Doris Roberts' 6 Most Memorable Roles

From "Everybody Loves Raymond" to "Full House," Roberts was a beloved TV mom.

ByABC News
April 19, 2016, 12:59 PM

— -- Doris Roberts, who died Sunday at age 90, made a career out of playing moms, from "Everybody Loves Raymond" to "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."

But the comedic actress wasn't afraid to play against type, and she earned acclaim for her dramatic work as well.

Roberts' career began in 1951 with a role in television's "Starlight Theatre," and for the next seven decades, she worked steadily in television, film and on Broadway, earning five Emmys and a Screen Actors Guild award.

Here's a quick look back at six of Roberts' most memorable roles.

'Everybody Loves Raymond'

Roberts found her greatest success late in her career with her signature role on "Everybody Loves Raymond," the popular CBS sitcom that ran from 1996 to 2005. As meddlesome mom Marie Barone, she coddled son Ray, played by star and creator Ray Romano, and criticized daughter-in-law Debra, played by Patricia Heaton. Roberts earned four of her five Emmys for her work on the show.

'Angie'

Decades before "Raymond," Roberts appeared as another small-screen mom on the sitcom "Angie," starring Donna Pescow. As Theresa Falco, Roberts played a single mom who raised two daughters on her own but still kept a place at the table for the husband who abandoned them 19 years earlier. The show debuted in 1979 and ran for two seasons.

'National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation'

On the big screen, Roberts joined the Griswold family in 1989's "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," as the mother of Ellen Griswold, played by Beverly D’Angelo. As Frances Smith, Roberts is not sold on son-in-law Clark Griswold's (Chevy Chase) plans for the holiday.

'St. Elsewhere'

Roberts took a dramatic turn in 1982, with her guest appearance in an episode of the first season of the medical drama "St. Elsewhere." As Cora, she played a homeless woman who learns her feet need to be amputated and worries she'll be unable to care for her disabled husband, who is also homeless. In a 2005 interview, Roberts, who won her first Emmy for the performance, called it "the best, dramatically the best, in television that I’ve done."

'Remington Steele'

Coming off "St. Elsewhere," Roberts joined detective show "Remington Steele," starring then-unknown Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist as private investigators. For five seasons, Roberts played their diligent receptionist Mildred Krebs, a role for which she earned another Emmy nomination.

'Full House'

After "Remington," Roberts went back to playing moms. In season 3 of "Full House," she guest starred as Granny Tanny, the mother of Danny Tanner (Bob Saget). Retired and looking for something to do, Granny Tanny offers to help out her widower son and his three children but quickly overstays her welcome.