Doris Roberts is unforgettable in Everybody Loves Raymond. As Marie Barone, she brings a real poignancy to the "mother-in-law from Hell" character she plays. With any other actress, Marie would've been completely unlikable. Instead, we understand that she's well-meaning, and we see the human impulses behind her foibles and flaws. She's trying her best to keep her family together, even if that's what drives them all up a wall.

That clever balance and that brilliant humanity were nothing new in Roberts' career, though. She'd brought similar nuance to screens both big and small for decades at that point. Chances are, many older viewers may have already recognized Roberts when they first tuned into Everybody Loves Raymond. While that show made her a household name, she'd been doing great TV work for years.

Take, for instance, her turn as Mildred Krebs on NBC's detective series Remington Steele. What was meant as a one-off character— an IRS fraud squad member— quickly became a recurring role.

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Why?

"Because I'm so good," Roberts told Gannett News Service in 1985. While she said it with a laugh, there was certainly some truth to what Roberts said.

"Mildred is a wonderful character. I call her a middle-aged, middle-class American. I think a lot of people identify with that. She's accessible, with great strength and good humor."

Roberts had already planted the seeds for that same relatability she'd bring to her role as Marie in Everybody Loves Raymond. She clearly knew how to decenter herself as an actor, acting as a conduit to something bigger than her experiences. Instead, Doris Roberts acted in a way that represented other people, both on Raymond and Remington.

"I see Mildred as a great role model for middle-aged women. She has the courage to begin again, to do things she's never done before. She doesn't compete with young people, but she runs along with them. [NBC] did a research project and found people wanted to see more Mildred."