The saying goes that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Such a saying was especially true for Everybody Loves Raymond actor Ray Romano, who could be led to coffee, but could not be forced to drink it.

Stay with us, here. While Romano is primarily known for his work playing Ray Barone in the popular sitcom, it should not be assumed that the actor and the character are one and the same.

During an interview with the Star-Ledger, various writers for Everybody Loves Raymond explained that Romano had developed greatly as an actor during his time on the series.

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"The breakthrough for Ray was when we talked him into drinking coffee," said writer Steve Skrovan. "He wouldn’t do it at first, because he didn’t really drink coffee. Then he said, 'Well, I guess I’m gonna have to act now.'"

Romano proved himself to be a quick learner, and it certainly helped that he had developed a natural talent for performing.

"Now he’s fearless," said series creator Phil Rosenthal. "He’ll try anything. People say, 'Well, he’s just playing himself.' Bull. Ray isn’t that character. He’s acting. It’s just that he’s so good you can’t see it."

In fact, Romano was so good at portraying Ray Barone that many fans frequently confused the two. Writer Lew Schneider revealed that those who were close to him understood that Romano was much more intelligent than Barone appeared to be. 

"He seems so much more normal on television than he is in real life," said writer Schneider.