Ray Romano Admits He’s ‘Baffled’ By ‘Overachiever’ Daughter Ally’s Drive: ‘I Did the Minimum Possible’ (Exclusive)

Reflecting on his own youth, Ray says his drive only emerged after he discovered his passion for stand-up comedy. “I’m driven, too, but I was driven by something I found a passion for,” he says. “But I was horrible in school and did the minimum possible.”

Anna, Ally’s mom, adds, “I was not a good student either.… I didn’t like school.”

But for Ally, school was a top priority. “Everything had to be an A… an A-plus,” Ray says. “You took all those traits from us, and you didn’t leave any for the boys.”

The three Romano sons—Matt and Greg, 31, and Joe, 26—are following in their dad’s footsteps: finding their footing later in life and hoping to discover their passion along the way.

“I fall more in line with Matt and Greg’s mindset,” Joe tells PEOPLE. “I am living at home. I’m 26, so I’m exactly where Matt and Greg were when they started this documentary.”

Now, the three brothers are uniting over a shared passion. “Right now, we’re starting to write something,” Greg says about his collaboration with his brothers. “We don’t have a legit 9-to-5 at the moment, but we’re in the process of writing a movie script and seeing where that goes — me, Matt, and Joe.”

No matter what his kids choose to do, or which ventures they pursue, Ray’s greatest hope is that they find something they love. “I just want them to know, it doesn’t matter what you do. It’s about finding something you like to do, and that’s going to be the answer,” the Everybody Loves Raymond Emmy winner says.

He adds, “You should take your privilege and use that to give yourself the time to find your passion. Some people don’t even have that ability. So my advice to them is just to go look for it, find it and don’t be afraid to fail, because I failed so many times.”