With nine seasons under its belt, Everybody Loves Raymond is widely regarded as one of the best sitcoms of all time. But what made the show so incredible? According to series star Ray Romano, the secret ingredient to the show’s success was co-star Peter Boyle.

According to an article with the Associated Press, Boyle was hired for the series in spite of a rocky beginning. “He wasn’t supposed to read,” said Romano. “We were just supposed to have a meeting with him. But he offered to read. And in his defense, it was a rough day for him. We really couldn’t gauge whether he was getting the comedy of it. Despite this, Romano and series creator Phil Rosenthal knew of Boyle’s talent as an actor and decided to cast him in the series. “We still said, ‘It’s Peter Boyle, let’s just go with the best actor in the room,’” said Romano.

Luckily, this leap of faith was the right move. Boyle’s character, crochety Frank Barone, proved to be a fan favorite amongst audiences. “We rolled the dice, and it paid off because he was hysterical,” said Romano. “When you’re creating a sitcom, you’ve got to get lucky. And we got lucky that we found Peter.”

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Not only did Boyle serve as Romano’s co-star, but he was also a mentor for Romano, who argued that Boyle was deeply important to the series. “He’s one of the main reasons it worked for me, because he made me feel accepted and comfortable,” said Romano. “He was that kind of guy.”