Romano Playing Meat Salesman in Next Film

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Actor Ray Romano learned about meat then took the heat. The ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' star plays a meat salesman in the San Fernando Valley in his next film, ``Grilled.''

Monday, August 23rd 2004, 11:38 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Actor Ray Romano learned about meat then took the heat. The ``Everybody Loves Raymond'' star plays a meat salesman in the San Fernando Valley in his next film, ``Grilled.''

``There's a great guy named Sonny who is the best salesman in California,'' Romano said. ``We had a meat-ology class with him, and I kind of took things from him for my character.''

In the movie, due out next summer, Romano and co-star Kevin James of CBS's ``The King of Queens'' are desperately trying to meet a sales quota on the hottest day of the year.

The shooting schedule runs just 30 days in one of the region's steamiest locations.

``In Encino, where I live, it's supposed to be 15 degrees hotter than over the hill,'' Romano said, referring to West Los Angeles. ``I thought it couldn't get any hotter than where I live. Here in Chatsworth, you can bump it up 10 more degrees. But it's good for what we're doing.''