Ray Heenan
Known for: Acting
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."
Filmography
Series
Raw
1993
Series
Raw
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1993
Series
WWF Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1986
Series
USWA Championship Wrestling
Bobby Heenan
1977
Series
WWF Wrestling Challenge
Bobby Heenan
1986
Series
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985
Series
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
Bobby Heenan
1985
Series
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1985
Series
WWE Old School
Bobby Heenan (Manager)
1973
Series
WWE Old School
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1973
Series
WWE Old School
Bobby Heenan
1973
Series
WWE Old School
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1973
Series
WWE Old School
Bobby Heenan (Commentary)
1973
Series
Tuesday Night Titans
Bobby Heenan
1984
Series
Tuesday Night Titans
Bobby Heenan (Archive footage)
1984
Series
Biography: WWE Legends
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (archive footage)
2021
Series
WCW Monday Nitro
1995
Series
WCW Monday Nitro
Bobby Heenan
1995
Series
WWE Hall of Fame
Self
2005
Series
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
Bobby Heenan (Color Commentator)
1985
Series
WCW Thunder
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1998
Series
AWA Arena Shows
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1981
Film
WWE Hottest Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
Film
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Himself
2007
Film
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Bobby Heenan
2006
Film
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1990
Film
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Film
Andre the Giant
Self (archive footage)
2018
Film
Headstrong
Self
2019
Film
WrestleMania II
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1986
Film
Macho Madness
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
Film
WWE WrestleMania IV
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
Film
WWE Survivor Series 1987
Bobby Heenan
1987
Women of Wrestling
2000
Film
WWE WrestleMania III
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
Film
WWE SuperTape: Volume 4
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
Film
The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Himself
2006
Film
WWE WrestleFest
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
Film
WWE Royal Rumble 1988
Bobby "The Brian" Heenan
1988
Film
The Monday Night War - WWE Raw vs. WCW Nitro
Himself
2004
Film
The True Story of WrestleMania
Bobby Heenan
2011
Film
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
Film
The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s
Self
2005
Film
WWE SummerSlam 1989
Himself
1989
Film
WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1993
Film
WWE Global Warfare
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1993
Film
WCW All Nighter 1995
1995
Film
WWE: Undertaker 20-0 - The Streak
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
2012
Film
WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
2014
Film
WrestleMania
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1985
Film
WWE WrestleMania V
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Film
Hulkamania 3
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1988
Film
Hulk Hogan: Real American
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Film
WWE WrestleMania VII
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1991
Film
WWE The Big Event
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1986
Film
WWE World Tour 1992
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1992
Film
WWE WrestleMania VI
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (Manager)
1990
Film
WWE SummerSlam 1988
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
Film
WWE Funniest Moments
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
Film
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
Film
WWE Rampage '91
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
Film
WWE Battle Royal at the Albert Hall
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator)
1991
Film
WWE SummerSlam 1990
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
Film
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
Film
WWE Royal Rumble 1993
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Appearance)
1993
Film
Hulkamania 4
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1989
Film
WWE Survivor Series 1988
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
Film
WrestleMania: The Greatest Hits
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1992
WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1991
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
Film
The WWF's Even More Unusual Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
Film
Hulkamania 6
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
Film
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
Film
WWE Mega Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
Film
WWE SuperTape: Volume 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1991
Film
2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1991
Film
TNA Turning Point 2005
Bobby Heenan (Commentary)
2005
The Bobby Heenan Show
1989
Film
Villains of the Squared Circle
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1986
Film
WWE SuperTape: Volume 2
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Film
WWF Hulkamania 2
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
Film
The Brains Behind the Brawn
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1989
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
Film
WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1993
Film
WWE Survivor Series 1989
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1989
Film
The Ultimate Warrior
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
Film
Warrior's Greatest Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Archive Footage)
2014
Film
The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior
Himself
2005
Film
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
Film
WWE Hall of Fame 2004
Self
2004
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1988
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: November '85
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1985
Film
WWE: Ring in the Holiday
2015
Film
Best of the WWF Volume 3
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1985
Film
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1986
Film
AWA Super Sunday
Bobby Heenan (Manager)
1983
Film
Demolition: Witness the Power
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Film
WWE: Triple H - The Game
Himself
2002
Film
Wrestling Tough Guys
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1990
Film
WCW The Great American Bash 1996
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Coach)
1996
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1986
Film
WWE Crunch Classic
Bobby Heenan
1992
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 17
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: January '87
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
Film
The WWF's Amazing Managers
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1985
Film
Hollywood Hulk Hogan: Hulk Still Rules
Himself
2002
Film
Andre the Giant
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan (archive footage)
1985
WWE Houston Wrestling: October '86
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1986
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Film
Timemaster
Howard
1995
Film
WWE UK Rampage '92
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1992
Film
Bret "Hit Man" Hart: His Greatest Matches
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1993
Film
WWE WrestleFest '93
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Host)
1993
Film
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1991
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 12
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
WWE The Main Event IV
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: July '88
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1988
Film
WWE UK Rampage '93
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator) / Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Interviewer)
1993
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: December '84
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1984
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
Film
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1990
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 10
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1987
Film
Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1985
Film
Wrestling Superheroes
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1990
Film
The Ken Patera Story
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan
1987
Film
WWE Bashed in the USA
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Commentator)
1993
Film
Battle of the WWE Superstars
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
WWE SummerSlam Fever
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1990
Film
The Best of the WWF: volume 18
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1989
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: October '84
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1984
Film
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
2006
Film
WCW/NWO Superstar Series: Diamond Dallas Page - Feel the Bang!
Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
1999
Film
WWE: The World's Greatest Wrestling Managers
Bobby Heenan
2004
Film
ROH: All Star Extravaganza 2
Himself
2004
Film
Sting: The Lost Tape
2020
Film
All Aboard the Lex Express
Bobby Heenan
1993
Film
AWA Christmas Night 1983
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (Manager)
1983
Film
WWE: Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
2010
WBF Championship 1992
Himself
1992