Who was Peter Boyle? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Peter Lawrence Boyle

Died At Age: 71

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Loraine Alterman (m. 1977 - his death. 2006)

father: Francis Xavier Boyle

mother: Alice Boyle

children: Amy Boyle, Lucy Boyle

Actors American Men

Height: 6'2" (188 cm), 6'2" Males

Died on: December 12, 2006

place of death: New York City, New York, United States

U.S. State: Pennsylvania

Cause of Death: Multiple Myeloma

Diseases & Disabilities: Heart Problems

Ancestry: French American, Irish American

More Facts

education: La Salle University

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Childhood & Early Life

Born on October 18, 1935, in Norristown, Pennsylvania, USA, Peter Boyle was raised in Philadelphia along with his sister Alice. His parents were Alice (née Lewis) and Francis Xavier Boyle, who was a popular television personality in Philadelphia in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Boyle was Irish from his father’s side, and his maternal ancestors were from France and the British Isles. Raised in a Catholic household, he studied at St. Francis de Sales School and West Philadelphia Catholic High School For Boys.

In 1953, he graduated high school and subsequently joined the De La Salle Brothers, a Catholic teaching order, as a seminarian. After staying with them for the following three years, he left, as he had no intention of committing to a religious life.

He received a BA degree from La Salle University in 1957 and subsequently enrolled at Officer Candidate School from where he graduated in 1959. Soon after, he began his service as an ensign in the United States Navy but was discharged after suffering a nervous breakdown.

At some point, he relocated to New York City and started taking acting lessons from Uta Hagen at HB Studio. During this period, he supported himself by working as a postal clerk and maitre d'.

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Career

One of the earliest roles of Peter Boyle’s career was that of Murray the cop in a touring company of Neil Simon's ‘The Odd Couple’. He later was part of ‘The Second City’ ensemble in Chicago, Illinois. In 1966, he had his screen debut in an uncredited role in the drama film ‘The Group’.

Boyle’s performance as the bigoted New York City factory worker Joe Curran in John G. Avildsen’s thriller drama ‘Joe’ (1970) earned him much critical praise and served as the perfect launchpad for his career.

In 1974, he portrayed the monster opposite Gene Wilder’s titular character, a descendant of Dr. Victor Frankenstein, in Mel Brooks’ spoof film ‘Young Frankenstein’.

His film credits also include ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976), ‘Red Heat’ (1988), ‘Doctor Dolittle’ (1998), ‘Monster’s Ball’ (2001), ‘Santa Clause 2’ (2002), and ‘The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause’ (2006).

One of his films was released posthumously, the 2008 family drama ‘All Roads Lead Home’. In 2009, his last project, a telefilm named ‘My Profile Story’, was released.

Boyle was nominated for his first Emmy in 1977 for his role as U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy in the telefilm ‘Tail Gunner Joe’. His next nomination came about in 1989 for his portrayal of J.J. Killian in the ‘Midnight Caller’ episode ‘Fathers and Sins’.

Some of his other important TV roles are Fatso Judson in the miniseries ‘From Here to Eternity’ (1979), the eponymous character in the short-lived ABC series ‘Joe Bash’ (1986), Dan Breen in ABC’s police-procedural drama ‘NYPD Blue’ (1994-95), and Walter Eliot in the NBC sitcom ‘The Single Guy’ (1996-97).

Major Work

For his portrayal of Frank Barone in the CBS sitcom ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’, Peter Boyle was nominated for seven Emmy Awards. The show aired 210 episodes spanning over nine seasons between September 13, 1996, and May 16, 2005, and garnered numerous awards, including 15 Emmys.

‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ is widely considered as one of the best family sitcoms of all time. Besides the Emmy nomination, Boyle also received a Screen Actor Guild Award nomination as a member of the cast of the show in 2002.

Family & Personal Life

Peter Boyle became acquainted with journalist Loraine Alterman on the set of ‘Young Frankenstein’. Through her, he met Yoko Ono and John Lennon. Boyle and Alterman got married on October 21, 1977, with Lennon serving as his best man. They had two daughters together: Lucy (born December 10, 1980) and Amy (born 1983).

Boyle passed away on December 12, 2006, at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City due to multiple myeloma and heart disease. He was 71 years old at the time. He is survived by his widow and two daughters.

Peter Boyle Biography