Peter Boyle, 71, Character Actor Played Psychotics and Monsters
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Peter Boyle, who died yesterday at 71, came to fame in 1970s films, playing a series of emotional and physical psychopaths, plus one actual monster, the tap-dancing, zipper-necked concoction in “Young Frankenstein.” Between 1996 and 2005, he was beamed into living rooms across America as the title character’s misanthropic father in the sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
Although he would spend the majority of his career as a character actor, capitalizing on his large frame, bulgy eyes, and balding pate, Boyle made his first impression as the title character in “Joe” (1970), a bigot whose memorable anti-hippie tirade is followed up by a murderous rampage. The role bedeviled him for a time, he said, and he was shocked to find film audiences who cheered the maniac on. But his part in the otherwise modest, independent production brought him plenty of offers, and Boyle managed to be cast in a number of edgy roles without having to resort to killing hippies, at least not for several years.
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