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« Roush Dispatch
Everybody Loved Peter Boyle
We knew him as Frank Barone, the gruff grandpa who made merry mischief with his sons, his long-suffering wife Marie and his horrified in-laws for nine seasons on Everybody Loves Raymond. Also as the comical monster of Young Frankenstein, tapping and yowling to “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” And let’s not forget Clyde Bruckman, the wry, melancholy psychic who foresaw his own death (among others, including Mulder’s) in one of the most memorable X-Files episodes ever.
It was for that X-Files guest shot that Peter Boyle won his Emmy in 1996, but he won America’s heart (and was nominated seven times) as the most curmudgeonly of the comic engines in the splendid ensemble cast of Everybody Loves Raymond, one of the last great classic TV comedies. His cranky rapport with Doris Roberts, who played Marie to his Frank, was so popular they reprised their roles for several retro Alka-Seltzer commercials after Raymond folded. It was great seeing them again, reminding us of how much we missed them. His death this week at the age of 71, after suffering from multiple myeloma and heart disease, reminds us again of our, and TV’s, loss.
The role of Frank was a welcome late-career gift to this wonderful character actor, who burst on the scene in 1970 as the bigoted title character of the controversial film Joe. Boyle himself couldn’t have been more different from Joe (or, for that matter, Frank). He reportedly turned down other violent roles (including the lead of The French Connection) after the success of Joe, deploring what he saw as the glamorization of violence. An outspoken critic of the Vietnam War, he befriended John Lennon, who was the best man at Boyle’s 1977 wedding to Lorraine Alterman, a Rolling Stone reporter.
Imagine. Or, as Frank might say, “Holy crap.” As TV catchphrases go, that’s a pretty good one to remember Peter Boyle by.
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Dec 13, 2006 2:55 PM
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Dec 14, 2006 10:11 AM
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I couldn't agree more!
As much as I loved Frank Barone, Peter Boyle will always be Clyde Bruckman to me. Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose is the ep that got me hooked on The X-Files, so I'm pretty fond of Peter Boyle for that.
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Dec 14, 2006 11:43 AM
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I loved Peter Boyle in everything he did. His role in the X-Files was so touching. I loved him in While You Were Sleeping, and Young Frankenstein is a must watch at our home every time it's on.
He will be sorely missed.
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Dec 14, 2006 1:50 PM
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One of the first movies I saw as a kid was Young Frankenstien. He was in one of my favorite X-Files. He and Doris Roberts were the only reason I ever watched Everybody Loves Raymond. TV has lost a giant in stature and talent.
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Dec 15, 2006 12:40 AM
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Not just anyone could have made Frank Barone real and have you root for him but Boyle did. He made you root for the underdog. I agree him and Doris roberts were a great team it's a travesty that he was the only member of the Raymond 5 not to win an Emmy. How Brad Garratt won 2 and Boyle none is just wrong.
He will be missed. But has left us with many great hours of viewing memories and enjoyment.
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Dec 15, 2006 2:21 PM
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