Everybody loves a good underdog story—and so does Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett. Although Garrett didn’t seem like an underdog in his popular role on the series, his empathy for them came naturally.

According to a 2003 interview with The Times, Garrett said that before his role on the Emmy-winning series, he had been a lifelong underdog.

"I was the youngest of three brothers," Garrett said. "They were much better looking and more athletic. I know all about the underdog thing."

Watch Everybody Loves Raymond on MeTV!

ONE FULL HOUR

Weeknights at 9 PM & Sundays at 10 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

Even in school, before his fame, he was often overlooked and rarely in the spotlight. He played basketball and was six feet tall by age 13, but there was one big problem: he couldn’t play—and he couldn’t dribble.

"So when you can’t make a layup and you’re that tall, you end up in the goon squad," Garrett continued. 

Garrett got his first real break in show business in 1984 when he won Star Search, a televised talent competition that helped launch the careers of performers. "That was my first break," Garrett said. "I was working at TGI Fridays and doing stand-up at Applebee’s."

While he may not have had the most glamorous Hollywood start, he eventually landed the roles he wanted, including playing Jackie Gleason in Gleason: That’s My Story and voicing Bloat in Finding Nemo.

At first, Garrett was such an underdog that even Ray Romano, who played Ray Barone, didn’t think he would get the part of his onscreen brother.

"Ray told me from the beginning, 'We’re never going to hire you,'" Garrett said. "They wanted the brother to be a bulldog type, a scrappy Danny DeVito type. I said, 'Let me read,' because I thought it would be great to play him as this big, beaten guy who’s used to coming in second."

Much like his character, Garrett was used to coming in second—until his life changed for the better with Everybody Loves Raymond. The underdog had finally found his spotlight.