By Joseph Martinez -
Patricia Heaton, star of the popular
television comedies, "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Middle", was
honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday, May 22,
2012. Heaton was reunited with her TV husbands Ray Romano and Neil Flynn
for the event. Also attending were Doris Roberts, Brad Garrett and
Atticus Shaffer. Heaton won two "best actress" Emmy awards for her role
as Debra Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond."
The actress was the
recipient of the 2,472nd star and her friends and family, including
actor husband David Hunt and their four sons, looked on proudly as she
accepted the honor. During her acceptance speech, the actress declared,
"I'm overwhelmed. I came to Hollywood 20 years ago at the age of 30. I
had no agent and no manager... God opened a door for me and by God I
mean Ray Romano."
Guest speaker Ray Romano said he first met
Patty when she auditioned for the role of his wife, Debra Barone. "Of
the hundreds of actresses that auditioned, she was the only one who
kissed me on the lips. . . and I thought to myself, this woman really
needs a job."
Switching gears to a more serious tone, Romano said
the show "really revolved around Patty," even though he played the
title character. "She not only grounded it, but she was funny. She made
me a better actor." He also saluted her dedication to family and to
family values. "The Hollywood Star Committee got it right today."
Her
second TV husband, Neil Flynn, joked that the list of actors Patty
wanted for "The Middle" included Randy Quaid, Dolph Lundgren, Abraham
Lincoln and Chewbacca. "My name was at the bottom of the list and I just
feel lucky to be on the list. I can’t imagine an actress who has her
level of success who is also so positive and grounded and grateful to be
where she is. I’m glad to be your friend." ( photos © 2012 Joe
Martinez / PictureLux )
Patricia Heaton Trivia per IMDB.com:
- Went to St. Raphael's Catholic grade School, Bay Village, Ohio.
- Daughter of Chuck Heaton, sportswriter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Irish-American.
- In a 2006 TV Guide/Bravo poll, she was named the TV personality who would make the best real-life housewife with 72% of the vote, far surpassing runner-up Teri Hatcher from "Desperate Housewives" (2004).
- Once worked at People magazine.
- Edited news film at ABC station Channel 5 (WEWS) in Cleveland, when she was in college as a summer intern in the late 1970s
View more celebrity photos from the event at PictureLuximages.com
