Patricia Heaton

 ( 1958 Births ) 

Heaton has three sisters, Sharon, Alice, and Frances, and one brother, Michael, who died in September 2022 at the age of 66 and was the "Minister of Culture" columnist for The Plain Dealer and a writer for the paper's Friday Magazine.

Heaton auditioned for the role of Elaine Benes on Seinfeld in 1989. When Stage Three brought one of its productions to Los Angeles, Heaton caught the eye of a casting director for the ABC drama series Thirtysomething. She was cast as an oncologist, leading to six appearances on the series from 1989 to 1991. Other guest appearances include Alien Nation (1989) and Matlock (1990) and supporting role in the made-for-television movie Shattered Dreams (1990).

In 1992, Heaton made her big screen debut appearing in a supporting role in the comedy-drama film Memoirs of an Invisible Man directed by John Carpenter. Later that year, she appeared in the box-office hit family comedy film Beethoven. From 1992 to 1993, Heaton starred as a lead character in the ABC sitcom Room for Two. The series was canceled after two seasons. In 1994, she starred in another short-lived sitcom, Someone Like Me, it lasted on NBC only six episodes. Later that year, Heaton appeared in the comedy-drama film The New Age. In 1995, she starred opposite Delta Burke in the CBS sitcom Women of the House, a spin-off of Designing Women. The series also was canceled after one season.

While starring on Everybody Loves Raymond, Heaton played the leading roles in a number of made-for-television movies. In 1997 she starred alongside Meredith Baxter and Della Reese in the drama film Miracle in the Woods. In 2001, she starred in the Christmas drama A Town Without Christmas. In 2004, she starred in the comedy-drama The Goodbye Girl, a remake of the 1977 film of the same name. For her performance, Heaton received Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie. In 2005, she starred and produced the romantic comedy-drama film The Engagement Ring.

In 2003, Heaton appeared in a series of television and radio commercials as spokesperson for the various incarnations of the grocery chain Albertsons, such as Acme Markets, Jewel and Shaw's. Heaton also was featured on the cover of the company's 2003 and 2004 annual reports. In 2007, Albertsons created the Crazy About Food slogan/campaign and Heaton's association with the company ended. She has also appeared in advertisements for Pantene hair-care products. Heaton was the producer for the 2005 documentary The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania, which was directed by her husband, David Hunt. She was also one of the producers of the William Wilberforce drama Amazing Grace (2006).

In 2006, Heaton played United States Ambassador Barbara Bodine in the controversial miniseries The Path to 9/11 about the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York City and the events leading up to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Also that year, she starred and produced the untitled ABC comedy pilot about a widowed mother who joins the P.T.A. where she befriends two women she initially dislikes. In January 2007, Heaton returned to the stage to co-star with Tony Shalhoub in the off-Broadway play The Scene at Second Stage Theatre in New York City. For this performance, Heaton was nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress category for the 22nd Lucille Lortel Awards. From 2007 to 2008, she starred with Kelsey Grammer in the Fox comedy series, Back to You. The show about a squabbling anchors of a news program was canceled in May 2008. For her performance, she was nominated for the Satellite Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy at the 10th Satellite Awards. In 2008, she starred in the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie Front of the Class, based on the real story of a mother, Ellen Cohen, raising a son, Brad Cohen, who has Tourette syndrome.

In 2009, Heaton began starring as Frankie Heck in the ABC comedy series, The Middle. The series received positive reviews from critics and lasted nine seasons with 215 produced episodes. She received Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 2011. In 2011, Heaton was ranked at number 24 on the TV Guide Network special, Funniest Women on TV. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on May 22, 2012. Her production company is FourBoys Entertainment. She starred and produced the 2014 comedy film Moms' Night Out. The film was released by Sony Pictures Releasing on May 9, 2014, receiving mostly negative reviews from critics.

In October 2015, Heaton began hosting Patricia Heaton Parties, a cooking show on Food Network. The program showcases party-friendly foods and home-entertaining tips. The series won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2016 for Outstanding Culinary Program. The show ended after two seasons. She also did voice over work in the animated films The Star (2017) and Smallfoot (2018).

In 2022, Heaton starred opposite Brian Cox in a drama film, Mending the Line, directed by Joshua Caldwell. It received positive reviews from film critics. It received limited release on June 9, 2023. She starred in the drama film The Unbreakable Boy for Lionsgate Films. In 2023, she was cast in the leading role in the psychological horror-thriller film The Beldham. In 2024, she was cast for a recurring role during the second season of Paramount+ series Frasier. In 2025, she starred opposite Al Pacino in the horror film The Ritual.

After her divorce from her first husband, Constantine Yankoglu, she went through a self-described "Protestant wilderness". As of June 2017, Heaton's first marriage had been annulled by the Catholic Church and she has returned to being a practicing Catholic.

Heaton has been open about having plastic surgery, citing having a tummy-tuck and a breast reduction after undergoing four Caesarean sections.

In a 2020 interview for Parade, Heaton revealed that she had quit drinking two years prior.