Ray Heenan
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1944-11-01
Day of Death
2017-09-17 (72 years old)
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Ray Heenan
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."
Known For
Acting
(2021)
Biography: Ultimate Warrior
as (archive footage)
(2020)
(2018)
Andre the Giant
as Self (archive footage)
(2015)
(2014)
WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(2012)
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
as Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
(2011)
The True Story of WrestleMania
as Bobby Heenan
(2010)
(2007)
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
as Himself
(2006)
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
as Bobby Heenan
(2006)
(2006)
The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
as Himself
(2005)
(2005)
TNA Turning Point 2005
as Bobby Heenan (Commentary)
(2004)
(2004)
ROH: All Star Extravaganza 2
as Himself
(2004)
WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
as Bobby Heenan
(2002)
Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules
as Himself
(2002)
WWE: Triple H - The Game
as Himself
(1999)
WCW/NWO Superstar Series: Diamond Dallas Page - Feel the Bang!
as Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
(1996)
WCW The Great American Bash 1996
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Coach)
(1995)
Timemaster
as Howard
(1995)
(1993)
WWE Royal Rumble 1993
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Appearance)
(1993)
WWF: WrestleFest '93
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Host)
(1992)
WWE Crunch Classic
as Bobby Heenan
(1992)
WBF Championship 1992
as Himself
(1991)
WWE Rampage '91
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1991)
2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1991)
WWE WrestleMania VII
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1991)
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1991)
WWE SuperTape vol. 4
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1991)
WWE Mega Matches
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1991)
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1991)
WWE SuperTape vol. 3
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1990)
WWE WrestleMania VI
as Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (Manager)
(1990)
WWE Survivor Series 1990
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1990)
WWF SuperTape vol. 2
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1990)
Battle of the WWE Superstars
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1990)
WWE SummerSlam 1990
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1990)
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1990)
WWF Hottest Matches
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1990)
WWE The Main Event IV
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1990)
WWE SummerSlam Fever
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
WWE WrestleMania V
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
WWE SummerSlam 1989
as Himself
(1989)
WWE Survivor Series 1989
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1989)
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
The Best of the WWF: volume 18
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
Hulkamania 4
as Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
(1989)
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
The Ultimate Warrior
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
WWE Demolition
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1989)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1988)
WWE WrestleFest
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1988)
WWE WrestleMania IV
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1988)
WWE Royal Rumble
as Bobby "The Brian" Heenan (Manager)
(1988)
WWE Survivor Series 1988
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1988)
WWE SummerSlam 1988
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1988)
Hulkamania 3
as Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
(1988)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1988)
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: July '88
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1988)
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1988)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1987)
WWE WrestleMania III
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1987)
WWE Survivor Series 1987
as Bobby Heenan
(1987)
WWF Hulkamania 2
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1987)
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1987)
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1987)
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1987)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: January '87
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1987)
The Best of the WWF: volume 10
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1987)
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1987)
(1986)
WrestleMania II
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1986)
WWE Villains of The Squared Circle
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1986)
WWE The Big Event
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1986)
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1986)
WWE Houston Wrestling: October '86
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1985)
WrestleMania
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1985)
Andre the Giant
as Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
(1985)
WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest
as Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
(1985)
Best of the WWF Volume 3
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1985)
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '85
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1984)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
(1984)
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: December '84
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
(1983)
AWA Super Sunday
as Bobby Heenan (Manager)
(1983)
AWA Christmas Night 1983
as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)