The Reason Ray Romano Won’t Watch ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’

Since starring in Everybody Loves Raymond, which ended its run on CBS in 2005, its star Ray Romano has moved on to a variety of projects from movies such as The Irishman to voice-over work on Ice Age to the dramatic series Parenthood.

Asked whether he in his spare time watches reruns of the hit comedy that set his career in motion, Romano firmly said he prefers not to.

Here’s why.

Why Ray Romano won’t watch ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’

To hear the father of three tell it, watching the show that made him a household name is something like looking through old photo albums from a happy time. The memories are great, but it’s a bittersweet experience at the same time.

“I don’t watch them,” he told Parade in 2009. “But now my son, who didn’t really grow up with the show, will say, ‘I’d like to see some.’ So I’ll sit down with him and watch a couple of episodes.

“It’s weird because I laugh a little and then, when it’s over, I get that odd feeling of emptiness that I had to get over after we wrapped the series. So I’m like, ‘Why am I doing this to myself?'”

Romano on the durability of ’Everybody Loves Raymond’

The father of three remarked on how well Everybody Loves Raymond has kept over the years since it went off the air. Spanning from 1996 to 2005, Romano isn’t surprised at how many new fans the series gains with each year. The Ice Age star chalks it up to the show’s relatability.

“I like that it still holds up. It still resonates,” Romano told EW in 2019. “People see themselves in it, even though times change. It’s funny because it could look dated, because just technology-wise, everything is different.

“But I think the emotion of it is very relatable. I’m proud of it. The secret was just writing about things that relate to us, and that’s half the battle. When people can relate to it and see themselves, then the comedy is much easier.”

The moment Ray Romano knew he was famous

In a 2019 conversation with NPR, Romano recalled, in the weeks following Everybody Loves Raymond’s premiere, when he realized he was becoming recognizable. But not too recognizable.

“I guess the first time anyone ever recognized me – I was telling my wife about this the other day that I remember exactly when Everybody Loves Raymond started,” he recalled. “I remember the first person. I was – we had gone back to Queens. It was during a hiatus weekend. I went to a gas station, and I was pumping my gas. And a woman said, ‘Hey, aren’t you on that show?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I am. Thank you, you know.’ And that was it.”

As Romano put it, he knows he’s famous, but not in a way that concerns him. No running is involved, as he explained.

“It was still a long ways off before I ever had to worry about being somewhere – and not that I have to worry. I mean, nobody is, you know, I’m not Justin Bieber,” he joked. “My fans can’t – I can outrun my fans. Put it that way. Before I thought my cab driver hated me, and now I think my limo driver hates me.”