"Holy Crap"

(AP)

Nobody uttered those immortal words better than Peter Boyle, who just died at the too-young age of 71. No one wore plaid shirts and cardigans with more style. No one controlled the remote with more finesse. And no one did a better job of stopping a conversation with a stare.

I was struck by an interview he once gave to Charlie Rose, in which the sarcastic loud-mouth was revealed to be a quiet, thoughtful soul with a deep appreciation for the contemplative life. When he was a young man, Boyle read Thomas Merton's "Seven Storey Mountain," and decided to enter religious life. He studied for a time with the Christian Brothers, before leaving to become an actor.

"Holy crap," indeed.

Requiescat In Pace.

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