Patricia Heaton is an outspoken conservative Christian and a successful Hollywood actress, proving those two identities are not mutually exclusive. Heaton stands out from the crowd precisely because her position is so unique in the entertainment industry.
Anyone who watches movies and television knows that Hollywood is overwhelmingly liberal. Conservatives may exist in the ranks, but they either keep silent about their views or they’re relegated to small parts in indie projects. Heaton is an exception to this rule as she built a decades-long career, most notably starring as Debra Barone on the hit CBS comedy “Everybody Loves Raymond” opposite Ray Romano from 1996 – 2005.
It was a career-making gig that led to other opportunities and arguably made Heaton a household name.
The 64-year-old actress did not become a television star by hiding her political views. Though Heaton does reject some core beliefs of diehard conservatives — like her stance on LGBT issues — the mom of four boys is explicitly pro-life and anti-death penalty. She grew up Catholic and frequently tweets out bible quotes to her close to half a million followers. Fans love her because she’s down to earth and relatable, and isn’t afraid to express her controversial views among her A-list peers.
Most recently, the former star of “The Middle” made headlines for lambasting the new Disney movie, “Lightyear.” Heaton spoke out about how fellow conservative Tim Allen, who voiced Buzz in the franchise originally, was replaced by Chris Evans.
Saw the trailer for Buzz Lightyear and all I can say is Disney/Pixar made a HUGE mistake in not casting my pal @ofctimallen Tim Allen in the role that he originated, the role that he owns. Tim IS Buzz! Why would they completely castrate this iconic, beloved character?
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) June 14, 2022
“Saw the trailer for Buzz Lightyear and all I can say is Disney/Pixar made a HUGE mistake in not casting my pal @ofctimallen,” she shared on Twitter. “Tim Allen in the role that he originated, the role that he owns. Tim IS Buzz! Why would they completely castrate this iconic, beloved character?”
“Ok so the current Buzz Lightyear movie is an origin story – but the reason the character became so beloved is because of what @ofctimallen created. Why remove the one element that makes us want to see it? #stupidHollywooddecisions” Heaton continued in a follow-up.
It seems that Heaton isn’t the only one less than thrilled with the replacement. “Lightyear” was a veritable box office disappointment despite the hype, which could also have had something to do with Disney adding in a same-sex kiss that was originally cut. The company did it as a form of protest against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill, but doing so politicized the movie which could have turned parents off.
As so many actresses are openly advocating for abortion following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Heaton stands out as a vocal pro-life advocate.
I don’t understand why pro-life people want to know if they are “welcome” to join the democrat party. Why would any civilized person want to support a barbaric platform that champions abortion for any reason through all nine months funded by taxpayers?
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) February 12, 2020
“I don’t understand why pro-life people want to know if they are ‘welcome’ to join the democrat party,” the actress shared on Twitter in February 2020. “Why would any civilized person want to support a barbaric platform that champions abortion for any reason through all nine months funded by taxpayers?”
“P.S. I didn’t vote in the last presidential cycle and will not be voting in this one. I am not a Trump supporter,” she continued. “Love them both.”
Heaton has tweeted detailing her pro-life stance. Critics came after her for it, but the sitcom star stayed strong.
Twitter is Heaton’s preferred method of voicing her opinions with followers. In September of 2020, the actress had a message of caution for her followers ahead of Amy Coney Barrett being appointed to the Supreme Court.
Friends, be prepared for social media to be filled with an onslaught of arrogant pronouncements based on breathtaking ignorance of religion in general, Christianity specifically and Catholicism in particularly by people who wouldn’t recognize God if He bit them on the bum.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) September 21, 2020
“Friends, be prepared for social media to be filled with an onslaught of arrogant pronouncements based on breathtaking ignorance of religion in general, Christianity specifically and Catholicism in particularly by people who wouldn’t recognize God if He bit them on the bum,” she wrote.
Critics feared that having Coney Barrett on the court with a conservative majority would lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a prediction which eventually came true in June 2022.
Heaton’s pro-life views extend beyond abortion. In 2006, she publicly opposed a constitutional amendment in Missouri that permitted the harvesting of stem cells from donated eggs and aborted babies.
The actress agreed to participate in a fundraising video which opposed the amendment.
“Amendment 2 actually makes it a constitutional right for fertility clinics to pay women for eggs. Low-income women will be seduced by big checks, and extracting donor eggs is an extremely complicated, dangerous and painful procedure,” she said during the 12-second spot. It was yet another example of personal convictions getting publicized.
But the video was received badly, and played back-to-back with an ad featuring Michael J. Fox supporting the same amendment. Both commercials were broadcast during Game 4 of the World Series in 2006.
“Oh my God, it was a disaster,” Heaton admitted during a New York Times interview following the incident. “Not only was the ad so bad, but why was it put on? It took the focus off of what we’re talking about, which is very serious, and made it look like a feud or something, a Hollywood tabloid subject, a media thing of pitting people against each other.”
It may seem like the three-time Emmy Award winner goes looking for trouble. However, Heaton historically only voices her opinion on some topics. She had a rational message for her fans following the events on January 6, 2021.
If you’re a common sense person, you probably don’t feel you have a home in this world right now. If you’re a Christian, you know you were never meant to.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 8, 2021
“If you’re a common sense person, you probably don’t feel you have a home in this world right now,” she shared two days later, “If you’re a Christian, you know you were never meant to.”
“Respectfully, this world is only temporary. I love many things here too, and yes, we are called to love our neighbor and be good stewards. But this ain’t it,” the actress continued in a follow up. “We are meant to serve Christ while we are here.”It’s a refreshing take in an industry that is rife with rampant narcissism and materialistic goals.
Another reason fans love Heaton is her candid take on plastic surgery, which she freely admits to having done.
“I think there’s good plastic surgery and bad plastic surgery,” the “Everybody Loves Raymond” star told People in 2018. “I had four C-sections. I gained 50 lbs. with every kid and I’m 5’2″. Wasn’t pretty. It just does something to your body.”
“I was really in the prime of my career when that was all going on, so it just felt better and made me more confident to reconstruct my stomach, take care of all that stuff,” she continued.
“I also love beauty products and I love fillers and Botox, if you do it so that you still look like yourself, you just look like your best self,” Heaton said.
But she grants there should be limits when it comes to how much you get done. “We’ve all seen people who have gone way over the top with that stuff. Obviously, that’s not what you want to look like. I think in our industry in particular, any actress who has had too much work done stops working because you start looking kind of strange, and the camera really picks up stuff,” she explained.
As a Christ-loving, pro-life, self-deprecating Hollywood actress, Heaton stands out among the entertainment crowd in the best possible way. She’s managed to build a respectable career without compromising her values, which is something any up-and-coming conservative actor should aspire to.