Ray Romano may have become one of TV’s biggest comedy stars, but he says he started Everybody Loves Raymond terrified he could be fired at any moment.

Romano, 68, opened up about the fear and self-doubt he carried into the hit CBS sitcom during a reunion panel marking the legacy of the show that made him a household name.

Romano appeared alongside series creator Phil Rosenthal and original writers Tom Caltabiano, Tucker Cawley, Mike Royce, Lew Schneider, Steve Skrovan and Aaron Shure.

Everybody Loves Raymond premiered in 1996 and ran until 2005. The sitcom went on to win 15 Emmy Awards and earn 69 nominations.

But before all that success, Romano said he was still shaken by a painful rejection from another sitcom.

He explained that he had been cast in the original lineup of NewsRadio before being fired almost immediately.

“I was doing stand-up for a living,” Romano said. “A couple acting opportunities came up, and one of them was the show called NewsRadio. I got cast in the original cast of NewsRadio. I’d never really acted before; I was doing stand-up. And on day two, I got fired.”

That experience followed him onto the Everybody Loves Raymond set, even though the new show had his name in the title.

“Fast forward to the first day, and I’d just gotten fired from a sitcom, and this sitcom has my name,” Romano said. “And it was a little terrifying for me.”

Romano admitted he was still learning how to act in those early episodes.

“When I watch that first season, I see myself get better towards the end of the season,” he said. “I was a little stiff still, a little green.”

The role of sportswriter Ray Barone changed Romano’s life and turned him into a sitcom favorite.

Everybody Loves Raymond followed Ray’s chaotic family life on Long Island. Patricia Heaton starred as his wife, Debra Barone, while Brad Garrett played his brother, Robert.

Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle played Ray’s unforgettable parents, Marie and Frank Barone.

The cast also included Madylin Sweeten and twin brothers Sawyer Sweeten and Sullivan Sweeten. Sawyer died in 2015 at age 19.

The reunion also looked back on the show’s enduring popularity and its recent anniversary celebration.

Romano revealed he kept one major piece of the set when production ended: the famous floral couch from the Barone living room.

“That’s the first thing I took — that’s the only thing I wanted to take was the couch,” Romano said.

He added that the couch now sits in his home theater.

“I hate saying that I have a home theater, but yeah, it’s in the theater,” he joked.

Romano said the couch was temporarily brought back for the anniversary gathering.

“They came and got the couch, and they brought it back,” he said.