Though Monica Horan portrayed Robert Barone's erstwhile girlfriend and eventual wife Amy MacDougall, she has a lot in common with Debra Barone. The wife of series co-creator Philip Rosenthal, many of their real-life situations ended up in the show - even lines of dialogue mirrored words from her own mouth.

Graduated from Hofstra University with a degree in theater, she once worked as a telephone sales operator for Telecharge. She performed in Tony 'n Tina's Wedding off-Broadway and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom in L.A. A founding member of Actors Initiative, she was a sketch-comedy performer with the group Artificial Intelligence. Her non-Everybody Loves Raymond TV credits include Coach, Down the Shore, In The House, L.A. Law and In Living Color, as well as a recurring role on General Hospital. Her work in Everybody Loves Raymond was awarded with a Gracie Allen Award and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations, along with the rest of the cast, for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Raised Catholic in Pennsylvania (her Raymond alter ego is from Pennsylvania but Protestant), she converted to Judaism and married Rosenthal in 1990. They have two children.

Character Bio

When Debra sets up her friend Amy with Robert, little do any of them know the twist in the road ahead. Robert's on-again, off-again relationship with Amy ends up in a happy marriage, but not before Robert spills drinks on Amy, Ray causes one of their breakups, and Amy goes out with Ray's buddy Gianni. Amy is the daughter of conservative parents Hank and Pat, and has an odd, shiftless older brother named Peter. They live in Pennsylvania, though Peter lives with Amy and Robert for a bit. Because Amy is a "good girl," Marie seems to favor her over Debra. But when Amy and Robert get married, Amy stands up to Marie over writing thank-you notes. Debra is excited to have an ally in the war with Marie, but Amy eventually gives in.