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In Remembrance: Peter Boyle
Born October 18, 1935 in Philadelphia, PA, Boyle spent three years in a monastery to become a Christian Brothers monk before moving to New York City to pursue acting. After studying for five years, he landed a role in a road company version of The Odd Couple. When the tour reached Chicago, he left in order to study with the famed Second City improvisational company. He would later return to New York where he landed roles in off-Broadway productions and commercials. Boyle made his film debut in an uncredited role in director Sidney Lumet’s 1966 drama The Group.
Boyle’s first major screen role was in the 1970 drama Joe, in which he played an angry bigot, at odds with the current emerging hippie youth culture. Eager to avoid stereotyping as only playing tough characters, Boyle declined the lead roll of Popeye Doyle in The French Connection (1971) instead taking roles like Robert Redford’s sympathetic campaign manager in 1972’s The Candidate. Although Boyle would appear in the comedies Steelyard Blues and Kid Blue (both 1973), he would standout as the monster assembled by Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein. Decked out in tails and top hat, he joined his creator in a show-stopping rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ On The Ritz” for an auditorium of skeptical scientists.
Boyle would continue to appear in a variety of films such as Taxi Driver (1976) as a philosophizing cab driver, F.I.S.T. (1978), Hardcore (1979), Outland (1981), Hammett (1982), Malcolm X (1992) and Monster’s Ball (2001). However, he would continue to make memorable appearances in such comedies as The Brinks Job (1978), Yellowbeard (1983), Johnny Dangerously (1984) and Honeymoon In Vegas (1992).
In addition to his film work, Boyle worked prolifically in television, earning Emmy nominations for the 1977 made-for-TV film Tail Gunner Joe and for his work on the sitcom Everyone Loves Raymond. He won an Emmy for a guest-starring role in an episode of The X-Files.
Boyle’s last film was The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, released last month. |
Peter Boyle, the character actor best remembered for his portrayal
of the bumbling monster in Mel Brook’s comedy Young Frankenstein
(1974), has passed away on December 12, 2006 in New York City,
NY. He was 71.