June 18 , 2025: Actress Maggie Wheeler, best known for her recurring role as Linda Gruenfelder on Everybody Loves Raymond, shared a heartwarming memory during the show’s 30th anniversary celebration at the Paley Center in New York City on June 16.
Wheeler revealed that her eldest daughter, Juno, took her first steps on the show’s set. “That’s where my daughter took her first steps — my first daughter,” said the actress, now 63. She described the touching moment when her husband, Daniel Borden, witnessed the milestone while Wheeler was on stage filming. “He didn’t know who to tell, so he carried her out onto the lot… Only the security guard was out there, and he said, ‘She walked! She’s walking,’” she recalled fondly.
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Wheeler, who also shares a younger daughter named Gemma, spoke about the show’s family-friendly work environment, saying, “It’s a blessing, as an actress raising children, to work on a set that really embraces family. Everybody who made the show was so supportive of each other.”
The anniversary event featured a reunion panel with Ray Romano, Phil Rosenthal, and other creators and producers. Wheeler and co-star Patricia Heaton, who played Debra Barone, attended as well and shared their experiences balancing motherhood with filming.
Heaton, a mother of four, reflected, “I started the show with two kids. I was pregnant in the first and third seasons. My kids came with me to work. We were all building our families — both on and off-screen.”