Ray Romano with his wife, Anna, and their kids: Alexandra, Matthew, Gregory and Joseph.Photo:Tibrina Hobson/Getty
Tibrina Hobson/Getty
Everybody lovesRay Romano, including his kids: Alexandra, Matthew, Gregory and Joseph.
Ray is a family man both on- and off-screen. While he played dad to daughter Ally and twin sons, Michael and Geoffrey, for nine seasons on the CBS sitcomEverybody Loves Raymond, the actor has four children of his own in real life, whom he shares with his wife of over 30 years,Anna Romano.
“I think they like that I getcreative inspiration from them,” the Primetime Emmy Award-winning actor told PEOPLE of his family. “They read rough drafts of the script. My wife, not as much as my kids.”
The stand-up comedian doesn’t shy away from cracking jokes about his loved ones, who all appeared at the end of his 2019 Netflix comedy special,Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner.
“I do know that a lot of my material now is me taking on the voice of either my kids or my wife,” Ray said on an episode ofGood One: A Podcast About Jokesin 2021. He shared that he’s watched his children grow up to be individuals with relatable opinions.
“Now that they’re people, I’m just engaging with them more, and they actually have a point of view and a thing and a comment they want to say, and we can have a conversation,” he continued. “It’s just natural for me to write about that and to play their part. … I have more to act out now.”
Ray Romano poses with wife Anna and their children: daughter Alexandra and sons, Matthew, Gregory and Joseph.Milan Ryba/FilmMagic
Milan Ryba/FilmMagic
Now that his kids are all adults and have made careers of their own, Romano has joked that he’s managing his stress over the situation “with medication.”
“It’sa little stressfulto be honest with you because I know the business and I know even people that have ‘it’ don’t get it,” he told PEOPLE in December 2024. “But it’s also good,” he adds, “because I want them to be passionate about something and go for it. And if that’s it, then good. I’m glad.”
Here’s everything to know about Ray Romano’s kids: Alexandra, Matthew, Gregory and Joseph.
Alexandra Romano, 34
Ray Romano and daughter Alexandra Romano attend ‘Somewhere In Queens’ screening in April 2023 in New York City.Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
Ray and Anna welcomed their first child, Alexandra “Ally” Romano, on Aug. 26, 1990, at St. Vincent’s Hospital in N.Y.C.
Ray Romano with wife Anna and their daughter Alexandra.Chris Weeks/FilmMagic
Chris Weeks/FilmMagic
During an appearance onLivewith Kelly and Markin April 2023, Ray revealed that his daughter got engaged. “So much is happening this week,” he said, referring to his filmSomewhere in Queens. “[My daughter] sends me apicture of her with a ring, and my wife and I go nuts and then all I could think is I know my daughter. This movie has to make a lot of money this weekend.”
On Sept. 21, 2024,Alexandra married Zachary Wilezolat the New York Public Library, where the couple met and fell in love. Her dad walked her down the aisle to a strings performance of the Etta James song “At Last.”
Alexandra, who went to the University of Pennsylvania, didn’t follow in her father’s showbiz footsteps. “My daughter works for a PR firm that handles celebrity chefs and restaurants,”The Irishmanstar toldParadein 2023.
While she previously said she wanted“nothing to do with” her dad’s industry, she may have since changed her mind. The eldest Romano child was listed as a co-producer on Ray’s directorial debut,Somewhere in Queens.
In anInstagram post, Alexandra shared a sweet photo of herself with her dad while revealing some behind-the-scenes details of how she worked with him on the project. She recounted that it was in the works for a few years and though it there were “a few emotional rollercoasters,” she was so “proud and grateful” for the experience with him.
Matthew and Gregory Romano, 31
Ray Romano with his sons, Matthew, Gregory and Joseph, on ‘Celebrity Family Feud’.Byron Cohen/Getty
Byron Cohen/Getty
Ray got his wish times two with the birth of his identical twin sons, Matthew and Gregory Romano, on Jan. 12, 1993. TheWelcome to Mooseportstar confessed to PEOPLE in 1996 that he hoped for a son when his wife announced she was pregnant again.
“Anna called me after a sonogram,” he recalled, “And said, ‘Well, we’re having twins.’ I was like, ‘Come on!’ She said, ‘Yes. Twin girls.’ I tried to sound happy, going, ‘Oh. Good. Good.’ Finally she told me, ‘They’re boys, you jerk!’ That’s when I knew I loved her.”
The actor’s character inEverybody Loves Raymondalso had twin boys named Matthew and Gregory in the first episode. According to theChicago Tribune, he became worried that his work imitated his life too much once production started, and he decided to change the boys’ names to Michael and Geoffrey.
While Ray’s real twins may not be stars on popular sitcoms, they aren’t strangers to award shows. In 2002, Matthew and Gregory joined their dad on stage as he accepted hisPeople’s Choice Awardfor favorite male television performer. When he won again the following year, he brought his boys up with him so they could deliver his acceptance speech on their birthday.
Matthew and Gregory have also appeared on talk shows with their famous dad, includingThe Ellen DeGeneres Show,The Late Late Show with James CordenandJimmy Kimmel Live.
Ray Romano with his twin sons, Matthew and Gregory.Mathew Imaging/FilmMagic
Mathew Imaging/FilmMagic
Matt was working atJimmy Kimmel Livein 2017, when his dad hilariously tried to get him a date while appearing on the show.“Listen, ladies, he’s a good kid; good listener. He keeps his room clean. He’s had all his shots,” the comedian said to the camera.
Days later, Ray appeared onThe Late Late Show with James Corden, where his other son, Greg, worked. HostJames Cordentried tofind Greg a date from the audiencewith help from him and fellow guestJulia Louis-Dreyfus.
The Big Sickstar later admitted to hostEllen DeGeneresin 2019 that every time he goes on either Kimmel or Corden’s shows, he has “to come up with a bit with them now.”
In addition to their late-night show roles, Matt and Greg have pursued other interests in the entertainment industry. During his 2023Paradeinterview, Ray revealed that his twins “are working on a documentary.”
In April 2024, Alexandra shared a photo from her brother Matt’s wedding onInstagram, revealing that he married girlfriend Erica Jane. The post included pictures of the newlyweds, their cake, and a family photo that included their parents and siblings.
“@mattromano73 finally made @ejsparkle my SIL!!!! magical weekend for special people. ILY both so much 😘🤍,” Ally wrote in her caption.
Joseph Romano, 26
Ray Romano’s youngest son Joseph “Joe” Romano on ‘Celebrity Family Feud’.Byron Cohen/Getty
Joseph “Joe” Romano is the youngest of Ray and Anna’s children. He was born in February 1998.
Describing his fourth child while onThe Tonight Showin 2017, Ray said, “I never knew what this phrase meant, but I think it applies to him. He thinks he’s the s—.”
He revealed toJimmy Fallonon the show that a friend informed him that Joseph had become an ordained minister online. When he asked his son if he was, Joseph replied, “Pretty much.”
Ray has joked to DeGeneres and Kimmel that he doesn’t know whether Joseph is the “stupidest kid, or maybe the deepest.” He explained to DeGeneres that his youngest child “might be the deepest because he says things that just, I don’t know how to react to.”
Ray Romano and his son Joseph Raymond during The Hollywood World Premiere of 20th Century Fox’s ‘Ice Age: The Meltdown’.E. Charbonneau/WireImage
E. Charbonneau/WireImage
The comedian joked about him during his Netflix special. “He brags about things you shouldn’t admit to,” he said of Joseph. “The other day, he walked through the kitchen, and he looks at us, ‘Haven’t showered in four days.’”
“I used to love going to the games, and I wouldlive vicariously through himwith all the excitement,” theBupkisstar told PEOPLE before the film’s premiere. The proud dad remembered “tearing up” as he hugged his son’s coach during Joseph’s last game.
Ray said, “My thought was, what if this [movie] was about a guy who, that’s all he had — he felt invisible in his real life and the only time he felt any kind of purpose or attention was through his son and the basketball, and it was ending? And that was the jumping-off point of the story.”
source: people.com
