Bhumble
12-13-2006, 01:55 PM
Peter Boyle, whose versatility as a character actor took him from the Vietnam-era angst of "Joe" to a tap-dancing monster in "Young Frankenstein" to the cranky paterfamilias of the Barone clan on the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," has died. He was 71.
Boyle died Tuesday evening at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He had been suffering from multiple myeloma and heart disease, according to the Associated Press.
With his bald pate, wide forehead, dark eyebrows and eyes that could jut to sides, he flashed a manic glint that could be scary or endearing. A one time monastery student, Boyle turned to acting after he felt the "normal pull of the world and the flesh."
Boyle earned 10 Emmy nominations in his long career, seven of them for his role as Frank Barone on "Raymond," which ran on CBS from 1996-2005. But Boyle's sole Emmy win came in 1996 for a dramatic guest shot on Fox's "The X-Files."
Boyle in recent years had suffered with heart trouble. In 1990, he suffered a stroke and couldn't talk for six months. He had a heart attack on the set of "Raymond" in 1999 but quickly recovered.
Boyle won his first movie recognition for his portrayal of a blue-collared bigot Joe in 1970's "Joe." He played a taxi driver in Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver," one of the nocturnal cabbies who drove the same weird streets as Travis Bickel. More recently, he played Billy Bob Thornton's racist father in "Monster's Ball." His wide range of off-center roles also included playing Robert Redford's opportunistic campaign manager in 1972's "The Candidate." Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo lawyer Carl Lazlo in 1980's "Where the Buffalo Roam." Other supporting film roles included: "Slither," "Steelyard Blues," "The Friends of Eddie Coble," "Outland," The Brinks Job," "F.I.S.T.," "Medium Cool," "Diary of a Mad Housewife," "Johnny Dangerously," "Turk 182!," "Malcolm X," "Honeymoon in Vegas," "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," "The Santa Clause 2" and "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed."
On TV, Boyle won accolades and an Emmy nom for his portrayal of Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the 1977 NBC telefilm "Tail Gunner Joe." He also appeared in "The Man Who Could talk to Kids" and did a stint as a guest-host of "Saturday Night Live" and sang on the show.
Born Oct. 18, 1935, Boyle grew up in Philadelphia and attended Roman Catholic schools there. He graduated from La Salle College in 1957. His father was an artist who became a TV personality known as "Uncle Pete" at a Philadelphia TV station where young Peter spent a lot of time.
He taught school, and served briefly in the Navy. Following discharge, Boyle joined a monastery. After two years as a member of the Christian Brothers religious order, he headed to New York and studied acting with Uta Hagen. Boyle appeared in numerous off-Broadway shows in the early '60s, and then toured for two years with the national company of "The Odd Couple."
He gravitated toward Chicago where he joined the Second City. He became active in commercials while he pursued movie work. Landing the lead role as an angry, murderous bigot in "Joe" launched his movie career.
In the 1980s he starred on stage in the '80s in "True West" at the Public Theater and "The Snow Orchid" at the Circle Repertory and "Roast" on Broadway.
Boyle met his wife, Lorraine Alterman, on the set of "Young Frankenstein." She was a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. Boyle reportedly asked her for a date while he was still in his monster makeup. Rock icon John Lennon, whose wife Yoko Ono was a friend of Alterman's, served as best man at their wedding. The couple made their home in New York.
In addition to his wife, Boyle is survived by two daughters, Lucy and Amy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Boyle died Tuesday evening at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He had been suffering from multiple myeloma and heart disease, according to the Associated Press.
With his bald pate, wide forehead, dark eyebrows and eyes that could jut to sides, he flashed a manic glint that could be scary or endearing. A one time monastery student, Boyle turned to acting after he felt the "normal pull of the world and the flesh."
Boyle earned 10 Emmy nominations in his long career, seven of them for his role as Frank Barone on "Raymond," which ran on CBS from 1996-2005. But Boyle's sole Emmy win came in 1996 for a dramatic guest shot on Fox's "The X-Files."
Boyle in recent years had suffered with heart trouble. In 1990, he suffered a stroke and couldn't talk for six months. He had a heart attack on the set of "Raymond" in 1999 but quickly recovered.
Boyle won his first movie recognition for his portrayal of a blue-collared bigot Joe in 1970's "Joe." He played a taxi driver in Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver," one of the nocturnal cabbies who drove the same weird streets as Travis Bickel. More recently, he played Billy Bob Thornton's racist father in "Monster's Ball." His wide range of off-center roles also included playing Robert Redford's opportunistic campaign manager in 1972's "The Candidate." Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's gonzo lawyer Carl Lazlo in 1980's "Where the Buffalo Roam." Other supporting film roles included: "Slither," "Steelyard Blues," "The Friends of Eddie Coble," "Outland," The Brinks Job," "F.I.S.T.," "Medium Cool," "Diary of a Mad Housewife," "Johnny Dangerously," "Turk 182!," "Malcolm X," "Honeymoon in Vegas," "The Adventures of Pluto Nash," "The Santa Clause 2" and "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed."
On TV, Boyle won accolades and an Emmy nom for his portrayal of Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the 1977 NBC telefilm "Tail Gunner Joe." He also appeared in "The Man Who Could talk to Kids" and did a stint as a guest-host of "Saturday Night Live" and sang on the show.
Born Oct. 18, 1935, Boyle grew up in Philadelphia and attended Roman Catholic schools there. He graduated from La Salle College in 1957. His father was an artist who became a TV personality known as "Uncle Pete" at a Philadelphia TV station where young Peter spent a lot of time.
He taught school, and served briefly in the Navy. Following discharge, Boyle joined a monastery. After two years as a member of the Christian Brothers religious order, he headed to New York and studied acting with Uta Hagen. Boyle appeared in numerous off-Broadway shows in the early '60s, and then toured for two years with the national company of "The Odd Couple."
He gravitated toward Chicago where he joined the Second City. He became active in commercials while he pursued movie work. Landing the lead role as an angry, murderous bigot in "Joe" launched his movie career.
In the 1980s he starred on stage in the '80s in "True West" at the Public Theater and "The Snow Orchid" at the Circle Repertory and "Roast" on Broadway.
Boyle met his wife, Lorraine Alterman, on the set of "Young Frankenstein." She was a writer for Rolling Stone magazine. Boyle reportedly asked her for a date while he was still in his monster makeup. Rock icon John Lennon, whose wife Yoko Ono was a friend of Alterman's, served as best man at their wedding. The couple made their home in New York.
In addition to his wife, Boyle is survived by two daughters, Lucy and Amy.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.