Photo of Peter Falk
Acting

Peter Falk

Profession
Acting
Born
September 16, 1927 · New York City, New York, USA
Died
June 23, 2011

Biography

Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American actor. 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. He received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013. 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. 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), alongside Frank Sinatra in Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), 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), Big Trouble (1986), Elaine May's Mikey and Nicky (1976) and the Columbo episode "Étude in Black" (1972). He cameoed as a theatergoer in Cassavetes' 1977 film Opening Night. Description above from the Wikipedia article Peter Falk, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known for

Shark Tale poster
Shark Tale
Film · 2004 · ★ 6.0
The Princess Bride poster
The Princess Bride
Film · 1987 · ★ 7.7
Next poster
Next
Film · 2007 · ★ 6.2
Wings of Desire poster
Wings of Desire
Film · 1987 · ★ 7.8
The Twilight Zone poster
The Twilight Zone
Series · 1959 · ★ 8.5
The Player poster
The Player
Film · 1992 · ★ 7.2
Murder by Death poster
Murder by Death
Film · 1976 · ★ 7.1
Columbo poster
Columbo
Series · 1971 · ★ 8.1
Undisputed poster
Undisputed
Film · 2002 · ★ 6.5
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World poster
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Film · 1963 · ★ 7.0
A Woman Under the Influence poster
A Woman Under the Influence
Film · 1974 · ★ 7.7
The Great Race poster
The Great Race
Film · 1965 · ★ 7.1

Filmography