By the time Everybody Loves Raymond premiered in 1996, Peter Boyle was in his 60s and had already proven himself an incredible actor many times over. He was the monster in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, and had roles in movies like Taxi Driver, Where the Buffalo Roam, The Candidate, and The Friends of Eddie Coyle. He was one of the great character actors of his time, bringing a professionalism to every role he portrayed throughout his entire career.

So, with such an impressive filmography, why would Boyle take a risk, joining a new, unproven CBS sitcom back in '96? It turns out that it all came down to the role. 

"I play a guy who sits at home watching the Knicks on TV, and then I come back home and watch the Knicks on TV," he told The Associated Press in 2001.

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While there was definitely some truth in Boyle's words, he went on to discuss how his character, Frank Barrone, fit into a career-long goal of exploring the humanity of every character. 

"I'm fascinated by the subtext of everybody's life," said Boyle. "If I played Hitler, I'd play him as a guy who cries when anybody's mean to a dog. Not a consistent guy, you know what I mean? The things that don't fit together in people are what make them interesting." 

Luckily for TV viewers, Everybody Loves Adolf wasn't casting that season, and Boyle took his talents to the beloved family sitcom we've all come to love instead. In it, he was able to embody all those beautiful human inconsistencies, bringing to life one of television's most human and resonant characters.