Monica Rosenthal: Actress and Philanthropist

My lunch a few weeks ago with Monica Rosenthal ran into overtime, what with all the girlfriend catch up that needed to be done, plus the fact that diners who recognized her from Everybody Loves Raymond (she played Robert’s wife, Amy), couldn’t resist stopping by to say how much they loved her on the show.

I always enjoy watching these interactions. Just like the character she played, Monica bubbles over with kindness, and switches the conversation’s focus back to the fan. When someone approached and meekly mentioned that her Mom, who’d love to meet “Amy,” was sitting nearby, without a moment’s hesitation Monica crossed the dining room and greeted the woman as if “Mom” were royalty.

“Look how busy that waiter is,” she says to me, in her signature “empathy for every living thing on the planet” style. This behavior she’s displayed during our twenty year friendship could drive a person nuts, except that everyone (including Monica), keeps their sense of humor about it. Her husband Phil (creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) in his recently published book You’re Lucky You’re Funny, sings her praises throughout for being a great comedic actress, wonderful mom and wife, and tells how when they’re at a party and he’s ready to leave, Monica’s “farewell tour” could stretch out for over an hour, as she doesn’t want to miss saying goodbye to anybody.

Our lunchtime conversation flitted from family (her two fabulous children, top priority) to land on all the good things that are happening with the Flourish Foundation, a non-profit organization she founded to bring performing arts education to Los Angeles middle and high schools. Although Monica and Phil are involved philanthropically with countless organizations, “Flourish is closest to her heart,” says the Executive Director of the organization, Kevin Kane.

Monica and Kevin met in a Philadelphia high school thirty years ago doing Fiddler On The Roof, and have been close friends ever since. The sense of community and fun they experienced back then was what inspired them to continue to perform through college and summer stock, Off Broadway, in Los Angeles, and to create Flourish.