Peter Boyle (born October 18, 1935) is an American actor. Boyle has won praise for playing both comic and dramatic roles. He served in the Army, but his military career was shortened by a nervous breakdown. Boyle was also a monk before turning to acting. His first important film role was in 'Joe' which was released in 1970, in which Boyle played a hardhat bigot to wide acclaim. The film was very controversial at the time because of the language and violence in it. It was during this time that Boyle became close friends with the actress Jane Fonda, and with her he participated in many protests against the war in Vietnam. Boyle then achieved another hit role with ' Young Frankenstein' in 1974, directed by Mel Brooks. Boyle also gave another acclaimed dramatic performance in the 1977 television film 'Tail Gunner Joe' where he played SenatorJoseph McCarthy. Boyle is best known to audiences today for his role as Frank Barone in the popular television show Everybody Loves Raymond.
