Short Biography

Doris May Roberts (born November 4, 1930) is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond. Roberts was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the daughter of Larry and Ann Meltzer. Her father deserted the family when Roberts was a child, and her mother raised Doris with the help of her Russian Jewish parents in The Bronx, New York. Her stepfather was Chester H. Roberts. Roberts` first husband was Michael Cannata; they divorced in 1962. Their son, Michael Cannata, Jr. is Roberts` manager, and is the father of her three grandchildren: Kelsey, Andrew, and Devon. Her second husband was writer William Goyen. She was married to Goyen from 1963 until his death from leukemia on August 30, 1983 in Los Angeles.

On September 4, 2002, she testified before a U.S. Congressional panel that age discrimination is prevalent in Hollywood, advocating that such discrimination be treated on par with biases against race and gender. An avid cook, she wrote a book in 2005 titled Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs, and Lasagna, written with Danelle Morton and published by St. Martin`s Press. She says of her book, "It`s about sharing things I’ve learned that have changed my life". In May of 2005, she received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the University of South Carolina. An animal lover and advocate, she has worked with the group Puppies Behind Bars which works with inmates in training guide dogs and assistance dogs for the physically disabled and elderly, as well as dogs trained in explosives detection to be used by the ATF and other law enforcement agencies. She also is active with the Children with AIDS Foundation, of which she has served as the chairwoman. She currently lives in Los Angeles in a house once owned by screen legend James Dean.

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