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Ray Heenan

Ray Heenan

Actor · 1944–2017 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

IMDb

Biography

Raymond Louis Heenan was an American professional wrestling manager, color commentator, wrestler, and comedian. He performed with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the ring name Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. Heenan was known for his skill in elevating villainous on-screen talent by drawing negative reactions for himself and his wrestlers from the crowd. He was paired with numerous wrestlers, including Nick Bockwinkel, whom he led to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship, and he became an integral figure in the 1980s professional wrestling boom by managing King Kong Bundy and André the Giant in WWE main event matches with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 2 and WrestleMania III respectively. The wrestlers under his tutelage were collectively known as "The Heenan Family" at various times throughout his career. Known for his quick wit and comedic ability, Heenan also served as a color commentator and is remembered for his on-screen repartee with Gorilla Monsoon. Outside of wrestling, Heenan authored two books, appeared on numerous television shows, and briefly hosted a parody talk show titled The Bobby Heenan Show on WWE Prime Time Wrestling. Heenan retired in 2001 at WrestleMania X-Seven after a seventeen-year stint as a commentator in professional wrestling but he continued to make sporadic appearances in several promotions. In 2002, he was diagnosed with throat cancer, which limited his appearances in later years, and died from complications of the disease in 2017. Among other honors, he has been inducted into the Professional Wrestling, WWE, and Wrestling Observer halls of fame. After his death, multiple wrestling commentators described his manager persona as the "greatest professional wrestling manager of all time."

Acted in 104

2010s

  1. 2015

    WWE: Ring in the Holiday

    Movie

  2. 2014

    WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  3. Warrior's Greatest Matches

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Archive Footage)

  4. 2012

    WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak

    Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)

  5. 2011

    The True Story of WrestleMania

    Bobby Heenan

    77
  6. 2010

    WWE: Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan

    Movie

2000s

  1. 2006

    WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

    Bobby Heenan

  2. WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story

    Movie

  3. 2005

    TNA Turning Point 2005

    Bobby Heenan (Commentary)

  4. 2004

    WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers

    Bobby Heenan

1990s

  1. 1999

    WCW/NWO Superstar Series: Diamond Dallas Page - Feel the Bang!

    Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan

  2. 1998

    WCW Thunder

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan · 8 episodes

  3. 1996

    WCW The Great American Bash 1996

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Coach)

  4. 1995

    WCW Monday Nitro

    Bobby Heenan · 262 episodes

    80

  5. WCW All Nighter 1995

    Movie

  6. Timemaster

    Howard

  7. 1993

    Bret "Hit Man" Hart: His Greatest Matches

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  8. WWE Global Warfare

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  9. WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  10. All Aboard the Lex Express

    Bobby Heenan

  11. WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  12. WWE Bashed in the USA

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator)

  13. WWE UK Rampage '93

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator) / Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Interviewer)

  14. WWE WrestleFest '93

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Host)

  15. WWE Royal Rumble 1993

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Appearance)

  16. Raw

    Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan · 1 episode

    74
  17. 1992

    WWE World Tour 1992

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  18. WWE Crunch Classic

    Bobby Heenan

  19. WWE UK Rampage '92

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  20. WrestleMania: The Greatest Hits

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  21. 1991

    Hulkamania 6

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  22. WWE Rampage '91

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  23. WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator)

  24. 2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  25. WWE SuperTape: Volume 4

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  26. WWE Mega Matches

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  27. WWE WrestleMania VII

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  28. WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  29. WWE Funniest Moments

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  30. WWE SuperTape: Volume 3

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  31. WWE Royal Rumble 1991

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  32. 1990

    WWE Survivor Series 1990

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  33. WWE Hottest Matches

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  34. Wrestling Tough Guys

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  35. WWE SummerSlam 1990

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  36. Battle of the WWE Superstars

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  37. WWE SuperTape: Volume 2

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  38. WWE WrestleMania VI

    Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (Manager)

  39. WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  40. Wrestling Superheroes

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  41. WWE SuperTape: Volume 1

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

1980s

  1. 1989

    WWE Survivor Series 1989

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  2. Hulkamania 4

    Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan

  3. Demolition: Witness the Power

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  4. The Best of the WWF: volume 20

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  5. The Best of the WWF: volume 19

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  6. The Ultimate Warrior

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  7. WWE WrestleMania V

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  8. The Brains Behind the Brawn

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  9. The Best of the WWF: volume 18

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  10. WWE Royal Rumble 1989

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  11. Hulk Hogan: Real American

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  12. 1988

    WWE Survivor Series 1988

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  13. The Best of the WWF: volume 17

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  14. Macho Madness

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  15. WWE SummerSlam 1988

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  16. Hulkamania 3

    Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan

  17. WWE WrestleFest

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  18. WWE WrestleMania IV

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  19. WWE Royal Rumble 1988

    Bobby "The Brian" Heenan

  20. 1987

    The Best of the WWF: volume 14

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  21. Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  22. WWE Survivor Series 1987

    Bobby Heenan

  23. The Best of the WWF: volume 13

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  24. The Ken Patera Story

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  25. Jake "The Snake" Roberts

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  26. The Best of the WWF: volume 12

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  27. Hulkamania 2

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  28. WWE WrestleMania III

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  29. The Best of the WWF: volume 10

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  30. The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  31. Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  32. 1986

    The Best of the WWF: volume 9

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  33. WWF Wrestling Challenge

    Bobby Heenan · 218 episodes

  34. WWF Superstars

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan · 166 episodes

  35. WWE The Big Event

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  36. Villains of the Squared Circle

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  37. WrestleMania II

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  38. The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  39. 1985

    The WWF's Amazing Managers

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  40. Andre the Giant

    Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)

  41. WWE Saturday Night's Main Event

    Bobby Heenan, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager) · 4 episodes

    72

  42. WrestleMania

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  43. Best of the WWF Volume 3

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  44. Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan

  45. WWF Prime Time Wrestling

    Bobby Heenan (Color Commentator) · 1 episode

  46. 1984

    Tuesday Night Titans

    Bobby Heenan, Bobby Heenan (Archive footage) · 27 episodes

  47. 1983

    AWA Christmas Night 1983

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)

  48. AWA Super Sunday

    Bobby Heenan (Manager)

  49. 1981

    AWA Arena Shows

    Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager) · 2 episodes

Appearances13

2000s

  1. 2007

    WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary

    Himself

  2. 2006

    The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers

    Himself

  3. 2005

    The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior

    Himself

  4. The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s

    Self

  5. WWE Hall of Fame

    Self · 1 episode

  6. 2004

    ROH: All Star Extravaganza 2

    Himself

  7. WWE Hall of Fame 2004

    Self

  8. The Monday Night War - WWE Raw vs. WCW Nitro

    Himself

  9. 2002

    Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules

    Himself

  10. WWE: Triple H - The Game

    Himself

1980s

  1. 1989

    WWE SummerSlam 1989

    Himself