Monica Horan, born January 29, 1963, is an American actress, mainly famous for her portrayal of Amy MacDougall-Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond. She comes from Darby, Pennsylvania. Monica is married to Phil Rosenthal, the creator of the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond. They married in April 1990 and currently reside in Los Angeles. They have two children. Horan seems to have vanished from television, and doesn't accept any new roles since 2005, but she has appeared in some TV commercials.
Monica is a graduate of the Hofstra University and has a degree in theater studies. During her studies, Rosenthal, who happened to attend Hofstra too, saw her acting in a play, and romance ensued between the two; they married in 1990, a year after they moved to Los Angeles. Before the wedding, Monica converted to Judaism.
After graduating Hofstra University in 1984, three years after her husband did so, Monica went to perform on some Off Broadway plays - Broadway plays that are performed outside Broadway. She was praised by some critics for her performance in "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding" and "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom". During her time in theater plays - in the mid 80's - Monica was working for Telecharge as a sales operator in New York City.
Her portrayal of Amy Louise Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond is what brought her international fame. She was first meant to be a side character and was introduced to the show in 1998, but her first appearance was so touching that fans vouched for her incorporation into the show. She was, however, officially included in the cast only in 2003. This was mainly because of her timid, soft-spoken character who often apologized for nothing. In the show, Amy Louise supposedly lost her virginity to Robert at the age of 33. It is quite interesting to note that her husband was working behind the scenes when she appeared in the shows. In Everybody Loves Raymond, she had a storming relationship with Robert Barone, as Amy Louise broke up with Robert numerous times during the show, and they married only in the seventh season that aired in 2003.
In addition to her role in Everybody Loves Raymond, Horan has appeared in television shows such as "General Hospital", "L.A. Law", "In Living Color", "Coach", etc, where she played characters that were often similar to the now iconic Amy Louise.
Although mostly playing a "mouse" character in television, her timid and introvert roles were indeed something unique; her characters, shy and soft spoken individuals, were indeed quite influential in the sitcom genre, as Everybody Loves Raymond was one of the most popular sitcoms at the time it was aired. Although now known mostly as Philip Rosenthal's wife, Monica Horan has shifted from acting to charity and now is a member of the Board of Trustees in Los Angeles. She, together with her husband, oversees the Rosenthal Family Charitable Trust, which provides grants and scholarships for high school students.
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