Doris Roberts Biography Quotes 17 Report mistakes

Early Life and Training
Doris Roberts, born Doris May Green on November 4, 1925, in St. Louis, Missouri, became one of the most recognizable American character actors of the late twentieth century. Her father left when she was young, and she later took the surname of her stepfather, Roberts. She was raised primarily in New York City, where her mother and grandparents played central roles in her upbringing. Drawn early to performance, she trained in New York, including study with well-known acting teachers, and began building a career that combined stage discipline, comic precision, and emotional depth.

Stage and Early Screen Career
Roberts worked steadily in theater and on live television from the 1950s onward, developing a reputation as a versatile performer who could command both comedy and drama. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, she began appearing in feature films that put her on the radar of wider audiences. Notable early screen credits included The Honeymoon Killers (1970), Elaine May s A New Leaf (1971), the New York thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), and Hester Street (1975), a period drama set among Eastern European Jewish immigrants. These roles showcased her range, from dry wit to flinty realism, and helped establish her as a go-to presence for directors who needed a performer to ground eccentric or high-pressure scenes with credibility.

Breakthroughs on Television
Television soon became the medium that most fully embraced Roberts s gifts. In the late 1970s she brought sharp timing and warmth to Theresa Falco on the sitcom Angie, working closely with Donna Pescow and Robert Hays. Her profile rose further with Remington Steele, where she joined Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist as Mildred Krebs, the intrepid, no-nonsense investigator who balanced the show s romantic intrigue with practical savvy. Along the way, she delivered acclaimed guest work on prestige dramas; her performance on St. Elsewhere earned her an Emmy and underlined her command of serious material.

Everybody Loves Raymond
The role that defined her for millions arrived in 1996: Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond. As the hyper-capable, judgmental, and fiercely loving matriarch hovering over the lives of Ray Romano s Ray and Patricia Heaton s Debra, and sparring with Brad Garrett s Robert and Peter Boyle s Frank, Roberts achieved one of television s great comic creations. Under the guidance of series creator Phil Rosenthal, she shaped Marie into a character both larger-than-life and painfully recognizable, her clipped rejoinders and culinary bribes masking bottomless maternal pride. The chemistry among the ensemble was central to the show s success, and Roberts s impeccable timing elevated even simple domestic beats into bravura comic set pieces. For the role she won multiple Emmy Awards, becoming one of the most honored supporting performers in sitcom history and a template for the modern comic mother-in-law. Off camera she forged close relationships with her colleagues; tributes from Romano, Heaton, Garrett, and Rosenthal later reflected the affection and respect they felt for her craft and mentoring spirit.

Film and Later Television Work
Even as Raymond dominated her schedule, Roberts continued to work widely. In National Lampoon s Christmas Vacation (1989), she delivered memorable barbs and exasperated asides as Frances, adding sparkle to a holiday perennial anchored by Chevy Chase and Beverly D Angelo. She later endeared herself to a new generation as the irrepressible grandmother in the comedy Grandma s Boy (2006), and she appeared in Tyler Perry s Madea s Witness Protection (2012). Her television guest arcs and TV movies kept her a constant presence, with directors seeking her old-school professionalism, comic instincts, and ability to ground broad situations with human truth.

Writing, Mentorship, and Advocacy
Roberts extended her voice beyond performance. She co-authored the memoir-cookbook Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs, and Lasagna, sharing family recipes, backstage stories, and hard-earned advice for younger performers. Committed to fairness in her industry, she spoke publicly and forcefully about ageism, including testimony before Congress that drew attention to the systemic barriers older artists face. She also lent her time to charitable causes, especially those focused on the welfare of children and families, and regularly supported community arts programs that connected young people with theater professionals.

Personal Life
Roberts married writer William Goyen and remained his partner until his death, describing their bond as a sustaining force throughout her most demanding years. Earlier, she had married Michael Cannata; their son, Michael, would grow up around rehearsal halls and studio sets and later worked closely with her. Family, including her grandchildren, was central to her identity, and she often traced her toughness and humor to the Bronx households where her mother and grandparents taught her persistence, thrift, and the value of speaking up. The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond became an extended family as well; the mutual care among Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Brad Garrett, Peter Boyle, and Roberts sustained them through long production schedules and the pressures of a hit series.

Final Years and Legacy
Doris Roberts died on April 17, 2016, in Los Angeles at the age of 90. The outpouring of remembrance from colleagues and fans emphasized the blend of gentleness and fire that made her unique: her culinary generosity on set, her piercing eye for comedic rhythm, and her insistence on discipline and kindness in equal measure. She left behind a body of work that stretches from midcentury theater to twenty-first-century television, a bridge between eras of American entertainment. For viewers, Marie Barone remains indelible; for actors, Roberts stands as a model of longevity earned through craft; and for the many who worked beside her, she is remembered as a colleague who made others better, a consummate professional whose humor and heart lit up every room she entered.

Our collection contains 17 quotes who is written by Doris, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Never Give Up - Love - Funny - Learning.