‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ mother Doris Roberts dies

Irish actor Pierce Brosnan was among those to pay tribute to Doris Roberts, best known for playing the tart-tongued, endlessly meddling mother on TV sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond.

The 90-year-old American Emmy-winning actress died overnight in her sleep, said family spokeswoman Janet Daily, who was told of the death by Roberts's son, Michael Cannata. The cause of death was not immediately known, but Roberts had been healthy and active, Ms Daily said.

Roberts was also known for her role in the television detective series Remington Steele in which she starred alongside Brosnan.

Under a photograph from the 1980s series on Brosnan's Instagram was a tribute from the James Bond star: "Dear Doris, we had fun did we not...you were a joy to work with, you made me laugh and you made my work better for the laughter... Love life work and laughter...here's to higher ground ...RIP".

In the last two weeks she had attended a discussion on Hollywood and gender held by the SAG-AFTRA actors’ guild.

Roberts won four Emmy awards for her portrayal of Marie Barone on CBS's Everybody Loves Raymond and received a total of seven nominations as best supporting actress for the show.

"We loved our mom, the great Doris Roberts. A wonderful, funny, indelible actress and friend," Phil Rosenthal, the show's producer, said on Twitter.

The sitcom, which ran from 1996 to 2005, also starred Ray Romano, Brad Garrett and Patricia Heaton. Peter Boyle, who played husband Frank to Roberts' Marie, died in 2006.

Born in St Louis and raised in New York, Roberts was also known for her work on stage and in movies.

Besides her son, she is survived by her daughter-in-law Jane and three grandchildren, Kelsey, Andrew, and Devon Cannata.

Everybody Loves Raymond co-star Patricia Heaton said on Twitter: “She was funny and tough and loved life, living it to the fullest. Nothing gave her greater joy than her three wonderful grandchildren, of whom she was so proud. It was truly a privilege Doris. I love you and miss you.”

Actor Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf in Frozen, described her as "an amazing talent and amazing person".

Roberts began her stage career on Broadway in the 1950s, amassing credits that eventually included Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers and Terrence McNally's Bad Habits.

In early TV appearances she was seen in episodes of Studio One, The Naked City and The Defenders. An enthusiastic cook, she co-wrote Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs, And Lasagna – a memoir with recipes – in 2005.

PA