About The Cast

RAY ROMANO (Manny), as Ray Barone on the CBS hit "Everybody Loves Raymond," was part of one of the most respected sitcoms in television history. He won numerous awards, including an Emmy® for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series in 2002, and received two additional Emmys, as an executive producer, for outstanding comedy series, in 2003 and 2005.

Along with the rest of the show's cast, Romano earned a SAG Award(tm) for outstanding ensemble in a comedy series, in 2003. He won People's Choice Awards® as favorite male TV performer, in 2000, 2001 and 2003. In 2005, both Romano and the show won a People's Choice Award.

Romano admits he always knew he could make his friends laugh, but he never really gave standup comedy serious thought until one fateful open-mic night at a New York comedy club in 1984. He did well, the bug bit hard, and Romano was smitten. After stints at odd jobs, including futon mattress delivery man and bank teller by day, and journeyman comedian by night, he decided to leave the 9-5 ranks and pursue comedy full-time, eventually winning a standup comedy competition sponsored by a major New York radio station.

Following that success, he continued to regularly appear at comedy clubs throughout the country, leading to appearances on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and then with Jay Leno. He was eventually invited to appear on "Late Night with David Letterman." That night, Letterman, recognizing Romano's unique persona, offered him a development deal with his production company, Worldwide Pants. Through that association, "Everybody Loves Raymond" was born.

Romano made his big screen debut as the voice of Manny the woolly mammoth, in the Twentieth Century Fox hit "Ice Age," and subsequently starred in the follow-up hit, "Ice Age: The Meltdown." He has also starred in "Eulogy," "Welcome to Mooseport" with Gene Hackman, "Grilled" with Kevin James and Burt Reynolds, "The Grand" with Woody Harrelson, and "95 Miles To Go," an autobiographical documentary of his life on tour.

He is the author of The New York Times best-selling book based on his comedy, Everything and a Kite, as well as a children's book, Raymie, Dickie, and The Bean: Why I Love and Hate My Brothers. He also wrote, with his brothers Bobby Romano and Rich Romano, a children's book that was nominated for a Grammy® in 2006 for best spoken word album. His comedy album, "Live at Carnegie Hall," was nominated for a Grammy in 2002.

JOHN LEGUIZAMO (Sid) is a multi-faceted performer and Emmy Award winner who has established a career that defies categorization. His work in film, theatre, television and literature covers a variety of genres.

Leguizamo recently starred in Overture Films' "Nothing Like the Holidays," opposite Debra Messing and Alfred Molina. He also recently starred in the independent film "Where God Left His Shoes," in which he plays a struggling boxer desperately seeking a home for his family during the holidays.

Leguizamo's other recent film credits include "Love in the Time of Cholera," "The Happening," "Righteous Kill," "The Babysitters," "The Take" and "Miracle at St. Anna." His many other film credits include "Land of the Dead," "The Groomsmen," "Lies & Alibis," "Assault on Precinct 13," "Sueno," "Spin," "Moulin Rouge!" "Summer of Sam," "King of the Jungle," "Spawn," "William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet," "Dr. Dolittle," "Carlito's Way" and "Casualties of War."

For his performance as a sensitive drag queen in "Too Wong Foo: Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar," Leguizamo garnered a Golden Globe® nomination for best supporting actor. Leguizamo also picked up ALMA Award nominations for his roles in "Moulin Rouge" (best supporting actor) and "King of the Jungle" (best lead actor).

In the summer of 2007, Leguizamo returned to television in Spike TV's limited series "The Kill Point," in which he played the leader of a gang of bank robbers who had recently returned to the U.S. from a tour of duty in Iraq. Additionally, he appeared as a guest star in twelve episodes of NBC's cornerstone drama "ER" during the 2005/2006 season, and in 2006 did a guest star arc on the NBC hit "My Name is Earl."

Leguizamo returned to his theatrical roots in a Broadway revival of David Mamet's "American Buffalo," which centers around the twisted plot of three men attempting to steal a rare coin. In 1991, Leguizamo created an off-Broadway sensation as the writer and performer of his one-man show "Mambo Mouth," in which he portrayed seven different characters. He received Obie®, Outer Critics Circle and Vanguardia awards for his performance. The play's HBO special led to his first television comedy special, Comedy Central's "The Talent Pool," for which he received a CableACE Award.

Leguizamo's second one-man show, "Spic-O-Rama," had an extended sold-out run in Chicago at the Goodman and Briar Street theaters before opening in New York. The play received numerous accolades including the Dramatists Guild's Hull-Warriner Award for best American play and the Lucille Lortel outstanding achievement award for best Broadway performance. Leguizamo received the Theatre World Award for outstanding new talent, as well as a Drama Desk Award for best solo performance. "Spic-O-Rama" also aired on HBO, receiving four CableACE Awards.

"Freak," Leguizamo's third one-man show, ended a successful run on Broadway in 1998. Along with Tony Award® nominations for best play and best performance by a leading actor in a play, Leguizamo won the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle awards for outstanding solo performance. A special presentation of "Freak," directed by Spike Lee, aired on HBO and earned Leguizamo an Emmy for outstanding performance in a variety or music program, as well as a nomination for outstanding variety, music or comedy special.

In fall of 2001, Leguizamo returned to Broadway with "Sexaholix...a Love Story." Directed by Peter Askin, the play was based on the sold-out national tour, "John Leguizamo Live!" Leguizamo was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for outstanding solo performance and the show received a Tony nomination for best special theatrical performance. "Sexaholix" aired as an HBO Special in spring 2002 and also toured the country. Additional stage credits include "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "La Puta Vida" at the New York Shakespeare Festival, and "Parting Gestures" at INTAR.

Leguizamo is also an accomplished author. His autobiography Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas, and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends was released by HarperCollins in October 2006.

Raised in New York City, Leguizamo studied acting with Lee Strasberg and Wynn Handman at New York University. He was the recipient of the 2002 ALMA Award for Entertainer of the Year. Leguizamo currently resides in New York City with his wife and his two children.

DENIS LEARY (Diego) was nominated for a Golden Globe as best actor in a drama, as well as an Emmy for best actor in a drama, and best writing - all for his critically acclaimed hit series "Rescue Me," which he co-produces with longtime creative partner Peter Tolan. Since its debut on FX in spring 2004, "Rescue Me" has been awarded The American Film Institute's Outstanding Television Program award and The Producer's Guild of America's Visionary Award, as well as many listing as one of the top-ten shows of the year in numerous publications, critics and media organizations.

For the acclaimed HBO film "Recount," Leary was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of best performance by an actor in a supporting role in a series, mini-series or motion picture made for television, as well as an Emmy as outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie.

Previously, Leary and Tolan co-created the much-lauded and beloved ABC comedy "The Job," a one-camera, no-laugh-track sitcom that mixed comedy and drama as it told the story of the troubled but talented Manhattan police detective.

In his long and varied movie career Leary has starred in the box office hits "Wag the Dog," "A Bug's Life," "Ice Age," "The Thomas Crown Affair," "Suicide Kings" and 'Ice Age: The Meltdown." He gained critical praise for his portrayal of a cowboy junkie in the indie hit "Jesus' Son," as a drug-addled Irish gangster in "Monument Ave.," as an ethereal trumpet player in "The Secret Lives of Dentists," and as a hard-working Southern farmer in Terence Davies's "The Neon Bible." His first big project with director Ted Demme, "The Ref," has become a Christmas-time cult classic.

Leary garnered praise for his successful one-man shows "No Cure For Cancer" and "Lock n' Load," both of which are featured on "The Complete: Denis Leary" DVD. "No Cure For Cancer's" theme song, "A**hole," became an international hit on radio and MTV and led to gold and platinum records. Leary and his band The Crown Royals newest live tune "F**k You," has had audiences singing along in Europe and the U.S. The band's latest entries, "The Mel Gibson Blues" and "At The Rehab," seem destined for the same fate.

Leary and producing partner Jim Serpico established their New York based production company Apostle several years ago. Apostle's successful projects include the film "Blow," Comedy Central's "The Comedy Central Roasts" series, "Shorties Watching Shorties," "Comics Come Home," "Merry F***in' Xmas" and the reality show parody "Contest Searchlight."

For the last 14 years Leary and Apostle have produced the annual Comics Come Home gala in Boston to benefit the Cam Neely Foundation. It has now become the longest running stand-up comedy benefit in U.S. history. The show has featured Jay Leno, Steven Wright, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Lenny Clarke, Rosie O'Donnell, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Schimmel, Woody Harrelson, Colin Quinn, Anthony Clarke, Michael J. Fox and many others. The money raised by the show has helped to build and operate The Neely House in Boston, which provides support to pediatric and adult patients undergoing treatment, and a place to stay for them and their families.

Leary, a native of Worcester, Mass., founded The Leary Firefighters Foundation in response to the 1999 warehouse fire in downtown Worcester that killed six firefighters, including his cousin. In the wake of September 11, 2001, The Foundation raised and distributed $1.9 million dollars to the families of the 343 firefighters who perished in the greatest rescue operation in history, and has since made additional gifts to families that have suffered Line of Duty deaths. Since it's inception in 2000, The Foundation has gifted over $7 million to crucial equipment and training programs. In 2005 the Foundation established the Jeremiah Lucey Grant Program - named in honor of Leary's cousin - to support other professional fire departments.

In the aftermath of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, The Foundation directed funds from the Lucey Program to support the New Orleans Fire Department in its efforts to rebuild and prepare for future disasters. The Foundation has already fulfilled their critical need for a fleet of search and rescue boats, and is currently committed to the reconstruction of the NOFD's firehouses.

SIMON PEGG (Buck), winner of the Peter Sellers Award for Comedy (presented by the London Evening Standard), has successfully built a body of outstanding television and film credits, not the least of which is the creation of the breakthrough Channel 4 sitcom "Spaced," which was nominated for the British Comedy Award and both the UK and International BAFTAs and received a nomination for an International Emmy Award.

Pegg went on to gain massive critical and commercial success with "Shaun of the Dead," his debut feature film co-written with Edgar Wright, in which Pegg also starred in the title role. Produced by Working Title, the film rose to number one at the UK box office and the top five in the U.S. The film garnered numerous accolades, including nominations for best film at the 2005 BAFTAs, London Critics Circle Awards (also nominated for best screenplay), South Bank Show Awards, the NME Awards and the British Comedy Awards.

Pegg reprised his success with Edgar Wright in the 2007 feature film "Hot Fuzz," which was released to much acclaim, again opening at number one in the UK box office and reaching number five in the U.S. Later that same year, Pegg continued his run of box office successes, starring as the lead in the feature film "Run, Fatboy, Run," which opened in the top spot in the UK box office.

Pegg stars in "Star Trek," a reboot of the beloved franchise, as Scotty. J.J. Abrams directs a starring cast that also includes Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Eric Bana and Leonard Nimoy. Most recently, Pegg completed a role in the upcoming film "The Adventures of Tin Tin: Secret of the Unicorn," directed by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, due for release in 2010. Pegg is about to commence production on "Paul," a feature he co-wrote and stars in. He recently starred in "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People" with Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Gillian Anderson, Danny Huston and Jeff Bridges.

Pegg's previous television credits include the BBC1 drama "Final Demand," "Doctor Who," the BBC2 sitcom "Hippies" and the cult BBC sketch series "Big Train," for which he received an RTS nomination for best entertainment performance. He also co-starred in the Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks television series "Band of Brothers." Other feature film credits include "Mission: Impossible III," "The Big Nothing" and "The Good Night."

QUEEN LATIFAH (Ellie) is a musician, television and film actress, record label president, author and entrepreneur. Latifah became the first hip hop artist to be crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For her portrayal of Mama Morton in the Oscar winning hit "Chicago," Latifah received rave reviews, an Oscar® nomination for best supporting actress, a Golden Globe nomination and a SAG Award nomination. Latifah then starred in Disney's box office hit "Bringing Down the House," on which she also was executive producer.

Latifah starred in and executive produced the recent television movie "Life Support," a true-life drama in which she portrays a mother who overcomes an addiction to crack and becomes a role model and AIDS activist in her community. Latifah received rave reviews as well as an Emmy nomination, a Golden Globe win and a SAG Award win for her work in "Life Support." She starred in Neil Meron and Craig Zadan's "Hairspray," as Motormouth Maybelle, and in the film "Mad Money," the latter also starring Diane Keaton and Katie Holmes.

In last year's "The Secret Life of Bees," from Fox Searchlight Pictures, Latifah starred alongside Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Dakota Fannning. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, the drama won the Hollywood Film Award at the Hollywood Film Festival.

Latifah was seen in Wayne Wang's "The Last Holiday" and starred in and produced "Beauty Shop," a spin-off from the hit film "Barbershop." She also appeared in director Marc Forster's "Stranger Than Fiction," opposite Emma Thompson and Dustin Hoffman, and was the voice of Ellie in "Ice Age: The Meltdown."

In 2007, Latifah released her album "Trav'lin Light," for which she was nominated for a Grammy. Co-produced by three time Grammy winner Tommy LiPuma, the album was the long awaited follow up to Latifah's Grammy nominated, platinum-selling "The Dana Owens Album," a collection of timeless classics chosen and covered by the Queen herself.

Queen Latifah is also a well respected rapper, whose groundbreaking 1989 debut "All Hail the Queen," set the visual and contextual standard for female rappers. She has earned four Grammy nominations as well as a Grammy Award for best solo rap performance in 1994. Latifah toured the U.S. as part of The Sugar Water Festival with fellow soul sisters Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.

With her partner Shakim Compere, Latifah owns and operates a production company, Flavor Unit Entertainment. Based in New Jersey, the company executive produced the box-office hit "Bringing Down the House," as well as "Beauty Shop." Flavor Unit Entertainment co-produced the action-comedy "Bad Girls," and produced "The Cookout."

Since Latifah's screen debut in Spike Lee's 1991 film "Jungle Fever," her film career has taken off. She starred in "Set It Off," which earned her a nomination for a Spirit Award in the best actress category, and co-starred with Holly Hunter and Danny DeVito in "Living Out Loud." In 1999, she was seen in "The Bone Collector," directed by Philip Noyce, starring Denzel Washington.

In addition to music, film and television, Queen Latifah has also written a book on self-esteem entitled Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman. Latifah's first television series, "Living Single," was a huge success and is currently in syndication.

Queen Latifah serves as co-chairman for the Lancelot H. Owens Scholarship Foundation, Inc. Established by her mother Rita Owens to perpetuate the memory of a loving son and brother, the foundations provides scholarships to students who excel scholastically but are limited in financial resources.

Movie search