Ray Romano Says His Wife In Real Life Is The Real 'Hero' In Their 37-Year Marriage

May 04, 2022

Ray Romano is best known for being an actor, screenwriter and stand-up comedian. While he has appeared in a handful of television shows and films, his most notable role was as Ray Barone on the CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.” The series aired from September 1996 to May 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning across nine seasons. The show was highly successful, and Romano’s part in the series was clearly welcomed as he received an Emmy Award for his leading role.

Over the course of his career, Romano has proven that he has a true gift for comedy. He voiced the character of Manny, a woolly mammoth, in the “Ice Age” film series. The comedian also created and starred in the comedy-drama series “Men of a Certain Age,” which aired from 2009 to 2011.

In more recent years, Romano has continued to find work in the acting industry. He appeared in the romantic comedy film “The Big Sick” in 2017 and even portrayed a mob lawyer in Martin Scorsese’s crime film “The Irishman” in 2019. Romano is currently portraying the character of Rick Moreweather in the series “Get Shorty.”

Through it all, Romano has had the love and support of his wife by his side. The actor has been married to Anna Scarpulla since 1987, and the pair have since welcomed four children together. Romano is clearly a family man as he was even sure to reference his children on the series “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Read on to find out more about Romano and Scarpulla’s heartwarming love story.

Romano was born in Queens, New York City, on Dec. 21, 1957. He went on to be raised by his mother, a piano teacher, and his father, who was a real estate agent and engineer. Romano also has one older brother who is a police officer and one younger brother who is a teacher in New York City.

Before Romano became the star he is today, he was struggling to make his dreams a reality. He transferred schools a bit when he was younger, and ended up going to the same high school as none other than fellow actress Fran Drescher. While Romano had originally intended on seeking out higher education, it didn’t seem like it was the right path for him.

According to CBS, he dropped out of a Queens College in New York after seven years and took odd jobs pumping gas and delivering furniture. Finally, he decided to take a shot at  comedy and began finding his footing by performing in small comedy clubs. It’s clear that his talent was there from the start, and Romano continued working hard to become the notable actor he is today.

While Romano has been in the entertainment industry for several decades now, most fans recognize him for his leading role in the CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.” The sitcom was filled with joy, laughter and happiness. 

Airing from September 1996 until May 2005, the television series featured some well known actors as well as a handful of up-and-comers. According to CBS, the show was taped in front of a live studio audience and was based on many aspects of Romano’s own life. 

The series followed the story of an Italian-American man named Raymond Barone, played by Romano, who lived with his family on Long Island, New York. Patricia Heaton played his wife named Debra. The show was known for its dry and sarcastic humor as Raymond often avoided any responsibilities he had as a father.

While Romano was the main star of the series, it was hard to overlook the other amazing characters the program featured, including the twins sons of Raymond and Debra named Geoffrey and Michael Barone, played by Sawyer and Sullivan Sweeten. In real life, the twins were siblings with Madylin Sweeten, who played Ally Barone, the daughter of Raymond and Debra.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Sawyer sadly died when he was only 19 years old, and just a few weeks away from his 20th birthday. He had been visiting his family in Texas at the time.

Sawyer's life and career were later celebrated by his former castmates as they released statements following the young star’s passing, including Romano and Heaton, who played Sawyer’s parents on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” 

In a statement, Romano said, “I’m shocked, and terribly saddened, by the news about Sawyer. He was a wonderful and sweet kid to be around. Just a great energy whenever he was there. My heart breaks for him, his family, and his friends during this very difficult time.”

Heaton took to Twitter to express her sadness, and wrote, “Sawyer Sweeten was a funny and exceptionally bright young man. He is gone from us far too soon… The entire cast of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ is in shock. Prayers for the Sweeten family.”

It’s evident that the family-driven show helped the cast come together as a collective, and they have certainly been by each other’s sides since its original run. On top of that, fans were also able to connect with the characters and plot points on the series.

Speaking about the success of the show, Romano said, “I think people just see themselves. And they laugh at it. Or cry. Either one – laugh because it’s funny, and then cry because it’s truth. And I think that was the secret to it.”

The show ended in 2005, but Romano has continued to make waves in the industry ever since, from stand-up shows to recurring roles on TV series to fun appearances in films. He was the subject of the documentary “95 Miles to Go” back in 2004, which showcased Romano’s road trip across the southern United States region. The film was released much later in the year 2010.

During that time, Romano had also made his way back to television for the dramady “Men of a Certain Age.” He even collaborated with former “Everybody Loves Raymond” writer Mike Royce to bring the new show to life! However, the series had a pretty short life and only aired for two years.

Fortunately, Raymond’s time on television was not done as he went on to make several memorable appearances in other TV shows, including an episode in the seventh season of “The Office” as a character by the name of Merv Bronte. This character was interviewing for the former job of Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell. 

Romano also appeared on the sitcom “The Middle,” where he was able to be reunited with his “Everybody Loves Raymond” co-star Heaton. Doris Roberts, who had also been on Romano’s hit television sitcom, appeared on “The Middle.”

Romano continued to shine on television in the following years, especially as he joined the cast of “Parenthood” during its fourth season in 2012. The actor played the character of Hank Rizzoli, a photographer who hired and later had a romantic relationship with Lauren Graham’s character Sarah Baverman. The role was hand-crafted for Romano, and it’s evident that he pulled it off well as he stayed on as a semi-regular star.

While Romano has certainly had a wonderful career on television, he has also found opportunities to shine in the world of film. In fact, he voiced Manny the woolly mammoth in the “Ice Age” film series,” which took place periodically throughout the early 2000s to the late 2010s. He also starred in the comedy film “Paddleton” and portrayed the mob lawyer Bill Bufalino in Martin Scorsese’s 2019 movie “The Irishman.”

With so many job opportunities, it’s safe to say that Romano has been pretty busy over the past couple of decades. However, he has done his best to balance everything that life has thrown at him. 

Speaking with TIME in 2019, Romano talked about his busy schedule. “I’ve been working constantly since ‘Raymond’ ended,” he said. “It’s just stuff that some people see, some people don’t. I never stopped doing stand-up. And I’ve continued to do as much other stuff as I could – or as much as people wanted me.”

After being on such a long-lasting and well received show, it’s not slurping to see that Romano has built quite an empire for himself. According to Celebrity Net Worth, the actor has an estimated net worth of $200 million. TIME reported that Romano was making about $1.7 million an episode by the time that “Everybody Loves Raymond” was coming to an end. When asked if being rich makes him more choosy as an actor, Romano replied:

“Yes. Yeah. I enjoyed watching ‘Parenthood,’ and I called the showrunner Jason Katims up. I left a message: ‘Hey, I’m loving what you’re doing and I’m unemployed, and whatever my agent tells you it’s going to cost, I will do much better than.’ And sure enough, they took me up on it.”

The actor continued, “I wasn’t a no-name begging for a part. Although I’m very insecure, so there’s no way I thought I belonged on ‘Parenthood.’ And when I was on it, I learned my lesson about looking on the internet, because for all the people that loved me, there was just as many who said, ‘What the F is he doing there?!’”

Romano admitted that even after all of these years in Hollywood, he is still pretty insecure about his worth and talent as an actor. “Insecurity is relative,” he said. “Before I thought my cab driver gated me, and now I think my limo driver hates me. Look, I think I’m good at stand-up. Am I a great actor? No. I’m learning. Everytime I get a new role, I’m petrified and I break out in some kind of rash.”

Despite any criticism or negativity thrown his way, Romano has managed to stay on top. It’s evident that the star has had a very successful acting career, and he has also been able to show just how much talent he has as a writer and comedian. Through it all, he has had the support of his long-time wife by his side. Romano has been married to Anna Scarpulla since 1987 and the couple have four children together.

Talent definitely runs in the Romano household as both he and his wife have had a great amount of success in the entertainment industry. According to IMDB, Scarpulla is an actress and cinematographer who was born on Feb. 24, 1963. Some of her most famous projects include “Class” from 2015 “Because She’s Worth It” from 2012.

According to CBS, Romano and Scarpulla first met one another while they were working as bank tellers. Scarpulla revealed that Romano “wasn’t good” at his job, saying, “He was accurate, but very slow.” Fortunately, their love life panned out better than Romano’s counting abilities, and the couple went on to date for three years before tying the knot. 

They now have a beautiful family together and a gorgeous home in the San Fernando Valley that was designed by Scarpulla, according to CBS. The 9,000-square-foot house has top of the line amenities, plus a few extras. “It has a gift shop in it which I think is over the top,” Romano said. It’s got a turtle pond. It’s all her. I just picked the TV.”

In Hollywood, long and successful relationships seem hard to come by, but it’s clear that the love Romano and his wife share has been able to stand the test of time. Speaking with TIME, Romano talked about how he even includes his wife and children in his comedy routines, but does his best to make sure it’s content that they would approve of.

“To be honest, they’re sometimes a little jealous when they’re not in the bit,” he said. “I’d never do anything they felt uncomfortable about. My wife gives me a long leash; I have to give her credit. She knows it’s comedy and she knows it pays.”

The couple has been married for a remarkable 37 years! Most people would want to know how to make a marriage last for so long, especially in the entertainment industry. Romano explained:

“Listen, here’s the thing. I’m in show business. You can’t not be a bit of a narcissist and not need attention to be in that business. So the reason this works is because she is the person who (a) doesn’t need attention and (b) can understand how I feel about her, even though it’s hard for me to outwardly express that. She’s the hero here.”

Scarpulla was by Romano’s side before he became the star he is today, and based on how strong and secure their relationship seems, there’s no doubt that she will continue to stand by her husband of more than three decades. And the feeling is definitely mutual based on how much Romano has continued to gush over his wife. We wish nothing but the best for this happy couple and their future together!

What do you think about Ray Romano’s personal and professional lives? Let us know, and be sure to pass this along to your family and friends, too.