Patricia Helen Heaton was born March 4, 1958, in Bay Village, Ohio. Heaton was one of five children in a traditional Roman Catholic family. Her father, Chuck Heaton, was a well-known sportswriter just like her future television husband, Ray Romano. She attended St. Raphael Elementary School and suffered the loss of her mother when she was only twelve. Heaton pursued her secondary education at Ohio State University where she majored in drama.
By 1980, Heaton was convinced acting was the job for her, and to that end, moved to New York City in order to work with renowned teacher William Esper. Like many actors before her, Heaton began her craft onstage. She appeared in the Broadway production Don't Get God Started in 1987. Quickly catching the attention of a casting director for the television series thirtysomething, Heaton earned the role of Dr. Silverman for a six-episode stint from 1989 to 1991. She acted beside core cast members Timothy Busfield, Polly Draper, Mel Harris, Peter Horton, Melanie Mayron, Ken Olin, and Patricia Wettig.
She received steady work through television until her film debut in 1992 with John Carpenter's directorial project Memoirs of an Invisible Man, opposite Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, Sam Neill, and Michael McKean. She also endeared herself to the film-going public with a role in the family comedy Beethoven, with Bonnie Hunt, Dean Jones, Nicholle Tom, Oliver Platt, Stanley Tucci, and David Duchovny.
Some may recognize Heaton for her two-episode appearance on the drama Party of Five in 1996, with regulars Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell, Matthew Fox, Lacey Chabert, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jeremy London, and Paula Devicq. In this same year, Heaton auditioned for and won the role that would make her a household name and an Emmy favorite many times over. With the debut of Everybody Loves Raymond in 1996, Heaton officially became Debra Barone, opposite seasoned actors Ray Romano, Doris Roberts, Brad Garrett, and Peter Boyle. For her work on the series, she was honored with two Emmy wins and another five nominations.
During the show's run, Heaton also appeared in Space Jam, with Michael Jordan and Danny DeVito; the Raymond spin-off King of Queens, with Kevin James, Leah Remini, and Jerry Stiller; and Neil Simon's The Goodbye Girl, with Jeff Daniels, which earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. Her most recent project is the new television series Back to You, with co-star Kelsey Grammer. In her personal life, Heaton has been married twice. Her first marriage ended in divorce in 1987 after three years. Her second marriage was to fellow actor David Hunt. They wed in October 1990, and they are currently still together. They have four sons.
Heaton is a vocal proponent of many pro-life issues, including opposition to euthanasia, the death penalty, and abortion. She is also active in many charities.
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