Ray Romano: 'I've Had a Crisis in My 20's, 30's, 40's'

It's closing time for season 2 of
'Men of a Certain Age,' Ray Romano's show about a trio of college friends grappling with their 50's. The 53-year-old comic sounds awfully close to his alter ego Ray Barone. He's self-deprecating, sweet and quick to spill the beans on his dating techniques which were pretty non-existent. He met his wife when they worked at the same bank, in fact she was the third girl he asked out at that job.
Did you go through a midlife crisis?
You're in the middle of it right now! You're a part of it. Like I always say, it's only called a midlife crisis because I'm in midlife. I've had a crisis in my 20's, 30's and 40's. It's all different things at different times. They take on a little more seriousness I guess through the years but yeah the idea of the show was sparked because both Mike (Royce, co-creator of 'Men of a Certain Age') and I were both coming off working on Raymond and we were both kind of realizing that we were stuck in this void of what do we do now? I'm not ready just to sit down and not do anything. We had a little identity crisis, a little existential crisis. We knew people go through this for different reasons so this is what we should write about. We always write about what we know.
What was your crisis in your 20's?
Geez, it was almost kind of the same theme but it wasn't, 'Hey is that all, do I I have any other goal or purpose or passion?' In my 20's it was like 'When am I going to find a passion, have a direction in life?' Adulthood was just smacking me in the head, my friends were getting married and getting into business. I was kind of in this limbo, it just kind of hit me in the head and I had a very strong identity crisis in my 20's and it took me a while to get over it. I got a sense of self through finding stand-up comedy. In life you go through these peaks and valleys. If you're lucky enough to find something you love that can help you through it. You know some people don't need it, they're happy and content.
Are you envious of people like that?
Yes! I'm happy for them. I go to my therapist and say, 'Why can't I just be content sitting back and letting life happen around me.' I'm not going to be able to do something for my whole life and have a goal and perform and create.
What does your therapist say?
He says, 'Time's Up Ray.'
When you went through a crisis after Raymond finished was your wife like, 'Get out of the house and do something.'
At the final curtain call for Raymond everyone was very emotional and crying and my wife was not crying. She said to me later, 'I found it hard to get sad because it was like the other woman was finally leaving.' So she thought it would be great to have me at home but after a while she saw I'm better off happy, when I'm happy I'm a better husband and working makes me happy.
Are you like the clown crying on the inside?
You're making it sound like a cliche.
But isn't that the stereotype of the stand-up comic?
I think it's a common denominator. I don't think it's a hard rule. Look ... to want to go out there, to have this validation from other people, it's probably lacking somewhere. Thank God for that, otherwise we'd have no entertainment at all. What would we do? We'd all have to go bowling.
You worked in a bank. Were you the funny teller?
Yeah I was the guy who was a little bit irresponsible. I used to write funny poems, usually to try and impress the women. My wife was the third woman I asked out at the bank. She didn't say yes until I left the bank. We were friends for the longest time. We used to go out with a group of friends. Let's put it this way, I was not very smooth and I was not very daring. It took me a lot to go out on a limb and ask someone out. I kind of eased into where we went out and flirted and then I saw a sign, you know the guys who land the planes with the flashlights and wave them in, that's what I needed from for me to make a move. I was making sure I wasn't going to get turned down at that point.
How about your first kiss?
She remembers it because she says it very awkward. We went out to the movies and it was kind of our proper first date. I drove her home and then I kissed her in the car and she says that when we stopped I looked away and stared out the window and wouldn't look at her.
I just interviewed Kevin James and I asked him if he was in a rowboat with you and Adam Sandler who would he save. Guess who he picked?
First of all that's a horrible question! Second of all I hate to even answer it because if I say me I feel bad for Sandler.
Well first of all it's a hypothetical and secondly you should be pissed off with Kevin because he picked Sandler. He said Sandler feeds his [Kevin's] family.
Yeah I was going to same the same thing. He's got to pick Sandler now because Sandler's the guy he's in business with now. Well, I pick Sandler because then the boat stays afloat more.
Thanks for speaking to me Ray.
Hey, make it sound good!
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i think ray is cool.
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I love Ray! I still watch Everybody Loves Raymond reruns and am a fan of Men of a Certain Age too.
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I really enjoyed watching Everyone Loves Raymond, but find it hard to embrace Men of a Certain Age -- The best was when he was on The Haney Project and was trying to take golf lessons.
Romano is a big crying weasel. Just because his name is used in the title of "Everybody Loves Raymond" doesn't mean he was who made it funny. The cast that surrounded him made that show funny, they were the real talent. All he ever did was ride on the coattails of his talented co-workers.
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The entire cast of both shows are/were extremely talented. They all contributed to making thee shows so successful AND popular.
Sometimes it is a team effort but each team needs a leader. It amazes me that people would pick on Ray who portrayed so many of us, men and women, the real people in life. The ones who stand on the sidelines, are bright but just can't jump in ....
Yeah, because we all know those actors wrote their own scripts. Get a clue. Ray wrote and produced those shows, and had the humility and foresight to know how to make the whole thing work for a long time. Read the credits much?
If emotional abuse and disgusting mommy issues are funny.. then yeah..funniest show ever
I remember Ray being interviewed by Johnny Carson before his first series, and my impression is that he created the show, produced it, etc. He seemed to be the driving force. I never watched it, so can't say if he made me laugh or not.
I agree. I never liked Ray and I am sure I will get
hammered for my opinion. But we don't all have to like the
same things. So those of you that like him, that's fine.
I just couldn't make it happen.
Loved Everyone loves Raymond and Men of a Certain Age. Ray Romano is funny and I like him.
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He's funny but not good looking.
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Does he look like Tom Selleck in his prime? No. But is he good looking? Yes, he is. (Handsomeness is in the eye of the beholder, right?)
What the H3LL? What does looks have to do with anything? You are so shallow. And he looks fine.
I would have thought James would have answered, "The first thing I would save would be my lunch"
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i beg to pardon people whom do not think pay ramano is not funny. i find him and his shows outrageously funny. his humor is low key, and a product of near perfect timing. and, the people that surround him are equally as funny and quirky, but totally believable. his shows have both been instantly well recieved and long running. and do absolutely wonderful in syndication. i find them absolutely hilarious. it is an ensemble victory that works, and ray is the catalyst. i am an avid fan, and appreciate the well timed humor. mike mcmanus
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Interesting article, but you need to work on your punctuation if you get paid to write. I stopped at the first paragraph.
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Hey PP, if you stopped reading after the first paragraph, how do you know it's an interesting article?
Really? You stopped reading because you found an error? Wow.
I sure did like the long running show, "Everybody Loves Raymond", so funny, even the ones I have seen before. "Men of a Certain Age" caters to men of that age, and guess what there isn't that many of you left. The straight women now find their selves in a situation of no good men left, for various reasons like men turning to men, big part of it, naturally this means less men. Then you take what's left of available men,minis the ones that are already taken by women.... divide that by the addicts, killers, perverts,self-centered,type men and that leaves a whopping 2% of good men Left...LOL
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