Joe became a true star as Ray Romano's wife on the hit sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond." But the Midwestern actress doesn't just play a sassy wife and mom on TV — she relishes that role in real life.

As a young girl, Joe loved putting on plays for the neighborhood kids. But playacting couldn't shield her from a real-life blow when she was just 12: Her mother suddenly died from a brain aneurysm. Her father, a sportswriter, did his best as a single dad. In 1980, after graduating from college with a degree in theater arts, Heaton left the Midwest to pursue her acting dream in New York City.

Heaton started at a job that was a few steps removed from Hollywood — a copy clerk at People magazine. After work, she took on minor stage roles and founded a theater company, Stage Three, with some friends. When the young, talented troupe took one of their plays to Los Angeles, Heaton caught the eye of TV casting directors. In 1989, she nabbed a part as a recurring guest on the hit series "thirtysomething." Then came a 1991 sitcom called "Room for Two," co-starring Linda Lavin; bit parts in a few movies; a role in the short-lived "Designing Women" spin-off, "Women of the House"; and a 1996 guest gig as Jennifer Love Hewitt's birth mother in "Party of Five."

But Heaton's crowning accomplishment was landing the part of comedian Ray Romano's wife on the hit CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," which debuted in 1994. Her role as Raymond's spunky better half, Debra Barone, helped propel "Raymond" to the top of the ratings charts. Her portrayal of a believable modern woman was also a hit with critics; she won a Best Actress Emmy in 2000.

Heaton doesn't only play a wife and mother on TV. On October 13, 1990, she tied the knot with British actor David Hunt. Heaton and Hunt have four sons: Sam, John, Joe and Daniel Patrick. The couple also heads their own production company, Four Boys Films.These days, Heaton is basking in the glow of both professional and personal success.