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A talented actress whose career spans television, theater and film, Patricia Heaton has been honored with two consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and has been nominated for 11 Screen Actors Guild awards for her portrayal of “Debra Barone” on the top-rated series Everybody Loves Raymond. Heaton also starred opposite Tony Shalhoub in the off-Broadway production of Theresa Rebeck’s The Scene. She received a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for her riveting performance as Stella. Heaton was seen in the cable television romantic comedy The Engagement Ring. She also appeared in The Path to 9/11 and revived the role of "Paula" in a contemporary version of the original Neil Simon classic The Goodbye Girl opposite Jeff Daniels. Heaton’s first book, Motherhood and Hollywood, arrived in stores and almost immediately hit the bestseller lists. The book is a humorous and poignant collection of essays chronicling Heaton’s childhood, years of struggle as an aspiring actress, her success on a wildly popular series, and how she balances her career and family.

While studying acting in New York with drama teacher William Esper, Heaton made her Broadway debut in the gospel musical Don’t Get God Started. She and fellow students then formed Stage Three, an acting company that produced plays off-Broadway. They took one production, The Johnstown Vindicator, to Los Angeles, where Heaton’s performance caught the eye of casting directors. Heaton’s television credits include roles on the series Room for Two, Someone Like Me, Women of the House and the critically acclaimed thirtysomething. She also starred in the television movie Miracle in the Woods with Della Reese, and the holiday movie A Town Without Christmas. Heaton’s feature credits include Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Beethoven, New Age and Space Jam. Heaton’s production company, Four Boys, produced the humorous documentary The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania, directed by her husband, David Hunt. Four Boys also produced the critically acclaimed feature film Amazing Grace in conjunction with Walden.