Baldness is a signifier of working-class virtues. 

As the elite explore advancements in hair technology, the proletariat wears its bare head with steadfast, heroic pride. Nobility shines off the cue ball scalp, radiating truth and down-to-earth values. This stands in reflective contrast to the deceptive aristocrat, who hides his age with follicular falsehoods. 

Peter Boyle embodies this authenticity, but it came at a price. When he once dreamed of matinee idol stardom, he was instead presented with a different set of roles. And it all comes down to his hair. 

Watch Everybody Loves Raymond on MeTV!

ONE FULL HOUR

Weeknights at 9 PM & Sundays at 10 PM

*available in most MeTV markets

In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Boyle spoke about how his tides turned when his mane stopped a-flowin'.

"When I was in high school I wanted to be a leading-man guy, like Howard Keel," Boyle explained. "But then God saw fit to take the hair off my head at age 24."

So what did Boyle do? Did he abandon the labor class with tupee'd duplicity? Nay, he soldiered on, a symbol of smooth-headed integrity.

With his marquee dreams receding quicker than his hairline, Boyle shifted his focus to "a variety of roles that were challenging and different." He landed on an ultimate goal, one that provided him with a North Star by which he'd steer his life and career. Boyle was determined, more than anything, "to not be a bus driver."

He achieved the greatest success of his career as the hairless hero Frank Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond. He was a quiet valor, and he played the part with gusto. 

Bold. Bald. Boyle.

Bravo.