Peter Boyle Proved He Was Perfect For Everybody Loves Raymond Without Ever Auditioning

Peter Boyle was perfect for his role in Everybody Loves Raymond, but it took a unique encounter for producers to see it.

Everybody Loves Raymond is undoubtedly one of the most iconic TV shows of the ’90s and 2000s, and that is partly because of Peter Boyle’s incredible performance. He may not have made as much money as Ray did from the show, but the actor, who played the unforgettable role of Frank Barone, was the best choice for the character—so much so that he didn’t even need to audition for it.

The story of how he got the role is hilarious and heartwarming. Now, 17 years after Peter Boyle’s passing, and 18 years after the show’s ending, let’s review what happened.

Peter Boyle Was Iconic In Everybody Loves Raymond

Among Peter Boyle’s many incredible roles, his time as Frank Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond is the one that stands out the most. He’s Ray and Robert’s dad, and to say he’s a complicated father would be an understatement.

He’s an old-fashioned guy who can be excessively tough on his kids, and who has no qualms criticizing people to the point of hurting their feelings or making them uncomfortable. However, he does have a soft side. As much as he tries to hide it, he cares deeply for his family.

Frank also had a hard relationship with his father and other men in his family, which is why, as difficult and ruthless as he can be, he would never hurt his children like his father hurt him, although it was the norm at the time.

Peter Boyle played this complex and important character perfectly for nine years, and became a legend. Everybody remembers his amazing performance, viewers and actors, and his loss in 2006 was a very tough blow for everyone who was lucky enough to meet and work with Peter.

Ray Romano, the actor who made bank portraying Raymond, as everyone surely knows, gave the perfect explanation of why he was the ideal actor for the show, and why Peter could perform this role like no one else possibly could.

“The fact that he could play a convincing curmudgeon on the show, but in reality be such a compassionate and thoughtful person, is a true testament to his talent. He could play this guy who seems scary but really underneath it has this heart you know? And get a laugh doing it. To get the audience to hate your character… but love you is unique.”

Peter Never Had An Actual Audition

Peter Boyle couldn’t have been any different from Frank Barone. The two men were nothing alike, and had the producers met Peter in any other context, it might have taken a little convincing for them to see that he was the right choice. As it was, everything happened the way it had to, even if the actor wasn’t that happy about it at first.

When he was supposed to go to the audition, Peter was with his family, so he wanted to get it done quickly, so he could go back to spending time with them. But it didn’t seem it would be possible that day. He spent way too long trying to find the place the audition was being held, which angered him.

“They wouldn’t let me in at the gate,” he said to Larry King. “I was out here… and my kids were visiting from back East because I live back in Manhattan and my girls go to school there… But we couldn’t get on the lot. Then we couldn’t get a parking space. Then when we finally got all of that worked out, we went to where the office is – and they said, no, the auditions are being held in another place. So when I walked in, Ray and Phil were there and I was enraged.”

To that, Ray Romano jokingly said “You were in character.” But it wasn’t entirely a joke. It was what he and Phil Rosenthal, writer and producer of the show, saw when he came in furiously yelling. In a way, that outburst was the only audition he ever did. The only audition necessary, really.

Peter Boyle Passed Away A Year After The Show Ended

Only a year after Everybody Loves Raymond ended, Peter Boyle sadly passed away. Although it was a surprise for the public, and a devastating loss for the fans of the show, it wasn’t for some of his co-stars.

When he found out he had cancer, he told a few members of the cast and crew. Actress Doris Roberts in particular knew about his diagnosis, and was a huge support for him through the difficult years since he learned he was sick until he passed.

“It’s like losing a spouse,” Doris said in 2006. “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.”

Doris later passed from her own health struggles in 2016.

Everybody Loves Raymond is, of course, a very high point in Peter Boyle’s career, the actor had a very successful career outside of it. His first big break was in 1970, with the release of the movie Joe, in which he starred. Around that time, he became very good friends with Jane Fonda, and the duo worked together in Steelyard Blues, a 1973 comedy.

He also appeared in Martin Scorsese’s iconic movie Taxi Driver, starred alongside Sean Connery in 1981 movie Outland, and played a private detective in Hardcore, among many other incredible projects.

The loss of this amazing actor was terribly sad, but his legacy will live on, and the lives he impacted will forever be changed by his talent.