When Sawyer Sweeten introduced his acting talent to the world, he inspired many of his mates to push beyond boundaries. When he left the world in an unlikely manner, most of his fans felt ashamed or so it seems. This post is about Sawyer Sweeten, the child actor who played the role of Geoffrey Barone on the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond” for nine seasons.
1. Sawyer Sweeten was born in Brownwood Texas
Sawyer Storm Sweeten was born on May 12, 1995, in Brownwood Texas to Timothy Sweeten and Elizabeth Millsap. His father was a screenwriter and film producer, best known for the documentary “The Seventh Man” while his mother Elizabeth Millsap was an actress. His parents quickly prepared him for the acting journey as a young boy.
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Sawyer had a twin brother, Sullivan, and an elder sister, Madylin. Sawyer also had a younger sister, Maysa. He also had four half-siblings, Emma, Guiliana, Elliette, and Jaymeson. His parents moved the family from Texas to California after which he auditioned for “Everybody Loves Raymond” with his twin brother which shot them to the limelight. There are public information regarding the schools he attended or if he attended any as he spent his early life on the set of “Everybody Loves Raymond”.
2. He starred in Everybody Loves Raymond
Sawyer Sweeten made his acting debut at sixteen months old with his twin brother Sullivan and elder sister Madylin but he was the star of the sitcom for the 9 seasons it ran on CBS. The series focuses on the life of Raymond Barone, a sportswriter for Newsday living and his family which includes his wife Debra and his twin sons Geoffrey Barone and Mathew Barone (Sawyer and Sullivan). Mr Raymond played the annoying and sarcastic character who avoids responsibilities around the house. The sitcom received positive praise all through the 9 seasons it ran on CBS.
Sawyer grew with the sitcom and made only two appearances in other films like “Frank McKlusky, C.I.” as Young Frank and in an episode of “Even Stevens”. Also, immediately “Everybody Loves Raymond” ended in 2005, his career suffered a decline until he took his life a decade later.
3. Sawyer Sweeten committed suicide before his 20th birthday
Sawyer Sweeten committed suicide before his 20th birthday which came as a shock not just to his family but to his fans at large. Sawyer never showed any signs of depression before he went the Joy Lobo way, even there were signs that he was battling a demon in his head, it would not be visible for anyone to see because suicide has always been a battle of the mind.
Sawyer Sweeten shot himself in the head with a handgun on April 23, 2015, while he was visiting his family in Texas. He was 19 years old and 2 weeks away from his 20th birthday. Announcing his death later, his elder sister Madylin wrote: “Our beloved brother, son, and friend, Sawyer Sweeten, took his own life. He was weeks away from his 20th birthday. At this sensitive time, our family requests privacy and we beg of you to reach out to the ones you love,”.
It was later reported that Sawyer Sweeten left a suicide note revealing that he was a closet homosexual and felt insecure coming out. Other reports also revealed his family has a long age history with mental illness and he had suffered Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) previously.
In November 2021, Daily Mail reports that the “Everybody Loves Raymond” child actor Sullivan Sweeten was left devastated after his twin brother’s tragic death, leading to his family being concerned for his life. It wasn’t revealed what the family did to ensure this didn’t happen. It’s from Daily Mail, remember.
4. The cast of “Everybody Loves Raymond” sent out a touching tribute to his family
During the period his family was mourning his demise, they never mourned alone and his on-screen parents extolled the virtues of Sawyer Sweeten. His onscreen father Ray Romano was shocked by the news and said he was a “wonderful and sweet kid to be around”. Sweeten’s on-screen mother Patricia Heaton said “a funny and exceptionally bright young man. He is gone from us far too soon.”
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Brad Garrett, who portrayed Sweeten’s on-screen Uncle Robert, released a statement that: “The Sweeten family was our family for those nine years on Raymond. My deepest condolences and love go out to them during this unimaginable time.” Sweeten’s on-screen grandmother Doris Roberts remembered Sawyer as “a very sweet young man” and reminded fans to “make sure your loved ones know how much you care about them. It’s very important to keep in touch. Everyone had one or two nice things to say but Sawyer Sweeten wasn’t alive to hear them
5. Sawyer Sweeten left behind a net worth of 2 million dollars
As a child actor who was a series regular in the CBS sitcom, Sawyer made a lot of money at his age. He and his twin brother owned a house together in Riverside, California. At the time of his death, Sawyer Sweeten had a net worth of 2 million dollars.
Image source: Famous People
