Raymond was hit with critics and struck a chord with audiences drawn to the deadpan humor found in everyday family life. The show continued to draw top ratings even as Romano branched out into other projects, including the voice of the moody woolly mammoth, Manny, in the hit animated film, Ice Age.

In 2005, it was been announced that Everybody Loves Raymond had reached its limit in presenting new story plots, and in May 2005 the show was to sign off - after nine seasons as the highest-rated comedy on American television.

The show was a leader in this year's Emmy Awards with a total of 13 nominations, ultimately winning top honors for Best Comedy of the 2004-2005 season.

Romano's voice can next be heard from the big screen in the Ice Age franchise in Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown slated for March 2006 release.

Ray Romano.com - The official archive with picture galleries, interactive timeline of photos from the TV star's life, a separate photo and video clip gallery, online games.

Raymondland Video - A video virtual tour through the set of Everybody Loves Raymond.