Patricia Heaton

Patricia Heaton is an Emmy-winning Broadway and screen actress. After graduating from Ohio State University, Heaton moved to New York City to become a student of acting teacher William Esper. Despite classes being full, Heaton was persistent and secured a spot in Esper’s classes within a year of moving.

Heaton got her start on Broadway after landing a role in the choir of the 1987 production Don’t Get God Started. She formed an acting troupe called Stage Three with her costars, and she caught the attention of an ABC casting director while performing in Los Angeles. This landed her a six-episode appearance on the network’s drama Thirtysomething, which was preceded by a few minor television roles.

She hit the big screen in 1992, appearing in both Memoirs of an Invisible Man and Beethoven. The actress went on to feature on shows such as Room for Two and Women of the House. In 1996, she scored the job that would make her a household name on Everybody Loves Raymond as Debra Barone opposite Ray Romano. In her time on the show from 1996 to 2005, Heaton earned seven Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, winning the award in 2000 and 2001.

Following her Everybody Loves Raymond success, Heaton played mom Frankie Heck in the ABC comedy The Middle from 2009 to 2018, and this role earned her a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. She has also appeared on the shows Carol’s Second Act and Frasier as well as in the films Moms’ Night Out (2014) and The Unbreakable Boy (2025).

From 1984 to 1987, Heaton was married to Constantine Yankoglu. After their divorce, she wed English actor David Hunt in 1990. The couple share four sons: Samuel, John, Joseph and Daniel.