In today's column, I review TNT's "Men of a Certain Age":
Ray Romano is a much better actor than you think.You can read the full "Men of a Certain Age" review here. I'll have a short, separate post up tonight for after it airs. Based on the other critical reaction I've seen so far, I'm expecting this one to be divisive.
Because he was a former stand-up comedian who starred in a sitcom ("Everybody Loves Raymond") where he shared a name and backstory with his character, it's easy to tag him as a Jerry Seinfeld type, a comic (barely) capable of playing himself.
But Romano won a deserved acting Emmy for "Raymond." He grew as a performer over the life of that series, got adept not just at delivering jokes, but physical comedy, reacting to his co-stars, and even the occasional serious moment.
I'm sure it's tempting to look at the cast of "Men of a Certain Age" — a new series Romano created with fellow "Raymond" writer Mike Royce about three friends in their late 40s — and say Romano has no business acting in a drama opposite Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula. But Romano will sneak up on you, and the show might, too.
