Peter Falk

This article is about the American actor. For other people, see Peter Falk (disambiguation).

Peter Falk
Falk as Lt. Columbo in 1973
Born
Peter Michael Falk

(1927-09-16)September 16, 1927
The Bronx, New York City, U.S.
DiedJune 23, 2011(2011-06-23) (aged 83)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Resting placeWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery
EducationHamilton College
New School (BA)
Syracuse University (MPA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • singer
  • author
Years active1956–2009
Known for
Spouses
  • Alyce Mayo
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1960; div. 1976)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1977)​
Children2
AwardsHollywood Walk of Fame
Signature

Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American film and television actor, singer and television director and producer. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo on the NBC/ABC series Columbo (1968–1978, 1989–2003), for which he won four Primetime Emmy Awards (1972, 1975, 1976, 1990) and a Golden Globe Award (1973). In 1996, TV Guide ranked Falk No. 21 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.[1] He received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013.[2][3]

He first starred as Columbo in two 2-hour "World Premiere" TV pilots; the first with Gene Barry in 1968 and the second with Lee Grant in 1971. The show then aired as part of The NBC Mystery Movie series from 1971 to 1978, and again on ABC from 1989 to 2003.[4]

Falk was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for Murder, Inc. (1960) and Pocketful of Miracles (1961), and won his first Emmy Award in 1962 for The Dick Powell Theatre. He was the first actor to be nominated for an Academy Award and an Emmy Award in the same year, achieving the feat twice (1961 and 1962). He went on to appear in such films as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), The Great Race (1965), Anzio (1968), Murder by Death (1976), The Cheap Detective (1978), The Brink's Job (1978), The In-Laws (1979), The Princess Bride (1987), Wings of Desire (1987), The Player (1992), and Next (2007), as well as many television guest roles.

Falk was also known for his collaborations with filmmaker, actor, and personal friend John Cassavetes, acting in films such as Husbands (1970), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Elaine May's Mikey and Nicky (1976) and the Columbo episode "Étude in Black" (1972).

  1. ^ TV Guide: Guide to TV. Barnes & Noble. 2004. p. 596. ISBN 978-0-7607-5634-8.
  2. ^ "Peter Falk posthumously honored with star on Hollywood Walk of Fame". ABC7. July 26, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  3. ^ "Peter Falk". Hollywood Star Walk. Los Angeles Times. July 25, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  4. ^ Fantle, David; Johnson, Tom (2004). Twenty-Five Years of Celebrity Interviews. Badger Books. pp. 216–17.