For older actresses, the TV industry was no easy place to be. In a business built on glitz, glamour and beauty, older women faced an uphill battle. There was room for them — sure, you had the Betty Whites of the world — but age often meant being typecast.

Women above the age of 60 were either the sweet grandma or the frail older lady, but rarely the one with a real story to tell. No one knew this better than Doris Roberts from Everybody Loves Raymond.

She spent 10 years as Marie Barone, Ray Romano’s on-screen mom who could steal a scene, even when the spotlight wasn’t on her.

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Fans may remember that between 1984 and 1997, The Golden Girls and Murder, She Wrote — both TV series led by women above the age of 40 — spent a collective 18 seasons near the top of the Nielsen ratings.

The shows proved that veteran female actors such as Betty White, Angela Lansbury, and Bea Arthur could attract millions of fans. Yet, there was still little room for older women on TV.

According to a 1999 interview with the Star Tribune, only two women in that season’s top 20 shows had celebrated their 50th birthdays.

At the time of this interview, producer and creator Phil Rosenthal gave a speech at New York’s Museum of Television and Radio, where he received an award.

"During the presentation," Roberts said, "Phil Rosenthal told the audience that over 100 women went up for the part of Marie Barone. One hundred! And as soon as he said that, I realized that most of them are my friends."

"I remember once when someone called my agent and said, 'I’d like to book a two-day shoot,'"  Roberts said. "He said, 'Well, I’m sorry, she’s not available.' And they said, 'Why not?' My agent explained that I was working, and this person responded, 'Doris Roberts is working!?'"

Despite her frustration with Hollywood’s bias against older actors, Roberts found herself on a hit TV series with multiple Emmy nominations and wins. She was part of one of TV’s smartest comedies, and she had no plans to leave early.

"Not only is the writing on Everybody Loves Raymond superb, the whole atmosphere is refreshing," Roberts said. "I have to give credit to one man, Phil Rosenthal, who set the tone for everyone. It’s a joy to come to work in the morning; there are no sick personalities to deal with. We come in prepared to work, and then we go home and have a life. That’s very unusual."

In shaping her role as Ray’s mother, Marie Barone, she said her biggest challenge was toeing the line between making the character annoying, obnoxious, and funny.

"The reason Everybody Loves Raymond is successful is that it’s based on reality," Roberts said. "It’s not shtick, not forced laughter. The humor comes from situations that are very identifiable."