Sometimes, it takes a good friend to remind you why you fell in love with something in the first place. Brad Garrett had been a talented stand-up comedian for years. However, his career path shifted when he was cast as Robert Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond. The sitcom became a tremendous success, with special attention being paid to Garrett’s acting ability.

Series creator Phil Rosenthal had built the sitcom to provide audiences with eternal entertainment. “We’re writing from character— and not just going for jokes— because if you do that, you’re only as good as your last joke,” said Rosenthal. “There are enough shows like that on TV.” Of course, his efforts as a creator were only as good as the talents of his cast. Luckily, the stars of the sitcom created an incredible team, acting as though they were a real-life family when working together.

However, Garett admitted that when he was first cast on the series, he traded one dream for another. “When I started doing (Everybody Loves Raymond) seven years ago, I had put the stand-up on hold for the first time in years,” said Garrett during an interview with The Gazette. After so many years of working in television, his stand-up career fell by the wayside. In fact, it seemed that Garrett may never set foot on stage again before he reunited with his old friend and co-star, Ray Romano.

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“About a year ago, I went to see Ray in Vegas,” said Garrett. “He brought me out on stage on a whim. I came out there, and we started to riff. I got the bug again.”

Being with his old friend on stage had reignited the passion in Garrett, proving that while a good friend may be hard to find, you’ll do anything to keep them.