Doris Roberts’ 5 Best Movies & TV Shows, According To IMDb

At the time of her passing at age 90 in 2016, Doris Roberts had accomplished a great deal as an actress, though most Americans would probably forever know her as Ray’s domineering mother in Everybody Loves Raymond.

Even before she became that iconic character, however, she’d made a number of important screen appearances, and while she may not have been a main character every time she appeared, she never failed to make an impression. Here are her top ten roles, according to IMDb.

10 Everybody Loves Raymond (1996-2005)  (7.1)

This sitcom, based around the titular role, will probably be remembered as Roberts’ signature character. In the show, she played Ray’s mother Marie, known for her overbearing personality and her penchant for making a bit of a nuisance of herself in Ray’s house, much to his wife Debra’s annoyance.

The sparring between the two of them was some of the best writing in the show, so it’s a good thing that Roberts appeared in all 210 episodes of the show.

9 Remington Steele (1982-1987) (7.2)

Though this series has been a bit forgotten by subsequent history, it was an interesting blend of police procedural and romantic comedy.

Roberts, fresh off a successful part in the show St. Elsewhere, auditioned for the part of Mildred Krebs, even though the role was originally written to be a 35-year-old love interest. She was so good at the audition that the entire character was rewritten just for her, a true testament to her skill as an actress.

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8 Perfect Strangers (1986-1993) (7.2)

This show was one of those that could only have been produced in the 1980s. It focuses on Larry who, after moving into his first apartment, unexpectedly becomes roommates with his distant cousin Balki: madcap hijinks ensue. Doris Roberts appears in the episode titled “Maid to Order” as the titular maid.

Unsurprisingly, she soon begins to intrude into their lives in ways that Larry finds infuriating, even as Balki, equally unsurprisingly, wants to keep her around. She was nominated for an Emmy for her guest appearance.

7 A New Leaf (1971) (7.4)

This dark comedy film from the 1970s stars Walter Mathau and portrays a rich playboy who, facing financial straits and the risk of losing his inheritance, decides that the only way to prevent destitution is to marry a wealthy woman and murder her.

Though well-received by critics, it was not a commercial success, and it has, in subsequent years, become something of a cult classic. In the film, Doris Roberts plays a relatively minor character named Mrs. Traggert.

6 Dream On (1990-1996) (7.5)

This HBO sitcom from the 1990s is another of those series that seems to have fallen a bit into obscurity since its release, largely overshadowed by the success of its creators’ subsequent show, Friends.

It’s a shame, really, since the show has its charms, and especially since its presence on HBO allowed it to explore more adult material than some of its network peers. In the series, Doris Roberts plays the character of Angie Pedalbee, a role she performed in six episodes.

5 The Middle (2009-2018) (7.5)

Given the fact that there is such undeniable chemistry between Roberts and co-star Patricia Heaton in Everybody Loves Raymond, it is perhaps unsurprising that she would also make several guest appearances in Heaton’s follow-up sitcom, The Middle.

As always, the two lock horns since Roberts portrays a particularly difficult teacher, and it goes without saying that she makes life more than a little miserable for Frankie. It’s definitely a laugh-fest seeing these two great comedic actresses going at it again.

4 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) (7.6)

This comedy film from the very end of the 1980s is something of an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the comic talent on display. In addition to the franchise’s regulars of Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo as Clark and Ellen Griswold, this film also gives us Doris Roberts as Ellen’s mother.

As she always does, Roberts manages to almost steal the scene whenever she appears, and watching D’Angelo and Roberts act together, you can almost believe that they are mother and daughter.

3 The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) (7.7)

This film is something of a deep cut for Roberts, and it is one of her screen roles that isn’t a comedy. It is actually an action/thriller film, focusing on what happens when a group of criminals take a New York City subway car hostage.

It was critically and commercially acclaimed at the time, and it has actually been remade twice. In the film, Doris Roberts makes a small appearance as Jessie, the mayor’s wife.

2 St. Elsewhere (1982-1988) (7.8)

This medical drama was one of the most important television series of the 1980s, and some still consider it one of the best television series ever made. It earned significant critical acclaim during its time on the air, accumulating numerous Emmy nominations.

One of those was for Doris Roberts, who appeared as a bag lady, along with her mentally-ill husband. It is this role, perhaps more than any other, that showed her true talent and range as an actress.

1 Soap (1977-1981) (8.1)

Before Susan Harris created her iconic show The Golden Girls she created Soap, a delightful and zany comedy that spoofs many of the most outrageous aspects of the soap opera form.

In the show, Doris Roberts appears as (of course) the domineering and hectoring mother of a character who leaves the priesthood in order to get married. Her death on their wedding night actually ends up creating a curse on the baby, because of course it does.

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