Ray Romano looked back on his 1998 performance at the White House Correspondents' Dinner
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Romano said that in retrospect, he didn't think he did a good job
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But Romano also remembered one person who did give him a good review: former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Ray Romanois looking back at a very memorable night in his comedy career.
Romano, 68, appeared on the April 23 episode ofJimmy Kimmel Live!to promote his appearance in season 2 ofRunning Point. Kimmel, 58, noted that Romano once hosted theWhite House Correspondents' Dinnerin 1998. At the annual event, the president typically delivers a comedic monologue before a professional comedian follows with more jokes.
“It was Bill Clinton. And it was during the wholeMonica Lewinskything,” Romano said. Clinton's affair with Lewinsky, a White House intern who was 21 years old when she was hired, had broken that January. The dinner was held on April 25, amid grand jury testimony from many in Clinton and Lewinsky's orbit.
“It's supposed to be for political humor, to speak about it. So they pay you, first of all, they pay you to do it,” Romano said. Kimmel joked, “I hosted it and I got paid nothing.”
“Well, here's what happened,” Romano remembered. “They called me, and they said, ‘Would you do it?' And it was during Monica Lewinsky. They told me how much they were going to pay me. It wasn't much, but I said, ‘Listen, just so you know, I do no political humor.' And they said, ‘We'll pay you double.' ”
Romano said he ultimately did “one or two jokes” that were more topical in nature and then just did his regular act. Romano's seriesEverybody Loves Raymondhad premiered in 1996 and was based on his stand-up, which was primarily about his family, especially his kids.
“It went over well,” Romano said, “but in hindsight, I'm not the guy.”
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“I think in ‘98 it was different,” Kimmel said about headlining the dinner. “I think it turned a corner somewhere along the line.”
But there's one moment that Romano will never forget. “The most surreal moment in my life — in my showbiz life — is, at the after thing, Henry Kissinger coming over to me and saying ‘Very funny.' I swear to God.” He joked, “So it was worth it.”
Kimmel said, “If you can make Kissinger laugh, you're funny,” but Romano guessed that he didn't actually laugh and that “funny to him” was more of an appreciative grunt.
Kissinger served in the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, eventually rising to Secretary of Stateand was central to the U.S. government's involvement in Vietnam, as well as other conflicts around the world, including the secret bombing of Cambodia and Laos. The statesman, whodied in 2023 at the age of 100, received the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize, which washighly disputed.
Romano starred onEverybody Loves Raymonduntil the series ended in 2005 after nine seasons. He won three Emmys for the show — one as an actor and two as a producer. The actor has also starred as Manny in theIce Agefranchise, which is releasing its sixth film,Ice Age: Boiling Point, next year.
InRunning Point, which is streaming now on Netflix, Romano plays Norm Stinson, who becomes the new head coach of the Los Angeles Waves, an organization run byKate Hudson's Isla Gordon. The series also stars Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Brenda Song, Chet Hanks, Fabrizio Guido, Toby Sandeman, Uche Agada and Justin Theroux.
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