Marie is the overbearing, annoying, manipulative, angry, insensitive, selfish, paranoid, intrusive, and possibly evil mother of Ray and Robert Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond. She is played in the series by veteran actress Doris Roberts, who is also known for her role on the 1983-88 NBC-TV series Remington Steele.
She is the matriarch of the Barone family. As in the sixth season episode titled Lucky Suit (#6.16), Robert refers to her as "Queen Marie". Even though her sons are in their forties, she still coddles them like little kids, but she has always favored the younger son Ray over Robert.
She is an exceptional cook and always has a clean house. Marie often criticizes Ray's wife Debra for not keeping her own house clean and feeding her family properly and she dismisses anyone who doesn't live up to her standards. Even though she loves Frank, she constantly bickers with him and calls him a lazy, stubborn slob.
Marie has a habit of making someone feel guilty in order to get what she wants. Most of the time, the person that she makes feel guilty is Ray.
Relationship to other characters
- Mother to Ray and Robert
- Mother-in-law to Debra
- Wife to Frank
- Grandmother to Ally, Michael and Geoffrey
- Mother-in-law to Amy
Memorable Quotes
- MARIE: I can't talk! There's too much fruit in the house!
- MARIE: (frequently throughout the series) I don't like that, Raymond.
- DEBRA: (chuckles) Cleaning is cleaning.
- MARIE: You'd think so!
- RAY: Did you say that you like Amy more than Debra?
- MARIE: I am not...saying that.
- RAY: I know. I know you're not saying it now. But did you say it--ever?
(Pause)
- RAY: What if I told you that we have a tape of you saying it, Ma?
- MARIE: Give me the tape.
- MARIE: (as Debra rolls eyes) May I say something as an impartial observer?
- MARIE: Years ago, I gave birth to two beautiful boys. And I wanted nothing more than to see them grow up, get married, and give me grandchildren. But if you want to take that away from me, by all means you go and tell that to Robert. And I'll just be back across the street living out the rest of my life...as best I can...with a hole in my heart.