| As teeth-obsessed Judge Boyle on Ally McBeal, Uncle Mel on Every-body Loves Raymond or any of the recurring codgers he played on Wings, Dream On and The Larry Sanders Show, Phil Leeds was a self-described "definitive old man." The veteran character actor died August 16 in Los Angeles at 82. A frequent TV presence since the '60s, he appeared on such sitcoms as The Dick Van Dyke Show, Maude and Roseanne, and last May he did guest shots on four series, including the final episodes of Ellen and Murphy Brown. Leeds spent his youth selling peanuts at Yankee Stadium-a role he would play on Mad About You more than half a century later-before turning to acting. "My recognition factor is enormous," Leeds told TV Guide earlier this year. "People may not know my name, but they all stop me." -Frank DeCaro |