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Shinnosuke Ikehata (池畑 慎之介, Ikehata Shinnosuke^?) (born August 8, 1952 in Sakai, Osaka, Japan) is a Japanese singer, dancer and actor who has appeared in Akira Kurosawa's Ran^[1] and Toshio Matsumoto's Bara no Sōretsu. Ikehata also uses his stage name of Peter (ピーター, Pītā^?) when he appears on TV variety shows and musical revues. He adopted the stage name when he was 16 after his style of dress and dance which was said to resemble Peter Pan. While not one in real life, Peter's androgynous appearance has enabled him to often play transvestite characters.

Filmography[link]

• Bara no Sōretsu (Funeral Parade of Roses, 1969)
• Zatōichi Abare-Himatsuri (Zatoichi at the Fire Festival, 1970)
• Gokumon-tō (Prison Gate Isle, 1977)
• Hi no Tori (1978)
• Les Fruits de la passion (1981)
• Ran (1985)
• Za Ginipiggu 6: Peter no Akuma no Joi-san (The Guinea Pig: Devil Woman Doctor Peter, 1990) (video; credited as Peter)
• Drakengard (2003) (video game; two voice roles credited separately as Shinnosuke Ikehata and Peter)
• Drakengard 2 (2005) (video game; one voice role credited as Peter and Shinnosuke Ikehata)
• Death Note (2006) (Rem)
• Yakuza: Dead Souls (2011)
• Garo: Makai Senki (2012)

References[link]

Peter Dinklage
Dinklage in 2012
Born	Peter Hayden Dinklage (1969-06-11) June 11, 1969 (age 43) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1995–present
Spouse	Erica Schmidt (2005–present)

Peter Hayden Dinklage^[1] (born June 11, 1969) is an American film, television and theatre actor.

Since his breakout role in the 2003 film The Station Agent, he has acted in Elf, Underdog, Find Me Guilty, the 2007 film Death at a Funeral and its 2010 remake, and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Since 2011 he has starred in the HBO series Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin's series of novels A Song of Ice and Fire, which earned him the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film.

Early life[link]

Dinklage was born in Morristown, New Jersey,^[2] the son of Diane, an elementary school music teacher, and John Carl Dinklage, a retired insurance salesman.^[3][4] Dinklage was born with achondroplasia.

He grew up in Mendham Township, New Jersey. Dinklage graduated from Delbarton School in Morristown in 1987, pursuing his future in acting, and graduated from Bennington College in 1991.^[5]

Career[link]

Dinklage made his feature debut in the 1995 cult art house film Living in Oblivion playing the role of a frustrated dwarf actor complaining about his clichéd part. Dinklage's breakout role was in the 2003 award-winning film The Station Agent, his first mainstream appearance.^[6] He received Independent Spirit and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Best Actor for his performance in that film. That same year, he appeared in the direct-to-DVD movie Tiptoes with Gary Oldman. As well as appearing in films, Dinklage has starred multiple times in off-Broadway productions.^[7]

In Elf, Dinklage played a pretentious children's author who beats up Will Ferrell's character after he is unintentionally insulted. In 2005, Dinklage starred in the short-lived CBS science fiction series Threshold and appeared in the Michael Showalter comedy The Baxter as a wedding planner. In 2006, Dinklage appeared in Sidney Lumet's courtroom drama Find Me Guilty, and in episodes of Nip/Tuck. He played himself in one episode of the HBO television series Entourage and was featured on NBC's 30 Rock.

Dinklage also had a role in the 2007 British Death at a Funeral. He plays the same role in the American remake of the film. That same year, he played the villainous Simon Bar Sinister in Underdog.

Dinklage was chosen by director Andrew Adamson for the role of Trumpkin in the 2008 film Prince Caspian^[8] although film critic Bill Gibron described his role as a "cutesy stereotype [Dinklage] has tried to avoid."^[9]

Dinklage starred in the horror comedy Knights of Badassdom,^[10] directed by Joe Lynch.^[11]

Dinklage plays Tyrion Lannister in HBO's Game of Thrones, an adaptation of author George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. His performance has received widespread praise,^[12][13] highlighted by his receipt of the Emmy Award^[14] for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2011, as well as the 2012 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film. As a result, Dinklage was given top billing in season 2 of Game of Thrones.^[15]

Personal life[link]

Dinklage married Erica Schmidt, a theatre director, in 2005. In 2011, they had their first child, a daughter.^[16]

He is of German and Irish descent.^[17] For high school he attended Delbarton, a prestigious prep-school in Northern New Jersey. When asked about his height in a 2003 interview, he said: "When I was younger, definitely, I let it get to me. As an adolescent, I was bitter and angry and I definitely put up these walls. But the older you get, you realize you just have to have a sense of humor. You just know that it's not your problem. It's theirs."^[7]

Dinklage is a vegetarian and lives with his wife and daughter in upstate New York.^[18]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

• Interview with Peter Dinklage in Delbarton Today

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Peter Dinklage

• Peter Dinklage at the Internet Movie Database
• Peter Dinklage at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Interview with Peter Dinklage about The Station Agent
• BBC Movies Interview about The Station Agent
• Peter Dinklage at Emmys.com
• Dan Kois (March 29, 2012). "Peter Dinklage Was Smart to Say No". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/01/magazine/peter-dinklage-was-smart-to-say-no.html. 

Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom, starring Ray Romano and Patricia Heaton. It originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996 to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff. The main characters on the show are also loosely based on Romano's and Rosenthal's real-life family members.

The show reruns in syndication on different channels such as TBS, TV Land, and in most TV markets on local stations.^[1] From 2000 to 2007, KingWorld distributed the show for off-network syndication. In 2008, CBS Television Distribution took over King World's distribution, although its logo is retained on TBS. CBS only owns American syndication rights; ancillary rights are controlled by HBO and Warner Bros. Television (WBTV distributes the series outside the US in conjunction with HBO; while HBO Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video own DVD rights worldwide).

Show background[link]

The show revolves around the life of Italian-American Raymond Barone, a newspaper sportswriter for Newsday living with his family in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York. Whiny and flippant, Raymond does not take many things seriously, making jokes in nearly every situation, no matter how troubling or problematic, and constantly avoiding any sort of real responsibility.

Raymond and his wife Debra live with Ally and their identical twin sons Michael and Geoffrey (originally Gregory and Matthew in the pilot). The Barone children, played by real-life siblings, are regular characters but not a major focus. Raymond's parents, Marie and Frank, and brother Robert live across the street, and frequently make their presence known to the frustration of Raymond and Debra. Debra's frequent complaints about Raymond's family are a running joke. Out of the three unwanted visitors, Debra is particularly put off by Marie — an insulting, controlling and manipulative, though loving, woman who constantly criticizes and antagonizes Debra and coddles Ray, clearly favoring him over Robert, whose impending birth (as was established in the episode "Good Girls") drove her into marriage.

Raymond often finds himself in the middle of all the problems and arguments and proves himself incapable of taking any sort of stand, especially if there is the chance that it will bring down the wrath of his mother on him. His biggest nemesis is his brother Robert, who is insecure and jealous of Raymond for being the favorite son, as well as Raymond's relative success in both his professional and family life. Robert and Raymond are frequently seen fighting like children and picking on each other.

Raymond and Robert's father, Frank, is a very crass and obnoxious person, constantly making insulting and sarcastic remarks to everyone with whom he comes into contact. Largely an absentee father when the boys were growing up, Frank does not like to show his feelings, although, in an effort to make the character a bit more sympathetic, throughout the years several episodes were crafted to show that he actually does love his family. Frank is the only one who has the nerve to criticize Marie and often comes to Debra's defense from Marie's jibes.

Raymond and Debra constantly have marital disagreements, with Raymond preferring to watch sports television instead of talking with Debra about important matters. Like his father, Raymond works full time, leaving all the child-rearing responsibilities to Debra, and he has to be bullied into helping with any work around the house. A recurring theme on the show has them having a long interaction each night while in bed before going to sleep.

The Barones are established to be an amoral family of liars, as according to Marie in the episode "The Ball", "that's what holds us all together."

Cast and characters[link]

Characters[link]

• Raymond "Ray" Barone (Ray Romano) is a sportswriter for Newsday. He lives in Lynbrook, Long Island with his wife, Debra, and their three children Alexandra ("Ally"), Geoffrey, and Michael. His parents Frank and Marie and brother Robert live across the street. Raymond's character is loosely based on the real-life Romano, as he is the father of twin boys and a girl. Ray is emotionally unable to take any sort of stand on anything, especially if it brings him to any sort of conflict with his mother—the exception is when he protests about sex or some trivial matter. Raymond's mother favors him over Robert.

• Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton) is Raymond's wife, and the mother of Ally, Michael and Geoffrey. As a housewife, Debra claims she is frequently overworked, under-appreciated and stressed out; major reasons for this are not only because she has to deal with all the housework and her three rambunctious children with almost no assistance or support from Raymond—especially where his mother is concerned—but also because she must constantly put up with Raymond's intrusive family members. However on frequent occasions this frustration boils over and vented, primarily towards Raymond.
• Robert Barone (Brad Garrett) is Raymond's older brother and the son of Frank and Marie. Standing at 6' 8" 1/2, he is the tallest Barone, and has several quirks, the biggest being a nervous habit of touching food to his chin before eating it, once referred to as "crazy chin." Robert is a very caring uncle and still cares for Raymond, but is often jealous of the attention that Raymond receives from their mother, to the exclusion of his every achievement. Robert has been a New York City police officer for over 20 years, and attains the rank of lieutenant by the end of the series. His height, appearance and demeanor are the source of much humor. However, despite his huge size, Robert is a very skilled dancer.

• Marie Barone (Doris Roberts) is Raymond's mother, the wife of Frank, and the matriarch of the Barone family. Intrusive, controlling, manipulative and over-nurturing (at least with Raymond), she is a housewife who excels in cooking, cleaning, and other things dealing with keeping a good home and family. Marie and Frank live across the street from Raymond and Debra in Lynbrook, Long Island, New York which often irritates the latter couple.

• Francis "Frank" Barone (Peter Boyle) is Raymond's father and Marie's husband, a retired bookkeeper, and registered real estate agent, with a stubborn masculine personality. A war veteran, Frank served in the Korean War, which he frequently brings up, to the annoyance of everyone, especially his sons. He is a member of the Order of the Caribou Lodge, and was named Man of the Year by his lodge.

• Amy McDougall/Barone (Monica Horan) becomes Robert Barone's second wife (in season 7), and is the best friend of Debra, who introduces her to Robert. A recurring character for the first six seasons of the series, Amy became a main character (and Monica Horan was added to the main cast introductions) in season seven. Many issues cause Amy and Robert to break up in the first six seasons, with one being caused by Raymond. Quite often, Amy apologizes to someone even if she did not do anything wrong. She was born to very religious parents who, according to Amy, "wouldn't yell if they were on fire." (In real life, Horan is the wife of creator/executive producer Philip Rosenthal.)

• Alexandra "Ally" Barone (Madylin Sweeten), is the daughter of Raymond and Debra. She is the oldest of the Barone children. She is not seen much, even though she is credited as the main cast. She is said to be a better cook than her mother, and maybe someday her grandmother. (In real life Sawyer and Sullivan are real brothers to Madylin Sweeten.)

• Geoffrey Barone (Sawyer Sweeten) and Michael Barone (Sullivan Sweeten) are twin sons of Raymond and Debra. Their original names (in the pilot) were Gregory and Matthew. (In real life Sawyer and Sullivan are real brothers to Madylin Sweeten.)

Episodes[link]

DVD releases[link]

HBO Home Video has released the Complete Series of Everybody Loves Raymond on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4. Region 4 Complete Box Set was released on August 13, 2008. In Australia, the first five seasons were re-released in 2006 in slimmer packaging (originals were wide spine cases). Also some were released with a cardboard slip cover. Also, in North America, the first two seasons were each re-released in 2010 in standard keep cases with cardboard slipcovers in a double-season pack. It is unknown whether or not they will be sold individually like this. Also, in 2012, the sixth and seventh season two-pack was reissued in the keep case packaging. It is also unknown whether or not the remaining seasons will be reissued in the slimmer packaging.

International broadcasters[link]

• Australia: the Seven Network, originally as a summer filler; Network Ten later began airing it; in 2011, regular re-runs air on Eleven and on cable network TV1 (previously on FOX Classics)
• Austria: ATV
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: RTRS, RTVUSK, TVSA, Fox Life and others
• Bulgaria: the first seasons on Kanal 1, repeated on bTV; repeats currently broadcast on BTV Comedy & Fox Life
• Canada: the first seasons aired on Global
• Chile: Sony Entertainment Television
• Croatia: NOVA TV and RTL 2
• Denmark: TV3+
• Germany: Pro7 and Kabel1, followed by Comedy Central Germany; now on TNT Serie
• Greece: Cine+ and later on Alpha TV
• India: Star World;^[2] since 2010, Big CBS, a branch of the CBS network in India
• Ireland: Comedy Central
• Israel: Channel 3 (late 1990s to 2005); reruns on Channel 2, and also in channel 14 (yes stars comedy) on YES broadcasts
• Italy: Comedy Central
• Latin America: Sony Entertainment Television channel
• Latvia: the first three seasons on TV3, SET Latvia, TV6
• Republic of Macedonia: Sitel TV
• Malaysia: NTV7
• Netherlands: reruns on RTL5 (A local version of the show called "Iedereen is gek op Jack" (Everybody Is Fond of Jack) starring Jeroen van Koningsbrugge and Linda de Mol is broadcast on RTL 4 since February 2011)
• New Zealand: TV3
• Norway: TV2; currently on TV3
• Pakistan: Star World
• Poland: Comedy Central Polska (when Comedy Central Family launched it moved to that channel)
• Portugal: SIC Comédia (until the channel was canceled by TV Cabo); SIC Mulher; now airs on SET
• Serbia: TV Avala and RTV BK Telecom; currently by Fox Life Serbia
• Slovenia: Kanal A
• South Africa: originally on SABC 3, and M-Net Series purchased rebroadcast rights and aired re-runs
• Spain: La Sexta
• Sweden: TV3 (Sweden) and Comedy Central
• Switzerland: SF zwei (German region) and on RSI La 1 (Italian region)
• Turkey: CNBC-e and the subscription-based channel ComedyMax
• United Kingdom: Channel 4 and Comedy Central

Russian version and documentary[link]

In 2009, series creator/producer Philip Rosenthal traveled to Russia to adapt the show for local audiences. His experience was documented by a film crew and released as the documentary feature "Exporting Raymond".^[3] The Russian version is titled (Russian) Воронины^[4] (Voroniny, by family name of main character).^[5]

Foreign adaptations[link]

The original American version of the show has been dubbed then broadcast in Poland under the title Wszyscy kochają Romana (Everybody Loves Roman).^[6] It was picked up by TVN and premiered on September 2, 2011. However, due to low ratings (less than 2 million viewers a week), the station put the show on hiatus after 4 episodes.^[7]

Series creator Philip Rosenthal created the documentary Exporting Raymond, about his trip to Russia to serve as a consultant in an effort to adapt the format of the show for the Russian audience.

In Egypt a sitcom of 30 episodes called el bab fl bab(close doors) aired in the month of Ramadan is an adaptation of Everybody Loves Raymond as released by the show producer.

An Dutch remake, called Iedereen is gek op Jack (Everybody likes Jack) premiered in 2011. The second season started airing in March 2012.

Reception[link]

American television ratings[link]

Note: Each U.S. network television season starts in late September and ends in late May, which coincides with the completion of May sweeps. All times mentioned in this section were Eastern & Pacific

The series finale scored a 20.2 household rating, 32.94 million viewers^[8] (29% of all viewers at the time) and an 11.2 rating among adults 18–49. At 8pm, Everybody Loves Raymond: The Last Laugh averaged a 15.3 household rating, 24.52 million viewers and a 7.5 among adults 18–49. Throughout the latter six seasons of the show, Everybody Loves Raymond maintained its position on the top ten rankings.

The highest average rating for the series is in italic text.

Awards[link]

Emmy Awards:

• Outstanding Comedy Series (2003, 2005) 2 wins
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Ray Romano (2002)
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Patricia Heaton (2000–01) 2 wins
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Brad Garrett (2002–03, 2005) 3 wins
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Doris Roberts (2001–03, 2005) 4 wins
• Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for "Baggage" Tucker Cawley (2003)

Screen Actors Guild:

• Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2003)

Writers Guild of America:

• Episodic Comedy Phil Rosenthal for: "Italy", parts I and II (2002)

Nominations[link]

Emmy Awards:

• Outstanding Comedy Series (1999–2005) 7 nominations
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Ray Romano (1999–2003, 2005) 6 nominations
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Patricia Heaton (1999–2005) 7 nominations
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Brad Garrett (2000, 2002–05) 5 nominations
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Peter Boyle (1999–2005) 7 nominations
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Doris Roberts (1999–2005) 7 nominations
• Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, 3 nominations: Will Mackenzie "Robert's Date" (1999), Will Mackenzie "The Christmas Picture" (2000), Gary Halvorson "Finale" (2005)
• Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, 6 nominations: Philip Rosenthal and Ray Romano "Bad Moon Rising" (2000), Philip Rosenthal "The Angry Family" (2002), Jennifer Crittenden "Marie's Sculpture" (2002), Tucker Cawley "Baggage" (2003), Mike Royce "Counselling" (2003), Philip Rosenthal, Ray Romano, Lew Schneider, Steve Skrovan, Jeremy Stevens, Aaron Shure, Mike Royce, Leslie Caveny, Tom Caltabiano "Finale" (2005)

Golden Globe Awards:

• Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series-Comedy Ray Romano (2000–01) 2 nominations

Screen Actors Guild:

• Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (1999–2000, 2002–06) 6 nominations
• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Ray Romano (2000, 2002–05) 5 nominations
• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Brad Garrett (2004)
• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Peter Boyle (2002, 2004) 2 nominations
• Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Patricia Heaton (2002–2006) 5 nominations
• Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series Doris Roberts (2004–05) 2 nominations

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Official website from CBS
• Everybody Loves Raymond at the Internet Movie Database
• Everybody Loves Raymond at TV.com

Peter Boyle
Boyle in 1978
Born	Peter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. (1935-10-18)October 18, 1935 Norristown, Pennsylvania
Died	December 12, 2006(2006-12-12) (aged 71) New York City, New York
Cause of death	multiple myeloma
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1966–2006
Spouse	Loraine Alterman (m.1977–2006; his death)

Peter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. (October 18, 1935 – December 12, 2006)^[1][2] was an American actor, best known for his role as Frank Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and as a comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof Young Frankenstein (1974).

Boyle, who won an Emmy Award in 1996 for a guest-starring role on the science-fiction drama The X-Files, won praise in both comedic and dramatic parts following his breakthrough performance in the 1970 film Joe.

Early life and career[link]

Boyle was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania of Irish descent, the son of Alice and Peter Boyle Sr. He moved with his family to nearby Philadelphia.^[3] His father was a Philadelphia TV personality from 1951–1963 who, among many other things, played the Western-show host Chuck Wagon Pete, and hosted the afterschool children's program Uncle Pete Presents the Little Rascals, which showed vintage Little Rascals, Three Stooges comedy shorts and Popeye cartoons.^[4]

He was raised Roman Catholic^[5][6] and he attended St. Francis de Sales School and West Philadelphia Catholic High School For Boys. After high school Boyle spent three years as a novice of the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, or De La Salle Brothers, a Catholic teaching order. He lived in a house of studies with other novices and earned a BA from La Salle University in Philadelphia in 1957, but left the order because he did not feel called to religious life.^[7][8] While in Philadelphia, he worked as a cameraman on the cooking show Television Kitchen, hosted by Florence Hanford.^[9]

After graduating from Officer Candidate School in 1959, he was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy, but his military career was shortened by a nervous breakdown.^[10]

In New York City, Boyle studied with acting coach Uta Hagen while working as a postal clerk and a maitre d'.^[11] He went on to play Murray the cop in a touring company of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple, leaving the tour in Chicago, Illinois and joining The Second City improv comedy ensemble there.^[11] He had a brief scene as the manager of an indoor shooting range in the critically acclaimed 1969 film Medium Cool, filmed in Chicago.

Screen and theater[link]

Boyle gained acclaim for his first starring role, playing the title character, a bigoted New York City factory worker, in the 1970 movie Joe. The film's release was surrounded by controversy over its violence and language. It was during this time that Boyle became close friends with actress Jane Fonda, and with her he participated in many protests against the Vietnam War. After seeing people cheer at his role in Joe, Boyle refused the lead role in The French Connection (1971),^[12] as well as other movie and TV roles that he believed glamorized violence. His next major role was as the campaign manager for a U.S. Senate candidate (Robert Redford) in The Candidate (1972). He also played an Irish mobster opposite Robert Mitchum in The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973).

Boyle had another hit role as Frankenstein's monster in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Young Frankenstein, in which, in an homage to King Kong, the monster is placed onstage in top hat and tails, grunt-singing and dancing to the song "Puttin' on the Ritz". Boyle said at the time, "The Frankenstein monster I play is a baby. He's big and ugly and scary, but he's just been born, remember, and it's been traumatic, and to him the whole world is a brand new alien environment. That's how I'm playing it".^[11] Boyle met his wife, Loraine Alterman, on the set of Young Frankenstein while she was there as a reporter for Rolling Stone.^[13] He was still in his Frankenstein makeup when he asked her for a date.^[14] Through Alterman and her friend Yoko Ono, Boyle became friends with John Lennon, who was the best man at Boyle and Alterman's 1977 wedding.^[15] Boyle and his wife had two daughters, Lucy and Amy.

Boyle received his first Emmy nomination for his acclaimed dramatic performance in the 1977 television film Tail Gunner Joe, in which he played Senator Joseph McCarthy. Yet he was more often cast as a character actor than as a leading man. His roles include the philosophical cab driver "Wizard" in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976), starring Robert De Niro; the private detective hired in Hardcore (1979); the attorney of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson (played by Bill Murray) in Where the Buffalo Roam (1980); a corrupt space mining-facility boss in the science-fiction film Outland (1981), opposite Sean Connery; Boatswain Moon in the 1983 pirate comedy Yellowbeard, also starring Cheech and Chong, Madeline Kahn, and members of the comedy troupe Monty Python's Flying Circus; a psychiatric patient who belts out a Ray Charles song in the comedy The Dream Team (1989), starring Michael Keaton; a boss of unscrupulous corporation in the sci-fi Solar Crisis (1990) along Charlton Heston and Jack Palance; the title character's cab driver in The Shadow (1994), starring Alec Baldwin; the father of Sandra Bullock's fiancee in While You Were Sleeping (1995); the corporate raider out to buy Eddie Murphy's medical partnership in Dr. Dolittle (1998); the hateful father of Billy Bob Thornton's prison-guard character in Monster's Ball (2001); Muta in The Cat Returns (2002); and Old Man Wickles in the comedy Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). In cameo roles, he can be seen as a police captain in Malcolm X (1992), and as a drawbridge operator in Porky's Revenge (1985). In 1992, he starred in Alex Cox's Death and the Compass, an adaptation of Jorge Luis Borges' La Muerte y la Brujula. However, the film was not released until 1996.

His New York theater work included playing a comedian who is the object of The Roast, a 1980 Broadway play directed by Carl Reiner. Also in 1980 he co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones in an Off Broadway production of playwright Sam Shepard's acclaimed True West. Two years later, Boyle played the head of a dysfunctional family in Joe Pintauro's less well-received Snow Orchid, at the Circle Repertory.

In 1986, Boyle played the title role of the acclaimed but short-lived TV series Joe Bash, created by Danny Arnold. The comedy-drama followed the life of a lonely, world-weary, and sometimes compromised New York City beat cop whose closest friend was a prostitute, played by actress DeLane Matthews.^[16]

Later life and career[link]

In 1990, Boyle suffered a near-fatal stroke that rendered him completely speechless and immobile for six months. After recovering, he went on to win an Emmy Award in 1996 as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his appearance on The X-Files. In the episode, "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", he played an insurance salesman who can see selected things in the near future, particularly others' deaths. Boyle also guest starred in two episodes as Bill Church in Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. He appears in Sony Music's unaired Roger Waters' music video "Three Wishes" (1992) as a scruffy genie in a dirty coat and red scarf, who tries to tempt Waters at a desert diner.^[17][18]

Boyle was perhaps most widely known for his role as the deadpan, cranky Frank Barone in the CBS television sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, which aired from 1996 to 2005. The show was shot in Los Angeles, to which Boyle commuted from his New York City home. He was nominated for an Emmy seven times for this role, but never won (beaten out multiple times in the Supporting Actor category by his co-star Brad Garrett), though fellow co-stars Garrett, Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, and Boyle's TV wife Doris Roberts won at least one Emmy each for their performances.

In 1999, he had a heart attack^[13] on the set of Everybody Loves Raymond. He soon regained his health and returned to the series. After the incident, Boyle was drawn back to his Catholic faith, and resumed attending Mass.^[19]

In 2001, he appeared in the film Monster's Ball as the bigoted father of Billy Bob Thornton's character.

Introduced by comedian Carlos Mencia as "the most honest man in show business", Boyle made guest appearances on three episodes of the Comedy Central program Mind of Mencia — one of which was shown as a tribute in a segment made before Boyle's death — in which he read hate mail, explained the "hidden meanings" behind bumper stickers, and occasionally told Mencia how he felt about him.

Starting in late 2005, Boyle and former TV wife Doris Roberts appeared in TV commercials for the 75th anniversary of Alka-Seltzer, reprising the famous line, "I can't believe I ate that whole thing!" Although this quote has entered into popular culture, it is often misquoted as, "...the whole thing."^[20] Boyle had a role in all three of The Santa Clause films. In the original, he plays Scott Calvin's boss. In the sequels, he plays Father Time.

Death and legacy[link]

On December 12, 2006, Boyle died in New York City at New York Presbyterian Hospital after suffering from multiple myeloma and heart disease. He was 71 years old. At the time of his death, Boyle had completed his role in the film All Roads Lead Home and was scheduled to appear in The Golden Boys.^[21] The end credits of The Santa Clause 3 and All Roads Lead Home include a dedication to his memory.

Newspapers and magazines reported on Boyle's death and reflected on his lifetime accomplishments, while numerous tribute pages and videos can be found on the Internet in commemoration of him and his career. The familiarity of Boyle's grouchy but lovable character on Raymond could easily allow the audience to develop a seemingly intimate parasocial relationship with the actor. Since his death, fans have been quoted saying such remarks as "It was like we lost a family member ourselves".^[22]

Boyle's death also had a tremendous effect on his Raymond co-stars, who worked alongside him for the entire nine seasons of the popular CBS sitcom. When asked to comment on Boyle's death, his cast members had nothing but positive things to say. Ray Romano was personally affected by the loss, saying, "He gave me great advice, he always made me laugh, and the way he connected with everyone around him amazed me." Boyle's death also saddened Patricia Heaton who stated, "Peter was an incredible man who made all of us who had the privilege of working with him aspire to be better actors."^[23]

On October 18, 2007, which would have been Boyle's 72nd birthday, his friend Bruce Springsteen, during a Madison Square Garden concert with the E Street Band in New York, dedicated "Meeting Across the River", segueing into "Jungleland", in memory of Boyle, stating: "An old friend died a while back – we met him when we first came to New York City... Today would have been his birthday."^[24]

After he lost his battle to multiple myeloma in late 2006, Boyle's wife Loraine Alterman Boyle established the Peter Boyle Memorial Fund in support of the International Myeloma Foundation.^[25] Boyle's closest friends, family and co-stars have since gathered yearly for a comedy celebration fundraiser in Los Angeles. Acting as a tribute to Boyle, the annual event is hosted by Ray Romano and has included performances by many comedic veterans including Dana Carvey, Fred Willard, Richard Lewis, Kevin James, Jeff Garlin and Martin Short. Performances typically revolve around Boyle's life, recalling favorite and hysterical moments with the late actor. The comedy celebration has been noted as the most successful fundraiser in IMF history, as the first event held in 2007 raised over $550,000, while the following year over $600,000 was raised for the Peter Boyle Memorial Fund in support of the IMF's research programs.^[26]

Awards and nominations[link]

• Emmy Award

Nomination (1977) — Lead Actor in a Drama or Comedy Special: Tail Gunner Joe

Nomination (1989) — Guest Actor in a Drama Series: J.J. Killian in Midnight Caller episode "Fathers and Sins"

Win (1996) — Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Clyde Bruckman in The X-Files episode "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose"

(7) Nominations (1999–2005) — Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Everybody Loves Raymond

• Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award

The cast of Everybody Loves Raymond was nominated for Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series each year from 1999–2000 and 2002–2006. Boyle was additionally nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series in 2002.^[27]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Peter Boyle at Find a Grave
• Peter Boyle at the Internet Broadway Database
• Peter Boyle at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
• Peter Boyle at the Internet Movie Database
• Archive of American Television interview with Peter Boyle
• Peter Boyle at the TCM Movie Database
• Peter Boyle at AllRovi
• MSNBC.com (December 13, 2006): The Daily Nightly: "Remembering Uncle Pete", by Clare Duffy, NBC Nightly News Producer