From Cinemart Usher To Star: Ray Romano On His Directorial Debut

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — Ray Romano's earliest memories on Metropolitan Avenue as a teenager include his days as an usher at Cinemart Cinema in Forest Hills.

Little did that 18-year-old Romano know that over four decades later, he would be looking at himself on the big screen, making his directorial debut with the new film "Somewhere in Queens."

"I had never written a screenplay, but when I decided to write one, I knew I wanted to write it about the working-class Queens world," Romano told Patch. "It's what I grew up in, it's what I married into, and I knew I wanted to write what I know."

"Somewhere in Queens," which hits theaters on Friday, April 21, highlights the story of an Italian American family in Queens dealing with tumultuous and heartwarming situations that will make audiences laugh and leave them filled with warmth.

Romano plays the delightful Leo Russo, a father trying to help his athlete son, nicknamed "Sticks," throughout his basketball high school basketball games. The stakes are higher after Leo finds out that a basketball scholarship to Philadelphia’s Drexel University is on the horizon for his son.

But when Sticks gets his heart broken by his girlfriend Dani, Romano's character goes to questionable lengths to support his son.

Romano, who was born and raised in Queens, anticipates Forest Hills residents will be able to point out neighborhood staples featured in the movie, including a few venues on Woodhaven Boulevard and Middle Village.

(Spoiler: The house he grew up in is featured in the opening credits of "Somewhere In Queens")

The "Everybody Loves Raymond" actor visits Forest Hills regularly, especially right before his mother's house in the neighborhood was sold over a year ago. Since moving out of Forest Hills, he's noticed a few differences.

"When I grew up there, it was very communal," he said. "Everyone was out on the street and riding bikes. Over time, that's changed."

But some things remain the same. Romano now lives in Los Angeles, where he and his family are missing something the Queens-bred actor only feels in his native borough.

"Queens still feels like home to me," Romano said. "It has the feeling of a community, the melting pot, and having every culture represented. Where I live now, I don't get that."