What To Know
- In a Season 1 flashback episode, Sawyer and Sullivan Sweeten, who played Ray and Debra’s twin sons, also portrayed a younger version of their onscreen sister Ally.
- Monica Horan, who played Amy Barone on the show, is married in real life to Phil Rosenthal, the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond.
- The roles of Ray and Debra’s twin sons were recast after the pilot, with Madylin Sweeten’s real-life brothers, Sullivan and Sawyer.
Everybody Loves Raymond is ringing in a special anniversary, and as we look back on the comedy that made Ray Romano a household name, we can’t help but remember a few fun behind-the-scenes facts. In anticipation of CBS‘s special, Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion, we’re breaking down a few of those fun details you may have forgotten.
As fans know, the series originally debuted in 1996 and ran for nine seasons until coming to a close in 2005. Before tuning into what’s sure to be a walk down memory lane with the reunion special, scroll down for a closer look at the behind-the-scenes facts that still blow our minds.
The Sweeten Twins Play Their Sister in a Flashback
In the Season 1 episode, “Why Are We Here?” the action flashes back to when sports reporter Ray (Romano) moved in across the street from his parents, Frank (Peter Boyle) and Marie (Doris Roberts), with his wife Debra (Patricia Heaton), and their kids.
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But when it came to the flashback, Heaton was pregnant in real life, not having to mimic a pregnancy with Debra and Ray’s twins, and Sawyer and Sullivan Sweeten stepped in to double as a younger version of the couple’s daughter, Ally (Madylin Sweeten).
As fans see in the installment, the Sweeten brothers don pigtails and Ally-appropriate clothing to appear as a younger version of Ally. Even better is realizing that Ray and Debra’s kids onscreen are siblings in real life.
Phil Rosenthal and Monica Horan Are Married
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For those less dialed into the making of Everybody Loves Raymond, they may not be aware that Monica Horan, who plays Robert Barone’s (Brad Garrett) wife, Amy, is actually married to the show’s creator, Phil Rosenthal, in real life. The pair have been married since 1990, and the couple have two kids together.
The Barone Twins Were Recast
After the pilot was filmed, the child actors who portrayed Debra and Ray’s twins had grown too much to convey the proper passage of time, and so they were recast with Madylin Sweeten’s real-life brothers, Sullivan and Sawyer.
Make sure to tune into Everybody Loves Raymond‘s upcoming reunion, and let us know what memories you have about the show in the comments section below.
Everybody Loves Raymond: 30th Anniversary Reunion, Monday, November 24, 8/7c, CBS