‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Peter Boyle’s Final Years

Peter Boyle took a career curve with his portrayal of Frank Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond," but he made a memorable role out of it. Sadly, the actor passed on just a year after the fan-famous sitcom ended in 2005.

Despite his death, Boyle continues to be regarded as one of Hollywood's most versatile actors. He started his career playing violent, hate-filled, and politically incorrect villains but rounded things off with comedic roles.

After Boyle's death, "Everybody Loves Raymond" creator Phil Rosenthal said one of the reasons he hired the actor was because he noticed immediately that Boyle "had a comic presence."

Boyle suffered a stroke in 1990 and had a heart attack while taping an episode of the CBS comedy sitcom, but he quickly recovered

Boyle did not disappoint. For nine seasons, he entertained audiences as Francis "Frank" Barone, the grouchy, meddlesome father of the title character, Raymond Barone. His on-screen wife, Doris Roberts, later revealed he was far from that in real life.

Roberts told The Hollywood Reporter when Boyle died:

"It's like losing a spouse. I'm going to miss my dear friend, so unlike the character he played on television. He's a brilliant actor, a gentleman, incredibly intelligent, wonderfully well-read and a loving friend."

It took a lot before Boyle got to the place where he became a household name. According to his IMDB profile, the Pennsylvania-born actor once worked as a postal worker, a waiter, and a bouncer while trying for that big acting break.

Things reportedly began to look up after he scored several TV commercials and after his appearance in the national company of "The Odd Couple" in 1965. Boyle also did some stage work but ultimately hit the jackpot with 1970's "Joe."

Boyle's portrayal of the "hateful, hardhat-donning bigot-turned-murderer" nearly had him typecast, but 1974's "Young Frankenstein" proved that he could do funny as well. "Everybody Loves Raymond" further demonstrated that Boyle could pull off any character.

For one who started his life as a monastery student, Boyle made quite the turnaround by achieving fame in Hollywood's world of glitz and glamor. No matter the role, however, his dedication was always guaranteed.

As the New York Times reported, Boyle suffered a stroke in 1990 and had a heart attack while taping an episode of the CBS comedy sitcom, but he quickly recovered and returned right back to work.

For his work on "Everybody Loves Raymond," Boyle earned seven Emmy nominations. He got three more nominations for his other works and won an Emmy for a dramatic guest role on Fox's "The X Files" in 1996.

Boyle was also a devoted family man, raising a family with his longtime wife, Loraine Alterman. Boyle met her while she was working for Rolling Stone Magazine. They tied the knot in 1977 and remained a couple till his death in 2006.

According to the Times, Boyle's publicist Jennifer Plante confirmed his December 12, 2006 death, explaining that he had suffered from multiple myeloma and heart disease. The actor breathed his last at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.