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  • Liam Neeson: Seth MacFarlane Does Spot-On Impersonation of ‘Taken’ Actor on ‘Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’

    Liam Neeson is known for his thick brogue and low-pitched tone in films like Taken. If you turned on your TV to The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon on Monday night, but didn’t watch the screen, you’d have sworn Liam Neeson was his guest at one point.

    Alas Liam Neeson wasn’t anywhere near The Tonight Show on Monday. Instead, Seth MacFarlane, who was on the show promoting his upcoming film Ted 2, was was playing an impressions game with Jimmy Fallon. He was asked to do an impression of Liam Neeson as a Time Warner Cable guy.

    The result was nothing short of hilarious.

    “I have a very particular set of channels,” MacFarlane growled in his gravelly Neeson brogue. “If you’d like to purchase these channels, I’ll come to your house and install your cable, and that will be the end of it. If you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.”

    In addition to Liam Neeson, Seth MacFarlane also did great impressions of Bobcat Goldthwait ordering a beverage at Starbucks, as well as Ray Romano–before which he said he needed to ‘work up enough phlegm’ to sound like the Everybody Loves Raymond and Parenthood star.

    Jimmy Fallon did what he decided was a failed impression of Jerry Seinfeld dishing about Uber. Then he and Seth MacFarlane engaged in dueling Pee-Wee Herman impersonations.

    Did you happen to catch Seth MacFarlane and Jimmy Fallon–and their hilarious impersonations–on The Tonight Show Monday?

    Even if Liam Neeson wasn’t watching, you can be sure the actor has seen a clip of MacFarlane’s spot-on impersonation of him by now.

  • Madylin Sweeten Shares Grief Over Brother Sawyer Sweeten’s Death

    Madylin Sweeten has both issued statements and shared her feelings via social media regarding the untimely passing of her beloved brother, 19-year-old Sawyer Sweeten. The Everybody Loves Raymond star died by suicide on Thursday.

    “Our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love,” Madylin Sweeten said in a statement to People magazine.

    Madylin Sweeten shared a very special message via Twitter the day after her brother died.

    The Everybody Loves Raymond cast featured three members of the Sweeten family. In addition to Sawyer Sweeten, twin brother Sullivan Sweeten played Geoffrey Barone’s twin brother Michael Barone. Madylin Sweeten played older sister Ally Barone.

    TV mom Patricia Heaton shared her grief in a statement to People magazine and on Twitter.

    “Sawyer was a funny and exceptionally bright young man. He is gone from us far too soon,” she said. “The loss the Sweeten family is experiencing is unimaginable. Tonight hug your children a little tighter and please keep Sawyer and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

    TV dad Ray Romano issued a statement as well.

    “I’m shocked and terribly saddened by the news about Sawyer,” he said. “He was a wonderful and sweet kid to be around. Just a great energy whenever he was there. My heart breaks for him, his family and his friends during this very difficult time.”

    Madylin Sweeten’s Everybody Loves Raymond grandmother, Doris Roberts, shared her grief via Facebook.

    It is with great sadness that I learned the news that Sawyer Sweeten, who played my grandson Geoffrey Barone on '…

    Posted by Doris Roberts on Thursday, April 23, 2015

    Surely countless people–both within her own family and in her Everybody Loves Raymond family–are supporting Madylin Sweeten during this time of devastating loss. Hopefully their words, their prayers, and their continued support will help this young actress and grieving sister put the pieces of her broken life back together again.

  • ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Star Sawyer Sweeten, 19, Commits Suicide–Patricia Heaton, Ray Romano Mourn

    Everybody Loves Raymond star Sawyer Sweeten died of suicide on Thursday. Known for his role as Geoffrey Barone, his TV parents–Patricia Heaton and Ray Romano–join his real family in mourning this tragic loss.

    “I’m shocked and terribly saddened by the news about Sawyer,” Ray Romano said in a statement to People magazine. “He was a wonderful and sweet kid to be around. Just a great energy whenever he was there. My heart breaks for him, his family and his friends during this very difficult time.”

    “Sawyer was a funny and exceptionally bright young man. He is gone from us far too soon,” Patricia Heaton said. “The loss the Sweeten family is experiencing is unimaginable. Tonight hug your children a little tighter and please keep Sawyer and his family in your thoughts and prayers.”

    Everybody Loves Raymond starred three members of the Sweeten family. In addition to Sawyer Sweeten as Geoffrey Barone, real-life twin brother Sullivan Sweeten played his twin brother Michael, and big sister Madylin Sweeten played sister Ally Barone. The twins were just 16 months old when they first appeared on Everybody Loves Raymond.

    Madylin Sweeten issued a statement to People magazine regarding her brother’s tragic passing.

    “Our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love,” she said.

    Doris Roberts played Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond. She shared her heartache over the loss of her on-screen grandson via Facebook.

    It is with great sadness that I learned the news that Sawyer Sweeten, who played my grandson Geoffrey Barone on '…

    Posted by Doris Roberts on Thursday, April 23, 2015

    Patricia Heaton also shared her grief via Twitter.

    The entire cast of Everybody Loves Raymond is mourning the untimely death of 19-year-old Sawyer Sweeten. Certainly no one is mourning more than his own family, however.

    Word hasn’t yet hit the media regarding services for Sawyer Sweeten.

  • Patricia Heaton On Untimely Death of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Son Sawyer Sweeten

    Patricia Heaton (as her character Debra Barone) had a daughter and two sons on the hit TV show Everybody Loves Raymond. Now one of those sons has died. Sawyer Sweeten, who played the role of Geoffrey Barone, on the show that starred Heaton and Ray Romano, took his life Thursday at the age of 19. Sawyer Sweeten’s twin brother, Sullivan, and their sister, Madylin Sweeten, played Ray and Debra Barone’s other kinds–Michael and Ally Barone.

    Sawyer Sweeten was just 18 months old when he first played Patricia Heaton and Ray Romano’s on-screen son.

    Heaton took to Twitter on Friday to mourn his passing.

    Madylin Sweeten released a statement confirming her brother’s death.

    “This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred,” she said. “We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love.”

    Surely Sawyer Sweeten’s family is grief-stricken over this senseless tragedy, but his Everybody Loves Raymond family is definitely mourning him, too. In addition to Patricia Heaton, Doris Roberts–who played Ray’s mother Marie Barone–shared her grief via social media.

    It is with great sadness that I learned the news that Sawyer Sweeten, who played my grandson Geoffrey Barone on '…

    Posted by Doris Roberts on Thursday, April 23, 2015

    It will no doubt take Patricia Heaton, Ray Romano, and the rest of the Everybody Loves Raymond family a long time to process the suicide of Sawyer Sweeten. It’s tragic enough when a young person loses his life. When it happens at his own hand, it is almost impossible to understand.

  • Ray Romano Mourns Suicide of ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Son, Sawyer Sweeten

    Ray Romano is among several celebrities mourning the untimely passing of his Everybody Loves Raymond son, Sawyer Sweeten. Sweeten, 19, played Geoffrey Barone on the hit TV series that ended in 2005. His twin brother, Sullivan Sweeten, played the role of Geoffrey’s twin brother Michael, and their older sister Ally Barone was played by their real-life older sister, Madylin Sweeten.

    Madylin Sweeten confirmed her brother’s death in a statement to Us Weekly.

    “This morning a terrible family tragedy has occurred,” she said. “We are devastated to report that our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love.”

    Ray Romano has yet to publicly acknowledge Sawyer Sweeten’s death, but his Everybody Loves Raymond wife Patricia Heaton, as well as Doris Roberts–the Barone family matriarch–shared their shock and their grief via social media.

    It is with great sadness that I learned the news that Sawyer Sweeten, who played my grandson Geoffrey Barone on '…

    Posted by Doris Roberts on Thursday, April 23, 2015

    Sawyer Sweeren’s manager confirmed the young actor’s passing on Thursday night.

    “With a broken heart it is true that he passed away,” the statement read.

    Ray Romano, as well as the rest of the cast of Everybody Loves Raymond, is no doubt in shock over the suicide of this young actor.

    In addition to Everybody Loves Raymond, Sweeten also appeared on Disney’s Even Stevens. Ray Romano last appeared on NBC’s hit series, Parenthood.

  • David Letterman: Guests for 28 Final Shows Announced

    David Letterman is nearing the end of his late night talk show reign, and has just announced the guest lineup for his final 28 shows. His final weeks on The Late Show are filled with a wealth of A-listers.

    May 20th will mark the last time David Letterman sits behind his dest at the Ed Sullivan Theater, and leading up to that date he will visit with some very intriguing people.

    George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Hanks, and Oprah Winfrey are among the top celebrities who will bid adieux to David Letterman. Other guests include Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Jack Hanna, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Keaton, Steve Martin, Bill Murray, Don Rickles, Ray Romano, Paul Rudd, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, Howard Stern, John Travolta and Bruce Willis. Musical guests will include The Avett Brothers with Brandi Carlile, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews Band, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Mumford and Sons, Ralph Stanley, and Amos Lee.

    This week’s guests on The Late Show include Sarah Jessica Parker, 2015 Masters winner Jordan Spieth, Billy Crystal, The Talk and Big Brother host Julie Chen, Michael J. Fox, Amy Sedaris, Kevin James, comedian Tom Dreesen and Alec Baldwin. Asleep at the Wheel, Chris Stapleton, Iron & Wine with Ben Bridwell, Tracy Chapman, and John Mayer are set to perform as the week’s musical guests.

    Can you believe David Letterman is preparing to say goodbye to The Late Show? Fans will definitely miss the late night comedian and host. He is certainly going out with a bang, however, and with a very impressive list of guests for his last 28 shows.

    Will you be tuning in to watch at least some of David Letterman’s final shows?

  • Don Rickles Upcoming Fete Includes Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman

    Don Rickles will be lauded in a comedy-filled event on May 6th at New York’s Apollo Theater by guests including Jerry Seinfeld, David Letterman, Ray Romano and more. Stand-up performances, video clips, taped tributes by those not able to attend in person, and even some personal stories shared by close friends will all be part of the tribute to the 87-year-old funny man just two days before his 88th birthday. The 90-minute event will be taped for airing on Spike TV. Called One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles, fans can tune in on May 28th at 9:00 P.M. to share in the fun.

    “We’re thrilled that David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Robert De Niro and so many more will be coming out to entertain and celebrate our hero — Don Rickles,” Casey Patterson, the executive producer and executive VP of event production and talent development at Viacom Entertainment Group said. “The genius of Rickles is in the danger, nobody is safe, and what you can expect is a night of comedy from these superstars worthy of a legend. It truly will be One Night Only.”

    In addition to Seinfeld, Letterman, and Romano, additional guests for the comedy event include Brad Garrett, Robert De Niro, Jimmy Kimmel, Martin Scorsese, Tracy Morgan, Jon Stewart, Bob Newhart, and Regis Philbin. How exciting that so many of comedy’s best will be gathered together for one event. In true Rickles form, his tweeted about the upcoming event.

    Don Rickles earned two nicknames, “The Merchant of Venom” and “Mr. Warmth” for his mastery of insult comedy. He is noted for having picked on people of all ethnicities and from all walks of life. Some of his stand-up routines from decades ago would be deemed way beyond politically correct today. Rickles made his first appearance on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson back in 1965, and wound up both guest hosting and appearing on the show more than 100 times during Carson’s reign. Even at 87, he is still active in stand-up comedy and makes frequent late night appearances on shows like the Late Show With David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

    Rickles was honored less than a year ago by New York’s Friar’s Club.

    One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles will no doubt be one of the biggest comedy events of 2014. Will you be tuning in to Spike to share in the laughter?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Don Rickles to Get Tribute from Jimmy Kimmel, Jerry Seinfeld, Bob Newhart

    Don Rickles will get an all-star tribute from an impressive lineup of comedic celebrities such as Jimmy Kimmel, Bob Newhart, and Jerry Seinfeld next month. Robert De Niro, David Letterman, Tracy Morgan, Regis Philbin, Ray Romano, Martin Scorsese, John Stamos, and Jon Stewart are also slated to appear at the event.

    The 90-minute tribute titled One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles will be taped on May 6 at the Apollo Theater, a New York City landmark located in Harlem. The show will air May 28 on Spike Network.

    “The genius of Rickles is in the danger, nobody is safe, and what you can expect is a night of comedy from these superstars worthy of a legend. It truly will be One Night Only,” said Casey Patterson, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, Event Production & Talent Development, Viacom Entertainment Group, which owns Spike.

    Rickles, a native of Queens, will turn 88 on May 8.

    Often referred to as the “Merchant of Venom” or “Mr. Warmth,” Rickles is considered comedy’s master of the insult.

    Early on, Rickles abandoned his dreams of becoming a serious actor to hone his nightclub act. In 1957, Frank Sinatra saw the act at Slate Brothers in Los Angeles and quickly became Rickles’ champion.

    It wasn’t long before Rickles had caught the attention of Dean Martin and Johnny Carson and was headlining performances in Las Vegas.

    ”My humor is so over the top you’d have to be an awful fool to think I’m embarrassing you,” Rickles said in a 1996 interview with The New York Times. ”When I pick someone from the audience, their eyes say, ‘I can take it.’ But if I’m wrong, I’ll never let them know it. When you sell yourself you just can’t back down. I absolutely believe that. You’ve got to stay with what got you to the dance. It’s an old expression but true.”

    Rickles and his wife Barbara celebrated their 49th anniversary in March. They’re the parents of two children, Larry and Mindy. Mindy followed in her father’s comedic footsteps.

    One Night Only is a relatively new annual event on Spike. The first installment, which aired in 2012 and paid tribute to Eddie Murphy, remains the highest rated show in the network’s history.

    Image via YouTube

  • Ray Romano Voices Manny Once Again

    It must be difficult to make a film about the ice age fun and lighthearted enough for children to enjoy, but the creators of the “Ice Age” films make it look easy. They’re currently on number four in the series, and have managed to get all the original actors back for the characters, including Ray Romano as Manny the wooly mammoth. And while it’s not getting great early reviews, the film’s target audience seems to be enjoying it.

    It’s been said that the movie lends itself more to slapstick and the sort of physical comedy one normally finds in early-morning cartoons rather than on the big screen; however, because the “Ice Age” franchise has never been big on continuity where history is concerned, adding silly laughs doesn’t seem like much of a leap. The real question is whether or not the fourth installment will be able to change things up enough to keep audiences interested. Usually, the higher you go in the number of films, the harder it is to fill theater seats.

    It’s a sure bet that the studio is counting on the antics of Scrat, the squirrel-rat who keeps viewers rooting for him through many failed attempts at claiming an elusive morsel of food, to keep kids wanting more. Joining Ray Romano for the cast is Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, and John Leguizamo.