View source for Peter Falk

{{Short description|American actor (1927–2011)}}
{{About|the American actor|other people}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Peter Falk
| image              = Columbo Peter Falk 1973.JPG
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = Falk as [[Columbo (character)|Lt. Columbo]] in 1973
| birth_name         = Peter Michael Falk
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1927|9|16}}
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2011|6|23|1927|9|16}}
| birth_place        = [[Manhattan]], New York City, U.S.
| death_place        = [[Beverly Hills]], California, U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park and Mortuary|Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]
| known_for          = {{hlist|[[Columbo]]|[[The In-Laws (1979 film)|The In-Laws]]|[[Murder, Inc. (1960 film)|Murder, Inc.]]|[[Pocketful of Miracles]]|[[The Price of Tomatoes]]}}
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actor|author}}
| awards             = [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
| education          = [[Hamilton College (New York)|Hamilton College]]<br />[[New School]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br />[[Syracuse University]] ([[Master of Public Administration|MPA]])
| years_active       = 1956–2009
| spouse             = {{ubl
  | {{marriage|Alyce Mayo|1960|1976|end=div}}
  | {{marriage|[[Shera Danese]]<br />|1977}}
  }}
| children           = 2
| signature          = Peter Falk signature.svg
}}

'''Peter Michael Falk''' (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as [[Columbo (character)|Lieutenant Columbo]] on the [[NBC]]/[[American Broadcasting Company|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.<ref>{{cite book |title=TV Guide: Guide to TV |year=2004 |publisher=[[Barnes & Noble]] |isbn=978-0-7607-5634-8 |page= [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780760756348/page/596 596] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780760756348/page/596}}</ref> He received a posthumous star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://abc7.com/archive/9185703/ |title=Peter Falk posthumously honored with star on Hollywood Walk of Fame|  website=[[KABC-TV|ABC7]] |date=July 26, 2013 |access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/peter-falk/ |title=Peter Falk |work=Hollywood Star Walk |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=July 25, 2013 |access-date=September 21, 2024}}</ref>

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 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from 1989 to 2003.<ref name = Fantle>{{cite book| last1= Fantle | first1= David | last2= Johnson | first2= Tom | title= Twenty-Five Years of Celebrity Interviews | publisher= Badger Books | year= 2004 | pages= 216–17 }}</ref>

Falk was twice nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]], for ''[[Murder, Inc. (1960 film)|Murder, Inc.]]'' (1960) and ''[[Pocketful of Miracles]]'' (1961), and won his first [[Emmy Award]] in 1962 for ''[[The Dick Powell Show|The Dick Powell Theatre]]''. He was the first actor to be nominated for an [[Academy Awards|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 (film)|Anzio]]'' (1968), ''[[Murder by Death]]'' (1976), ''[[The Cheap Detective]]'' (1978), ''[[The Brink's Job]]'' (1978), ''[[The In-Laws (1979 film)|The In-Laws]] ''(1979), ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' (1987), ''[[Wings of Desire]]'' (1987), ''[[The Player (1992 film)|The Player]]'' (1992), and ''[[Next (2007 film)|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 (film)|Husbands]]'' (1970), ''[[A Woman Under the Influence]]'' (1974), ''[[Big Trouble (1986 film)|Big Trouble]]'' (1986), [[Elaine May]]'s ''[[Mikey and Nicky]]'' (1976) and the ''Columbo'' episode "[[Columbo (season 2)|Étude in Black]]" (1972). He cameoed as a theatergoer in Cassavetes' 1977 film ''[[Opening Night (1977 film)|Opening Night]].

==Early life==
[[File:Peter Falk HS Yearbook.jpeg|thumb|Falk as a senior in high school, 1945]]
Born in [[Manhattan]], New York City, Falk was the son of Michael Peter Falk, owner of a clothing and [[dry goods]] store, and his wife, Madeline (née Hochhauser).<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nycplus.com/nyc18/just79morethings.html | title =Jerry Tallmer: Just 79 more things | publisher = NYC plus | date = September 16, 1927 | access-date =June 26, 2011}}</ref> Both his parents were Jewish.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-24/peter-falk-television-s-rumpled-detective-columbo-dies-at-83.html | title = Peter Falk, TV's Rumpled 'Columbo' for More Than Three Decades, Dies at 83 | date = June 24, 2011 | publisher = Bloomberg}}</ref>

Falk's right eye was surgically removed when he was three because of a [[retinoblastoma]].{{efn |This fact is alluded to in the 1997 ''Columbo'' episode "A Trace of Murder" (Series 13, episode 2), where Detective Columbo invites a colleague to help interview a suspect, stating, "three eyes are better than one".}} He wore an [[Ocular prosthetics|artificial eye]] for most of his life.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/2154:2733/1/Peter_Falk.htm| title =Peter Falk| publisher =[[Bio. (UK)]]|  website= thebiographychannel.co.uk | access-date =January 30, 2009| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090610231503/http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biography_story/2154:2733/1/Peter_Falk.htm| archive-date =June 10, 2009| df =mdy-all}}</ref> The artificial eye was the cause of his trademark [[squint]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.biography.com/people/peter-falk-9291304 |title= Peter Falk Biography |publisher= Biography |access-date= January 9, 2014 |archive-date= January 19, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190119101511/https://www.biography.com/people/peter-falk-9291304 |url-status= dead }}</ref> Despite this limitation, as a boy he participated in team sports, mainly baseball and basketball. In a 1997 interview in ''[[Cigar Aficionado]]'' magazine with [[Arthur Marx]], Falk said: 
{{blockquote|I remember once in high school the [[umpire]] called me out at third base when I was sure I was safe. I got so mad I took out my glass eye, handed it to him and said, 'Try this.' I got such a laugh you wouldn't believe."<ref name= 'Cigar'>{{cite news| first= Arthur |last= Marx|author-link=Arthur Marx| title= Talk with Falk|date=November–December 1997| url= http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,48,00.html| work=[[Cigar Aficionado]] |access-date= February 2, 2009 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100127184152/http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,48,00.html|archive-date=January 27, 2010| df=mdy-all}}</ref>}}

Falk's first stage appearance was at age 12 in ''[[The Pirates of Penzance]]'' at [[Camp High Point]]<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.camphighpoint.com/falk.html | title = Famous Alumni | publisher = Camp High Point | access-date =October 18, 2010}}</ref> in upstate New York, where one of his camp counselors was [[Ross Martin]].{{efn|They later acted together in ''[[The Great Race]]'' and the ''Columbo'' episode "Suitable For Framing".}} Falk attended [[Ossining High School]] in [[Westchester County, New York]], where he was a star athlete and president of his senior class.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 24, 2023 |title=Peter Falk – aka, Lieutenant Columbo |url=https://ossininghistoryontherun.com/2023/07/24/peter-falk-aka-lieutenant-columbo/ |access-date=March 4, 2024 |website=Ossining History on the Run |language=en}}</ref> He graduated in 1945.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 18, 2012 |title=Ossining High School Hall of Fame and Museum seeks oldest living OHS graduate. |url=https://patch.com/new-york/ossining/ev--ossining-high-school-hall-of-fame-and-museum-seekb0083cbd73 |access-date=March 4, 2024 |website=Ossining-Croton-On-Hudson, NY Patch |language=en}}</ref>

Falk briefly attended [[Hamilton College (New York)|Hamilton College]] in [[Clinton, Oneida County, New York|Clinton, New York]]. He then tried to join the armed services, as [[World War II]] was drawing to a close. Rejected because of his missing eye, he joined the [[United States Merchant Marine]] and served as a cook and mess boy. Falk said of the experience in 1997: "There they don't care if you're blind or not. The only one on a ship who has to see is the captain. And in the case of the ''[[RMS Titanic|Titanic]]'', he couldn't see very well, either."<ref name= 'Cigar' /> Falk recalled in his autobiography: 
{{blockquote|A year on the water was enough for me, so I returned to college. I didn't stay long. Too itchy. What to do next? I signed up to go to Israel to fight in the war on its attack on Egypt. I wasn't passionate about Israel, I wasn't passionate about Egypt—I just wanted more excitement&nbsp;... I got assigned a ship and departure date but the war was over before the ship ever sailed.{{Sfn | Falk | 2006 |p = 20}}}}

After a year and a half in the Merchant Marine, Falk returned to Hamilton College and also attended the [[University of Wisconsin]]. He transferred to [[The New School for Social Research]] in New York City, which awarded him a bachelor's degree in literature and political science in 1951.

Falk traveled in Europe and worked on a railroad in [[Yugoslavia]] for six months.{{Sfn | Falk | 2006 |p = 26}} He returned to New York, enrolling at [[Syracuse University]],<ref name='Cigar' /> but he recalled in his 2006 memoir, ''Just One More Thing'', that he was unsure what he wanted to do with his life for years after leaving high school.{{Sfn | Falk | 2006 | p = 17}} Falk obtained a [[Master of Public Administration]] degree at the [[Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs|Maxwell School]] of Syracuse University in 1953. The program was designed to train civil servants for the federal government, a career that Falk said in his memoir he had "no interest in and no aptitude for."{{Sfn | Falk | 2006 | p = 29}}

==Career==
===Early career===
He applied for a job with the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]], but he was rejected because of his membership in the [[Marine Cooks and Stewards Union]] while serving in the Merchant Marine, even though he was required to join and was not active in the union (which had been under fire for communist leanings).{{Sfn | Falk | 2006 | p = 32}} He then became a management analyst with the Connecticut State Budget Bureau in [[Hartford, Connecticut|Hartford]].<ref name= 'OfficialBio'>{{cite web | url= http://peterfalk.com/BIO.htm | title= Peter Falk Biography | access-date= January 30, 2009 | publisher= Peter Falk |  website= peterfalk.com | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090130141829/http://peterfalk.com/BIO.htm | archive-date= January 30, 2009 | df= mdy-all }}</ref> In 1997, Falk characterized his Hartford job as "efficiency expert": "I was such an efficiency expert that the first morning on the job, I couldn't find the building where I was to report for work. Naturally, I was late, which I always was in those days, but ironically it was my tendency never to be on time that got me started as a professional actor."<ref name= 'Cigar' />

===Stage career===
[[File:Peter Falk NBC 1967 You Don't Say!.jpg|thumb|upright|On the television game show ''[[You Don't Say!]]'' in 1967]]
While working in Hartford, Falk joined a community theater group called the Mark Twain Masquers, where he performed in plays that included ''[[The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (play)|The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial]]'', ''[[The Crucible]]'', and ''[[The Country Girl (1954 film)|The Country Girl]]'' by [[Clifford Odets]]. Falk also studied with [[Eva Le Gallienne]], who was giving an acting class at the [[White Barn Theatre]] in [[Westport, Connecticut|Westport]], Connecticut. Falk later recalled how he "lied his way" into the class, which was for professional actors. He drove down to Westport from Hartford every Wednesday, when the classes were held, and was usually late.<ref name='Cigar'/> In his 1997 interview with [[Arthur Marx]] in ''Cigar Aficionado'' Magazine, Falk said of Le Gallienne: "One evening when I arrived late, she looked at me and asked, 'Young man, why are you always late?' and I said, 'I have to drive down from Hartford.'" She looked down her nose and said, "What do you do in Hartford? There's no theater there. How do you make a living acting?" Falk confessed he was not a professional actor. According to him Le Gallienne looked at him sternly and said: "Well, you should be." He drove back to Hartford and quit his job.<ref name='Cigar'/> Falk stayed with the Le Gallienne group for a few months more, and obtained a letter of recommendation from Le Galliene to an agent at the [[William Morris Agency]] in New York.<ref name='Cigar'/> In 1956, he left his job with the Budget Bureau and moved to [[Greenwich Village]] to pursue an acting career.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peterfalk.com/BIO2.htm |title=Peter Falk Biography |website=Official website of Peter Falk |access-date=January 7, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205143942/http://peterfalk.com/BIO2.htm}}</ref>

Falk's first New York stage role was in an [[off-Broadway]] production of [[Molière]]'s ''[[Don Juan]]'' at the Fourth Street Theatre that closed after its only performance on January 3, 1956. Falk played the second lead, Sganarelle.{{sfn|Falk|2006|p=42}} His next theater role proved far better for his career. In May, he appeared as Rocky Pioggi at [[Circle in the Square]] in a revival of ''[[The Iceman Cometh]]'' directed by [[Jose Quintero]], with [[Jason Robards]] playing the lead role of Theodore "Hickey" Hickman.<ref name='OfficialBio'/><ref>{{cite web |title=Peter Falk |publisher=[[Lortel Archives]], [[Lucille Lortel]] Foundation |work=Internet Off Broadway Database |url=http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&first=Peter&last=Falk&middle= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720122750/http://www.lortel.org/LLA_archive/index.cfm?search_by=people&first=Peter&last=Falk&middle= |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 20, 2009 |access-date=January 31, 2009}}</ref>

Later in 1956, Falk made his Broadway debut, appearing in [[Alexander Ostrovsky]]'s ''[[Enough Stupidity in Every Wise Man|Diary of a Scoundrel]]''. As the year came to an end, he appeared again on Broadway as an English soldier in [[George Bernard Shaw|Shaw]]'s ''[[Saint Joan (play)|Saint Joan]]'' with [[Siobhán McKenna]].<ref name='IBDB'>{{IBDB name|40121}}</ref> Falk continued to act in summer stock theater productions, including a staging of [[Arnold Schulman]]'s ''[[A Hole in the Head]]'', at the [[Starlite Music Theatre|Colonie Summer Theatre]] (near Albany, NY) in July 1962; it starred [[Priscilla Morrill]].

In 1972, Falk appeared in Broadway's ''[[The Prisoner of Second Avenue]]''. According to film historian [[Ephraim Katz]]: "His characters derive added authenticity from his squinty gaze, the result of the loss of an eye..."<ref>Katz, Ephraim. ''The Film Encyclopedia'', HarperCollins (1998) p. 436</ref> However, this production caused Falk a great deal of stress, both on and offstage. He struggled with memorizing a short speech, spending hours trying to memorize three lines. The next day at rehearsal, he reported behaving strangely and feeling a tingling sensation in his neck. This caught the attention of a stage manager, who told him to go "take a [[Valium]]". Only later did Falk realize he was having an [[anxiety attack]]. He would not go on to perform in any other plays, citing both this incident and his preference for acting in film and [[television productions]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kramer |first1=Carol |title=The 'Conceit' of Playing Lt. Columbo |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/376949052/ |access-date=January 13, 2024 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=February 6, 1972}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Peter Falk admitted that one form of acting gave him an ''anxiety attack'' |url=https://www.metv.com/stories/peter-falk-admitted-that-one-form-of-acting-gave-him-an-anxiety-attack|access-date=January 13, 2024 |website=Me-TV Network |language=en}}</ref>

===Early films===
[[File:Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Trailer21 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Peter Falk in ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'' (1963)]]
[[File:Peter Falk and Natalie Wood in 'Penelope', 1966.jpg|thumb|upright|With [[Natalie Wood]] in [[Penelope (1966 film)|''Penelope'']] (1966)]]

Despite his stage success, a theatrical agent advised Falk not to expect much [[film actor|film acting]] work because of his artificial eye.<ref name='OfficialBio'/> He failed a screen test at [[Columbia Pictures]] and was told by studio boss [[Harry Cohn]]: "For the same price I can get an actor with two eyes." He also failed to get a role in the film ''[[Marjorie Morningstar (film)|Marjorie Morningstar]]'', despite a promising interview for the second lead.{{sfn|Falk|2006|pp=51–55}} His first film performances were in small roles in ''[[Wind Across the Everglades]]'' (1958), ''[[The Bloody Brood]]'' (1959), and ''[[Pretty Boy Floyd (film)|Pretty Boy Floyd]]'' (1960). Falk's performance in ''[[Murder, Inc. (1960 film)|Murder, Inc.]]'' (1960) was a turning point in his career. He was cast in the supporting role of killer [[Abe Reles]] in a film based on the real-life [[Murder, Inc.|murder gang of that name]] who terrorized New York in the 1930s. ''[[The New York Times]]'' film critic [[Bosley Crowther]], while dismissing the movie as "an average gangster film," singled out Falk's "amusingly vicious performance."<ref name='Crowthermurderinc'/> Crowther wrote:<ref name='Crowthermurderinc'>{{cite news|first=Bosley|last=Crowther |author-link= Bosley Crowther|title=Screen: 'Murder, Inc.': Story of Brooklyn Mob Retold at the Victoria|date=June 29, 1960|url =https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9405E2DF1031EF3ABC4151DFB066838B679EDE|work=The New York Times |access-date =January 31, 2009 }}</ref>

{{Blockquote|Mr. Falk, moving as if weary, looking at people out of the corners of his eyes and talking as if he had borrowed Marlon Brando's chewing gum, seems a travesty of a killer, until the water suddenly freezes in his eyes and he whips an icepick from his pocket and starts punching holes in someone's ribs. Then viciousness pours out of him and you get a sense of a felon who is hopelessly cracked and corrupt.}}

The film turned out to be Falk's breakout role. In his autobiography, ''Just One More Thing'' (2006), Falk said his selection for the film from thousands of other [[Off-Broadway]] actors was a "miracle" that "made my career" and that without it, he would not have received the other significant movie roles that he later played.{{sfn|Falk|2006|p=76}} Falk, who played Reles again in the 1960 TV series ''The Witness'', was nominated for a [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for his performance in the film.

In 1961, multiple Academy Award-winning director [[Frank Capra]] cast Falk in the comedy ''[[Pocketful of Miracles]]''. The film was Capra's last feature, and although it was not the commercial success he hoped it would be, he "gushed about Falk's performance."<ref name=Fantle/> Falk was nominated for an Oscar for the role. In his autobiography, Capra wrote about Falk:
{{blockquote|The entire production was agony&nbsp;... except for Peter Falk. He was my joy, my anchor to reality. Introducing that remarkable talent to the techniques of comedy made me forget pains, tired blood, and maniacal hankerings to murder [[Glenn Ford]] (the film's star). Thank you Peter Falk.<ref>Capra, Frank. ''The Name Above the Title: an Autobiography'', Macmillan (1971)</ref>{{rp|480}}}}

For his part, Falk says he "never worked with a director who showed greater enjoyment of actors and the acting craft. There is nothing more important to an actor than to know that the one person who represents the audience to you, the director, is responding well to what you are trying to do." Falk once recalled how Capra reshot a scene even though he yelled "Cut and Print," indicating the scene was finalized. When Falk asked him why he wanted it reshot: "He laughed and said that he loved the scene so much he just wanted to see us do it again. How's that for support!"<ref name=Fantle/>

For the remainder of the 1960s, Falk had mainly supporting movie roles and TV guest-starring appearances. Falk portrayed one of two cabbies who falls victim to greed in the epic 1963 star-studded comedy ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'', although he appears only in the last fifth of the movie. His other roles included the character of Guy Gisborne in the [[Rat Pack]] musical comedy ''[[Robin and the 7 Hoods]]'' (1964), in which he sings one of the film's numbers, and the spoof ''The Great Race'' (1965) with [[Jack Lemmon]] and [[Tony Curtis]].

===Early television roles===
[[File:Peter Falk in Decoy episode The Comeback (2).jpg|thumb|In ''[[Decoy (TV series)|Decoy]]'' (1959)]]
[[File:Trials of OBrien.JPG|thumb|Peter Falk and [[Joanna Barnes]] from the television program ''[[The Trials of O'Brien]]'' in 1966]]

Falk first appeared on television in 1957, in the dramatic anthology programs that later became known as the "[[Golden Age of Television]]". In 1957, he appeared in one episode of ''[[Robert Montgomery Presents]].'' He was also cast in ''[[Studio One (anthology series)|Studio One]],'' ''[[Kraft Television Theater]],'' ''[[New York Confidential (TV series)|New York Confidential]],'' ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]],'' ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'', ''[[Have Gun–Will Travel]],'' ''[[The Islanders (TV series)|The Islanders]],'' and ''[[Decoy (TV series)|Decoy]]'' with [[Beverly Garland]] cast as the first female police officer in a series lead. Falk often portrayed unsavory characters on television during the early 1960s. In ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' episode "The Mirror," Falk starred as a paranoid [[Fidel Castro|Castro]]-type revolutionary who, intoxicated with power, begins seeing would-be assassins in a mirror. He also starred in two of [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s television series, as a gangster terrified of death in a 1961 episode of ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]'' and as a homicidal evangelist in 1962's ''[[The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]''.<ref name="decades1">{{cite web|url=https://www.decades.com/specials/the-decades-cop-show-binge-all-this-month/16-fascinating-facts-about-peter-falk-and-columbo |title=16 fascinating facts about Peter Falk and 'Columbo' |publisher=Decades.com |date=June 23, 2011 |accessdate=February 27, 2022}}</ref>

In 1961, Falk was nominated for an [[Emmy Award]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/celebrities/peter-falk|title=Peter Falk|work=Television Academy}}</ref> for his performance in the episode "Cold Turkey" of [[James Whitmore]]'s short-lived series ''[[The Law and Mr. Jones]]'' on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]. On September 29, 1961, Falk and [[Walter Matthau]] guest-starred in the premiere episode, "The Million Dollar Dump", of ABC's crime drama ''[[Target: The Corruptors]]'', with [[Stephen McNally]] and [[Robert Harland]]. He won an Emmy for "[[The Price of Tomatoes]]," a drama carried in 1962 on ''[[The Dick Powell Show]]''.

In 1961, Falk earned the distinction of becoming the first actor to be nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy in the same year. He received nominations for his supporting roles in ''Murder, Inc.'' and the television program ''The Law and Mr. Jones''. Incredibly, Falk repeated this double nomination in 1962, being nominated again for a supporting actor role in ''Pocketful of Miracles'' and best actor in "The Price of Tomatoes," an episode of ''The Dick Powell Show'', for which he took home the award.<ref name="decades1"/>

In 1963, Falk and [[Tommy Sands]] appeared in "The Gus Morgan Story" on ABC's ''[[Wagon Train]]'' as brothers who disagreed on the route for a railroad. Falk played the title role of "Gus", and Sands was his younger brother, Ethan Morgan. After Ethan accidentally shoots wagonmaster Chris Hale, played by [[John McIntire]], while in the mountains, Gus has to decide whether to rescue Hale or his brother (suffering from oxygen deprivation). This episode is remembered for its examination of how far a man will persist amid adversity to preserve his own life and that of his brother.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/wagon-train-the-gus-morgan-story-1798221652|title=The Gus Morgan Story|date=August 12, 2010 |publisher=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=May 23, 2012}}</ref>

Having had many roles in film and television during the early 1960s, Falk's first lead in a television series came with CBS's ''[[The Trials of O'Brien]]''. The show ran from 1965 to 1966, its 22 episodes featuring Falk as a Shakespeare-quoting lawyer who defends clients while solving mysteries.<ref name="decades1"/> In 1966, he also co-starred in a television production of ''[[Brigadoon (1966 film)|Brigadoon]]'' with [[Robert Goulet]].

In 1971, [[Pierre Cossette (producer)|Pierre Cossette]] produced the first [[Grammy Awards]] show on television with some help from Falk. Cossette writes in his autobiography, "What meant the most to me, though, is the fact that Peter Falk saved my ass. I love show business, and I love Peter Falk."<ref>Cossette, Pierre. ''Another Day in Showbiz'', ECW Press (2002) p. 182</ref>

===''Columbo''===
[[File:Peter Falk - 1973.JPG|thumb|upright|As Lt. Columbo, 1973]]
{{main |Columbo}}
Although Falk appeared in numerous other television roles in the 1960s and 1970s, he is best known as the star of the TV series ''[[Columbo]]'', "everyone's favorite rumpled television detective."<ref name="Fantle" /> His character, known for his [[catchphrase]]: "Just one more thing,"<ref name=Falk.JTA2011>{{cite news |publisher= [[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]] |title=Actor Peter Falk, TV's Columbo, Dies |date=June 26, 2011}}</ref> is a shabby and deceptively absent-minded police detective driving a [[Peugeot 403]], who had first appeared in the 1968 film ''Prescription: Murder.'' ''Columbo'' was created by [[William Link]] and [[Richard Levinson]].<ref name="decades1"/> The show was of a type known as an [[inverted detective story]]; it typically reveals the murderer at the beginning, then shows how the Los Angeles homicide detective goes about solving the crime. Falk would describe his role to film historian and author David Fantle:
{{blockquote|Columbo has a genuine mistiness about him. It seems to hang in the air{{nbs}}... [and] he's capable of being distracted{{nbs}}... Columbo is an ass-backwards [[Sherlock Holmes]]. Holmes had a long neck, Columbo has no neck; Holmes smoked a pipe, Columbo chews up six cigars a day.<ref name=Fantle />}}

Television critic Ben Falk (no relation) added that Falk "created an iconic cop{{nbs}}... who always got his man (or woman) after a tortuous cat-and-mouse investigation." He also noted the idea for the character was "apparently inspired by Dostoyevsky's dogged police inspector, Porfiry Petrovich, in the novel ''[[Crime and Punishment]].''"<ref>Falk, Ben. ''Television's Strangest Moments,'' Chrysalis Books (2005) p. 103</ref>

Peter Falk tries to analyze the character and notes the correlation between his own personality and Columbo's:
{{blockquote|I'm a [[Virgo (astrology)|Virgo]] Jew, and that means I have an obsessive thoroughness. It's not enough to get most of the details; it's necessary to get them all. I've been accused of perfectionism. When [[Lew Wasserman]] (head of Universal Studios) said that Falk is a perfectionist, I don't know whether it was out of affection or because he felt I was a monumental pain in the ass.<ref name = Fantle />}}

With "general amazement", Falk notes: "The show is all over the world. I've been to little villages in Africa with maybe one TV set, and little kids will run up to me shouting, 'Columbo, Columbo!'"<ref name = Fantle /> Singer [[Johnny Cash]] recalled acting in one episode ("Swan Song"), and although he was not an experienced actor, he writes in his autobiography, "Peter Falk was good to me. I wasn't at all confident about handling a dramatic role, and every day he helped me in all kinds of little ways."<ref>{{cite book| last= Cash| first= Johnny| title= Cash: the Autobiography| publisher= Harper Collins |year= 1997| page= 197| isbn= 9780062515001}}</ref>

The first episode of ''Columbo'' as a series was directed in 1971 by a 24-year-old [[Steven Spielberg]] in one of his earliest directing jobs. Falk recalled the episode to Spielberg biographer [[Joseph McBride (writer)|Joseph McBride]]:
{{blockquote|Let's face it, we had some good fortune at the beginning. Our debut episode, in 1971, was directed by this young kid named Steven Spielberg. I told the producers, Link and Levinson: "This guy is too good for ''Columbo''"{{nbs}}... Steven was shooting me with a long lens from across the street. That wasn't common twenty years ago. The comfort level it gave me as an actor, besides it's a great look artistically—well, it told you that this wasn't any ordinary director.<ref>McBride, Joseph. ''Steven Spielberg: A Biography'', Simon and Schuster (1997) p. 191</ref>}}
[[File:Martin Landau Peter Falk Colombo 1973.JPG|thumb|As Lt. Columbo with [[Martin Landau]] in episode "Double Shock" where Landau played a dual role as twin brothers, 1973]]

[[File:Peter Falk Richard Kiley Colombo 1974.JPG|thumb|As Lt. Columbo with [[Richard Kiley]] in episode "A Friend In Deed" aired on May 5, 1974]]

The character of Columbo had previously been played by [[Bert Freed]] in a 1960 television episode of ''The Chevy Mystery Show'' ("Enough Rope"), and by [[Thomas Mitchell (actor)|Thomas Mitchell]] on [[Broadway theater|Broadway]]. Falk first played Columbo in ''Prescription: Murder'', a 1968 TV movie, and the 1970 pilot for the series, ''Ransom for a Dead Man''. From 1971 to 1978, ''Columbo'' aired regularly on NBC as part of the [[wheel series|umbrella series]] ''[[NBC Mystery Movie]]''. All episodes were of TV movie length, in a 90- or 120-minute slot including commercials. In 1989, the show returned on ABC in the form of a less frequent series of TV movies, still starring Falk, airing until 2003. Falk won four Emmys for his role as Columbo.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/entertainment/2011-06/25/c_13948960.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110807072009/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/entertainment/2011-06/25/c_13948960.htm | url-status = dead | archive-date = August 7, 2011 | title = Actor Peter Falk dies at 83 | publisher = Xinhua | date = June 25, 2011 | access-date = June 25, 2011 }}</ref>

''Columbo'' was so popular, co-creator [[William Link]] wrote a series of short stories published as ''The Columbo Collection'' (Crippen & Landru, 2010) which includes a drawing by Falk of himself as Columbo, while the cover features a caricature of Falk/Columbo by [[Al Hirschfeld]].<ref>{{cite book |url= http://www.crippenlandru.com/shop/oscommerce-2.3.4/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=88 | title = The Columbo Collection by William Link | date = May 2010 |publisher =Crippen & Landru Publishers |isbn=978-1-932009-94-1 |archive-date=March 19, 2017 | last1 = Link | first1 = William | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319113417/http://www.crippenlandru.com/shop/oscommerce-2.3.4/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=88 }}</ref>

[[Columbo (character)|Lieutenant Columbo]] owns a [[Basset Hound]] named Dog. Originally, it was not going to appear in the show because Peter Falk believed that it "already had enough gimmicks" but once the two met, Falk stated that Dog "was exactly the type of dog that Columbo would own", so he was added to the show and made his first appearance in 1972's "Étude In Black".<ref>{{cite web|title=A Lieutenant's best friend: Columbo and Dog|date=July 24, 2016 |website=The Columbophile|url=https://columbophile.com/2016/07/24/mans-best-friend-columbo-and-dog/|access-date=August 16, 2019}}</ref>

Columbo's wardrobe was provided by Peter Falk; they were his own clothes, including the high-topped shoes and the shabby raincoat, which made its first appearance in ''Prescription: Murder''. Falk would often [[ad libitum|ad lib]] his character's idiosyncrasies (fumbling through his pockets for a piece of evidence and discovering a grocery list, asking to borrow a pencil, becoming distracted by something irrelevant in the room at a dramatic point in a conversation with a suspect, etc.), inserting these into his performance as a way to keep his fellow actors off-balance. He felt it helped to make their confused and impatient reactions to Columbo's antics more genuine.<ref>{{cite book |last= Falk | first= Peter | date= August 24, 2007 | title= Just One More Thing |publisher= Da Capo Press | isbn= 978-0-7867-1939-6}}</ref> According to Levinson, the catchphrase "one more thing" was conceived when he and Link were writing the play: "we had a scene that was too short, and we'd already had Columbo make his exit. We were too lazy to retype the scene, so we had him come back and say, 'Oh, just one more thing...' It was never planned."<ref>{{cite book |last=Dawidziak | first=Mark | author-link=Mark Dawidziak | title=The Columbo Phile: A Casebook |date=November 1, 2019 | publisher=Commonwealth Book Company |location=Ohio | isbn=978-1948986120|page=29| edition=30th Anniversary }}</ref>

''Columbo'' featured an unofficial signature tune, the children's song "[[This Old Man]]". It was introduced in the episode "Any Old Port in a Storm" in 1973 and the detective can be heard humming or whistling it often in subsequent films. Peter Falk admitted that it was a melody he enjoyed, and one day it became a part of his character.<ref>{{cite web|title=Columbo Sounds & Themes|url = http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/theme.htm |access-date = February 13, 2012}}</ref> The tune was also used in various score arrangements throughout the three decades of the series, including opening and closing credits. A version of it, titled "Columbo", was created by one of the show's composers, [[Patrick Williams (composer)|Patrick Williams]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Columbo | work= ClassicThemes.com |url=http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/columbo.html |access-date=June 27, 2011}}</ref>

A few years prior to his death, Falk had expressed interest in returning to the role. In 2007, he said he had chosen a script for one last Columbo episode, "Columbo: Hear No Evil". The script was renamed "Columbo's Last Case". ABC declined the project. In response, producers for the series attempted to shop the project to foreign production companies.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2007/03/27/2007-03-27_with_aging_falk_columbo_looks_like_close.html|title=With aging Falk, 'Columbo' looks like a closed case|work=Daily News|location=New York|date=March 27, 2007 |access-date=June 27, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/mark_dawidziak/index.ssf?/base/entertainment/1178008739327380.xml&coll=2|title=A mystery Columbo can't seem to crack |publisher= | website= Cleveland.com|access-date=June 27, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110607095946/http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/plaindealer/mark_dawidziak/index.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fentertainment%2F1178008739327380.xml&coll=2|archive-date=June 7, 2011}}</ref> However, Falk was diagnosed with [[dementia]] in late 2007. Falk died on June 23, 2011, aged 83.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/peter-falk-star-of-columbo-dies-at-83/2011/06/24/AG58mJjH_story.html | title= Peter Falk of 'Columbo' dies at 83| newspaper= Washington Post| first= Becky| last= Krystal| date= June 24, 2011| access-date= March 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url= https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/columbo-star-peter-falk-dies-83/story?id=13922090 |title= Peter Falk, 'Columbo' Actor, Dies at 83| first= Sheila| last= Marikar| publisher= ABC News| date= June 24, 2011| access-date= April 26, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url= https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/59425%7C123907/Peter-Falk/ |title= Peter Falk| website= Turner Classic Movies| access-date= March 6, 2016}}</ref>

Peter Falk won four [[Emmy Awards]] for his portrayal of Lieutenant Columbo in 1972, 1975, 1976 and 1990. Falk directed just one episode: "Blueprint for Murder" in 1971, although it is rumored that he and [[John Cassavetes]] were largely responsible for direction duties on "Étude in Black" in 1972. Falk's own favorite ''Columbo'' episodes were "Any Old Port in a Storm", "Forgotten Lady", "Now You See Him" and "Identity Crisis". Falk was rumored to be earning a record $300,000 per episode when he returned for [[Columbo (season 6)|season 6]] of ''Columbo'' in 1976.<ref>{{cite book|title=Guinness Book of Records 1982|last1=McWhiter|first1=Norris|author-link=Norris McWhirter|publisher=Guinness Superlatives Ltd|year=1981|isbn=0-85112-232-9|page=113}}</ref> This doubled to $600,000 per episode when the series made its comeback in 1989. In 1997, "Murder by the Book" was ranked at No. 16 in ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s '100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list. Two years later, the magazine ranked Lieutenant Columbo No. 7 on its '50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time' list.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://columbophile.com/columbo-facts-and-beginners-guide/ |title=Columbo facts |publisher= |work= Columbophile.com |date= April 11, 2017|access-date=February 27, 2022}}</ref>

===Later career===
[[File:John Cassavets e Peter Falk, 1971.tif|thumb|upright|[[John Cassavetes]] and Peter Falk in 1971]]

Falk was a close friend of independent film director [[John Cassavetes]] and appeared in his films ''[[Husbands (film)|Husbands]]'', ''[[A Woman Under the Influence]]'', and, in a [[cameo appearance|cameo]], at the end of ''[[Opening Night (1977 film)|Opening Night]]''. Cassavetes guest-starred in the ''Columbo'' episode "Étude in Black" in 1972; Falk, in turn, co-starred with Cassavetes in Elaine May's film ''[[Mikey and Nicky]]'' (1976). Falk describes his experiences working with Cassavetes, specifically remembering his directing strategies: "Shooting an actor when he might be unaware the camera was running." {{blockquote|You never knew when the camera might be going. And it was never: 'Stop. Cut. Start again.' John would walk in the middle of a scene and talk, and though you didn't realize it, the camera kept going. So I never knew what the hell he was doing. [Laughs] But he ultimately made me, and I think every actor, less self-conscious, less aware of the camera than anybody I've ever worked with.<ref>Carney, Raymond. ''The Films of John Cassavetes,'' Cambridge Univ. Press (1994) p. 296</ref>}}

In 1978, Falk appeared on the comedy TV show ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'', portraying his Columbo character, with [[Frank Sinatra]] the evening's victim.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_UN2S8SasY "Lt. Columbo Roasts Frank Sinatra (1978)"], video clip</ref> Director [[William Friedkin]] said of Falk's role in his film ''[[The Brink's Job]]'' (1978): "Peter has a great range from comedy to drama. He could break your heart or he could make you laugh."<ref name = Emery>{{cite book| last =Emery | first = Robert J |title= The Directors: Take Two| url =https://archive.org/details/directorstaketwo0000emer | url-access =registration | publisher = Allworth Press| year= 2002| page = [https://archive.org/details/directorstaketwo0000emer/page/263 263]| isbn = 9781581152197 }}</ref>

Falk continued to work in films, including his performance as an ex-[[CIA]] officer of questionable sanity in the comedy ''[[The In-Laws (1979 film)|The In-Laws]]''. Director [[Arthur Hiller]] said during an interview that the "film started out because [[Alan Arkin]] and Peter Falk wanted to work together. They went to Warner Brothers and said, 'We'd like to do a picture,' and Warner said fine&nbsp;... and out came ''The In-laws''&nbsp;... of all the films I've done, ''The In-laws'' is the one I get the most comments on."<ref name=Emery/>{{rp|290}} Movie critic [[Roger Ebert]] compared the film with a later remake:
{{blockquote|Peter Falk and Alan Arkin in the earlier film, versus Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks this time&nbsp;... yet the chemistry is better in the earlier film. Falk goes into his deadpan lecturer mode, slowly and patiently explaining things that sound like utter nonsense. Arkin develops good reasons for suspecting he is in the hands of a madman.<ref>Ebert, Roger. ''Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2006,'' Andrews McMeel Publ. (2006) p. 325</ref>}}

Falk appeared in ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]'', ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'', ''[[Murder by Death]]'', ''[[The Cheap Detective]]'', ''[[Vibes (film)|Vibes]]'', ''[[Made (2001 film)|Made]]'', and in [[Wim Wenders]]' 1987 German language film ''[[Wings of Desire]]'' and its 1993 sequel, ''[[Faraway, So Close!]].'' In ''Wings of Desire'', Falk played a semi-fictionalized version of himself, a famous American actor who had once been an angel, but who had grown disillusioned with only observing life on Earth and had in turn given up his immortality. Falk described the role as "the craziest thing that I've ever been offered", but he earned critical acclaim for his supporting performance in the film.<ref name="KennyWenders">{{cite AV media |last1=Kenny |first1=J.M. |last2=Wenders |first2=Wim |date=2009 |title=The Angels Among Us |medium=Blu-ray |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]}}</ref>

In 1998, Falk returned to the New York stage to star in an [[Off-Broadway]] production of [[Arthur Miller]]'s ''[[Mr. Peters' Connections]]''. His previous stage work included shady real estate salesman Shelley "the Machine" Levine in the 1986 Boston/Los Angeles production of [[David Mamet]]'s prizewinning ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/03/02/peter-falk-tvs-rumpled-columbo-goes-legit-in-mamets-glengarry/ |title = Peter Falk: TV's Rumpled Columbo Goes Legit In Mamet's "Glengarry" | last = Coakley | first = Michael |date = March 2, 1986 |website = Chicago Tribune |access-date = January 7, 2014}}</ref>
Falk starred in a trilogy of holiday television movies&nbsp;– ''[[A Town Without Christmas]]'' (2001), ''[[Finding John Christmas]]'' (2003), and ''[[When Angels Come to Town]]'' (2004)&nbsp;– in which he portrayed Max, a quirky [[guardian angel]] who uses disguises and subterfuge to steer his charges onto the right path. In 2005, he starred in ''[[The Thing About My Folks]]''. Although movie critic [[Roger Ebert]] was not impressed with most of the other actors, he wrote in his review: "... We discover once again what a warm and engaging actor Peter Falk is. I can't recommend the movie, but I can be grateful that I saw it, for Falk."<ref>Ebert, Roger. ''Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2009'', Andrews McMeel Publ. (2009) p. 676</ref> In 2007, Falk appeared with [[Nicolas Cage]] in the thriller ''[[Next (2007 film)|Next]]''.

Falk's autobiography, ''Just One More Thing'', was published in 2006.<ref name="decades1"/>

==Personal life==
[[File:Peter Falk 2007.jpg|thumb|Peter Falk in 2007]]

Falk married Alyce Mayo, whom he met when the two were students at [[Syracuse University]],{{sfn|Falk|2006|p=30}} on April 17, 1960. The couple adopted two daughters, Catherine (who became a [[private investigator]]) and Jackie. Falk and his wife divorced in 1976. On December 7, 1977, he married actress [[Shera Danese]],<ref name= LAT-05-28-09>{{cite news|last=Kim|first= Victoria| title= Relatives Fight For Control of 'Columbo' Star Peter Falk|url= https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-falk28-2009may28,0,3158489.story| date= May 28, 2009|work=Los Angeles Times| access-date = May 28, 2009}}</ref> who guest-starred in more episodes of the ''Columbo'' series than any other actress.

Falk was an accomplished artist, and in October 2006 he had an exhibition of his drawings at the [[Butler Institute of American Art]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Pinchot |first=Joe |date=October 2006 |title=It's all about the pose: actor Peter Falk keeps his drawings simple |work=The Sharon Herald | url=http://sharonherald.com/community/x1208329365/It-s-all-about-the-pose-actor-Peter-Falk-keeps-his-drawings-simple?start:int=15 |access-date=June 26, 2011}}</ref> He took classes at the [[Art Students League of New York]] for many years.<ref>{{cite web |first=Steven |last=Litt |work=The Plain Dealer |url=http://www.cleveland.com/arts/index.ssf/2011/06/my_interview_with_peter_falk.html |title= My Interview with Peter Falk |orig-year=October 10, 2006 |date=June 24, 2011 |publisher=Cleveland |access-date=June 26, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theartstudentsleague.org/About/History/FormerStudents.aspx |title=Former Prominent Students, The Art Students League of New York |publisher=Theartstudentsleague.org |access-date=June 26, 2011}}</ref>

Falk was a chess aficionado and a spectator at the American Open in Santa Monica, California, in November 1972, and at the U.S. Open in Pasadena, California, in August 1983.<ref>{{cite web| work= Chess history | url = http://www.chesshistory.com/winter/winter77.html | title =Peter Falk, American Open, Santa Monica, November 1972, and United States Open, Pasadena, California, August 1983}}</ref>

His memoir ''Just One More Thing'' ({{ISBN|978-0-78671795-8}}) was published by [[Carroll & Graf]] on August 23, 2006.

===Health===
[[File:Peter Falk Columbo monument.JPG|thumbnail|right|upright|[[Columbo statue (Budapest)|Statue of Falk as Columbo]] with his dog in [[Budapest]], Hungary]]

In December 2008, it was reported that Falk had been diagnosed with [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3795830/Columbo-star-Peter-Falk-has-Alzheimers.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/3795830/Columbo-star-Peter-Falk-has-Alzheimers.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Columbo star Peter Falk has Alzheimer's |author=Singh, Anita |date=December 16, 2008 |work=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In June 2009, at a two-day [[conservatorship]] trial in Los Angeles, one of Falk's personal physicians, Dr. Stephen Read, reported he had rapidly slipped into dementia after a series of dental operations in 2007.<ref name="Conservatorship">{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/02/columbo-actor-peter-falk-_n_210120.html |title="Columbo" Actor Peter Falk Placed In Conservatorship | author=Anthony McCartney | agency=Associated Press |work=The Huffington Post |date=June 1, 2009 |access-date=October 18, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160312141903/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/02/columbo-actor-peter-falk-_n_210120.html |archive-date=March 12, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Read said it was unclear whether Falk's condition had worsened as a result of anesthesia or some other reaction to the operations. Shera Danese Falk was appointed as her husband's conservator.<ref name="BaltSun_Obit">{{cite news |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/ktla-peter-falk-obit,0,6391826.story |title='Columbo' Star Peter Falk Dead at 83 |work=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192111/http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/ktla-peter-falk-obit%2C0%2C6391826.story |archive-date=January 2, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Death==
On the evening of June 23, 2011, Falk died at his longtime home on Roxbury Drive in Beverly Hills at the age of 83.<ref name="NYT_Obit">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/25/arts/television/peter-falk-columbo-actor-dies-at-83.html |title=Peter Falk, Rumpled and Crafty Actor In Television's "Columbo", Dies at 83 |author=Bruce Weber |date=June 24, 2011 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>Nick Allen. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/film-obituaries/8597849/Peter-Falk.html "Peter Falk"] ''The Daily Telegraph''.</ref> The causes of death were pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://perezhilton.com/2011-07-11-peter-falks-official-cause-of-death-has-been-revealed |title=Peter Falk's Official Cause Of Death Revealed |publisher=PerezHilton.com |date=November 7, 2011 |access-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-date=August 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829222942/http://perezhilton.com/2011-07-11-peter-falks-official-cause-of-death-has-been-revealed |url-status=dead }}</ref> His daughters said they would remember his "wisdom and humor".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-peterfalk-idUSTRE75N53N20110624 |title="Columbo" actor Peter Falk dead at 83 |work=Reuters |date=June 24, 2011|access-date=June 26, 2011}}</ref> He is buried at [[Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]] in Los Angeles, California.<ref>{{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=8V0iDgAAQBAJ&dq=peter+falk+westwood+village&pg=PT73 |title = ''Portraits de Los Angeles'' |isbn = 9782367740386 |last1 = Taylor-Rosner |first1 = Noémie |date = February 15, 2017|publisher = Hikari Editions }}</ref>

His death was marked by tributes from many film celebrities including [[Jonah Hill]] and [[Stephen Fry]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Tweets of the Week: Peter Falk Edition |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/06/24/tweets-of-the-week-something-edition/?mod=google_news_blog|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |access-date=June 27, 2011 |date=June 24, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Celebrities mourn Peter Falk on Twitter |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/06/24/peter-falk-twitter/ |access-date=June 27, 2011 |newspaper=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref> [[Steven Spielberg]] said, "I learned more about acting from him at that early stage of my career than I had from anyone else".<ref>{{cite news |title=Peter Falk's friends and co-stars pay tribute to the late actor |url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/06/24/peter-falk-celebtirty-tributes/ |access-date=June 27, 2011 |newspaper=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref> [[Rob Reiner]] said: "He was a completely unique actor", and went on to say that Falk's work with [[Alan Arkin]] in ''The In-Laws'' was "one of the most brilliant comedy pairings we've seen on screen".<ref>{{cite news |title=Remembering TV's rumpled Columbo |url=http://thedailynewsegypt.com/radio-a-television/remembering-tvs-rumpled-columbo.html |access-date=June 27, 2011 |newspaper=The Daily News Egypt |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716230940/http://thedailynewsegypt.com/radio-a-television/remembering-tvs-rumpled-columbo.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> His epitaph reads: "I'm not here, I'm home with Shera."<ref>{{cite web |title=Peter Falk (1927–2011) – Find a Grave Memorial |url=https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71906173/peter-falk |access-date=February 4, 2022 |website=findagrave.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Peter Falk's Law===
According to Falk's daughter Catherine, his second wife Shera Danese (who also was his [[Conservatorship|conservator]]) allegedly stopped some of his family members from visiting him; did not notify them of major changes in his condition; and did not notify them of his death and funeral arrangements.<ref name="catherinefalkorganization_org">{{cite web |title=Catherine Falk Organization – Peter Falk's Law: Right of Association Legislation |url=https://catherinefalkorganization.org/ |access-date=September 17, 2020}}</ref> Catherine encouraged the passage in 2015 of legislation called colloquially "Peter Falk's Law".<ref name="catherinefalkorganization_org" /> The new law was passed in New York state to protect children from being cut off from news of serious medical and end-of-life developments regarding their parents or from contact with them. The law provides guidelines regarding visitation rights and notice of death with which an incapacitated person's guardians or conservators must comply.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.esslawfirm.com/Articles/Peter-Falk-s-Law-Becomes-a-Reality-in-New-York.shtml |title=Peter Falk's Law Becomes a Reality in New York |date=October 18, 2019 |publisher=esslawfirm.com}}</ref><ref name=LAT-05-28-09/><ref>{{cite web |url= https://catherinefalkorganization.org/the-catherine-falk-story |title=The Catherine Falk Story |publisher=Catherine Falk Organization |access-date=May 23, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2016/testimony/HB1585_HD1_TESTIMONY_JUD_02-25-16_.PDF |title=Letter of Catherine Falk (undated) annexed to Testimony to the House Committee on Judiciary (25 Feb. 2016) by Moira T. Chin, Office of the Public Guardian |last=Falk |first=Christine |date=February 23, 2016 |website= capitol.hawaii.gov| publisher= Hawai'i State Legislature |access-date=January 21, 2020}}</ref>

As of 2020, more than fifteen states had enacted such laws.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.hackardlaw.com/blog/2018/08/peter-falk-columbos-estate-dispute.shtml |website=hackardlaw.com |title=Peter Falk Columbo's Estate Dispute |date=August 13, 2018}}</ref> In introducing the measure, New York State Senator [[John DeFrancisco]] said, "For every wrong there should be a remedy. This bill gives a remedy to children of elderly and infirm parents who have been cut off from receiving information about their parents. It also gives them an avenue through the courts to obtain visitation rights with the parents."<ref>{{cite web |title=Senate Passes Legislation to Protect Senior Citizens from Abuse and Exploitation |url=https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-legislation-protect-senior-citizens-abuse-and-exploitation |publisher=The New York State Senate |access-date=May 16, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200516141122/https://www.nysenate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-passes-legislation-protect-senior-citizens-abuse-and-exploitation |archive-date=May 16, 2020 |date=June 15, 2015}}</ref>

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable unsortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role 
! Notes
|-
| 1958
| ''[[Wind Across the Everglades]]''
| Writer
| film debut
|-
| 1959
| ''[[The Bloody Brood]]''
| Nico
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1960
| ''[[Pretty Boy Floyd (film)|Pretty Boy Floyd]]''
| Shorty Walters
|
|-
| ''[[Murder, Inc. (1960 film)|Murder, Inc.]]''
| [[Abe Reles]]
| Academy Award nomination
|-
| ''[[The Secret of the Purple Reef]]''
| Tom Weber
|
|-
| 1961
| ''[[Pocketful of Miracles]]''
| Joy Boy
| Academy Award nomination
|-
| 1962
| ''[[Pressure Point (1962 film)|Pressure Point]]''
| Young Psychiatrist
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1963
| ''[[The Balcony (film)|The Balcony]]''
| Police Chief
|
|-
| ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]''
| Third Cab Driver
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1964
| ''[[Robin and the 7 Hoods]]''
| [[Guy Gisborne]]
|
|-
| ''[[Attack and Retreat]]''
| Medic Captain
| 
|-
| 1965
| ''[[The Great Race]]''
| Maximilian Meen
|
|-
| 1966
| ''[[Penelope (1966 film)|Penelope]]''
| Lieutenant Horatio Bixbee
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1967
| ''[[Luv (film)|Luv]]''
| Milt Manville
|
|-
| ''[[Too Many Thieves]]''
| Danny
|
|-
| 1968
| ''[[Anzio (film)|Anzio]]''
| Corporal Jack Rabinoff
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1969
| ''[[Machine Gun McCain]]''
| Charlie Adamo
| 
|-
| ''[[Castle Keep]]''
| Sergeant Rossi
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1970
| ''[[Rosolino Paternò, soldato...|Operation Snafu]]''
| Peter Pawney
|
|-
| ''[[Husbands (film)|Husbands]]''
| Archie Black
| 
|-
| 1974
| ''[[A Woman Under the Influence]]''
| Nick Longhetti
| 
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1976
| ''[[Griffin and Phoenix (1976 film)|Griffin and Phoenix]]''
| Geoffrey Griffin
|
|-
| ''[[Murder by Death]]''
| Sam Diamond
|
|-
| ''[[Mikey and Nicky]]''
| Mikey
|
|-
| 1977
| ''[[Opening Night (1977 film)|Opening Night]]''
| Himself
| Cameo appearance, uncredited
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1978
| ''[[The Cheap Detective]]''
| Lou Peckinpaugh
| 
|-
| ''[[The Brink's Job]]''
| Tony Pino
|
|-
| ''[[Scared Straight!]]''
| Himself – Narrator
| 
|-
| 1979
| ''[[The In-Laws (1979 film)|The In-Laws]]''
| Vincent J. Ricardo
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1981
| ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]''
| Tramp
|
|-
| ''[[...All the Marbles]]''
| Harry Sears
| 
|-
| 1986
| ''[[Big Trouble (1986 film)|Big Trouble]]''
| Steve Rickey
| 
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1987
| ''[[Wings of Desire]]''
| Himself
| 
|-
| ''[[Happy New Year (1987 film)|Happy New Year]]''
| Nick
| 
|-
| ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]''
| Grandfather / Narrator
|
|-
| 1988
| ''[[Vibes (film)|Vibes]]''
| Harry Buscafusco
| 
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Cookie (film)|Cookie]]''
| Dominick "Dino" Capisco
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1990
| ''[[In the Spirit (film)|In the Spirit]]''
| Roger Flan
| 
|-
| ''[[Tune in Tomorrow]]''
| Pedro Carmichael
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1992
| ''[[Faraway, So Close!]]''
| rowspan="2" | Himself
| 
|-
| ''[[The Player (1992 film)|The Player]]''
| 
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1995
| ''[[Roommates (1995 film)|Roommates]]''
| Rocky Holzcek
|
|-
| ''Cops n Roberts''
| Salvatore Santini
|
|-
| 1998
| ''Money Kings''
| Vinnie Glynn
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2000
| ''[[Lakeboat (film)|Lakeboat]]''
| The Pierman
|
|-
| ''[[Enemies of Laughter]]''
| Paul's Father
|
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2001
| ''[[Hubert's Brain]]''
| Thompson
| Voice
|-
| ''[[Made (2001 film)|Made]]''
| Max
|
|-
| ''[[Corky Romano]]''
| Francis A. "Pops" Romano
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2002
| ''[[Three Days of Rain (film)|Three Days of Rain]]''
| Waldo
|
|-
| ''[[Undisputed (film)|Undisputed]]''
| Mendy Ripstein
|
|-
| 2004
| ''[[Shark Tale]]''
| Don Ira Feinberg
| Voice, [[Cameo appearance|cameo]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2005
| ''[[Checking Out (2005 film)|Checking Out]]''
| Morris Applebaum
|
|-
| ''[[The Thing About My Folks]]''
| Sam Kleinman
|
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2007
| ''[[Three Days to Vegas]]''
| Gus 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald
|
|-
| ''[[Next (2007 film)|Next]]''
| Irv
|
|-
| 2009
| ''[[American Cowslip]]''
| Father Randolph
| Final film role
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable unsortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1957
| ''[[Robert Montgomery Presents]]''
|
| Season 8 Episode 36: "Return Visit"
|-
| rowspan="2" | ''[[Studio One (American TV series)|Studio One]]''
| Carmen's Assistant 
| Season 9 Episode 35: "The Mother Bit"
|-
| Jack
| Season 9 Episode 45: "Rudy"
|-
| ''[[Kraft Suspense Theatre]]''
| Radar Operator / Izzy
| Season 10 Episode 26: "Collision"
|-
| 1957–59
| ''[[Camera Three]]''
| Stendhal / Don Chucho
| 8 episodes
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1958
| ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]''
| Extortionist
| Season 1 Episode 11: "Lady Bug, Lady Bug"
|-
| ''[[Kraft Suspense Theatre]]''
| Izzy
| Season 11 Episode 44: "Night Cry"
|-
| ''[[Decoy (TV series)|Decoy]]''
| Fred Dana
| Season 1 Episode 37: "The Come Back"
|-
| rowspan="5" | 1959
| ''[[Omnibus (American TV program)|Omnibus]]''
| Charlie
| Season 7 Episode 13: "The Strange Ordeal of the Normandier"
|-
| ''[[Brenner (TV series)|Brenner]]''
| Fred Gaines
| Season 1 Episode 4: "Blind Spot"
|-
| ''[[Deadline (1959 TV series)|Deadline]]''
| Al Bax
| Season 1 Episode 11: "The Human Storm"
|-
| ''[[New York Confidential (TV series)|New York Confidential]]''
| Pete
| Season 1 Episode 11: "The Girl from Nowhere"
|-
| rowspan="2" | ''[[Play of the Week (TV series)|Play of the Week]]''
| rowspan="2" | Mestizo
| Season 1 Episode 2: "The Power and the Glory"
|-
| rowspan="6" | 1960
| Season 1 Episode 14: "The Emperor's Clothes"
|-
| ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]''
| Gimpy (uncredited)
| Season 2 Episode 1: "A Death of Princes"
|-
| ''[[The Islanders (TV series)|The Islanders]]''
| Hooker
| Season 1 Episode 6: "Hostage Island"
|-
| ''[[Have Gun – Will Travel]]''
| Waller, Gambler
| Season 4 Episode 9: "The Poker Fiend"
|-
| ''[[The Witness (TV series)|The Witness]]''
| [[Abe Reles]]
| Season 1 Episode 11: "Kid Twist"
|-
| rowspan="2" | ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]''
| Duke Mullen 
| Season 1 Episode 26: "The Underworld Bank"
|-
| rowspan="11" | 1961
| Nate Selko
| Season 3 Episode 1: "Troubleshooter"
|-
| ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]''
| Lee Staunton
| Season 2 Episode 24: "A Very Cautious Boy"
|-
| ''[[The Law and Mr. Jones]]''
| Sydney Jarmon
| Season 1 Episode 20: "Cold Turkey"
|-
| rowspan="2" | ''[[The Aquanauts]]''
| Jeremiah Wilson 
| Season 1 Episode 20: "The Jeremiah Adventure"
|-
| Angel 
| Season 1 Episode 23: "The Double Adventure"
|-
| ''[[Cry Vengeance!]]''
| Priest
| rowspan="2" | Television movie
|-
| ''[[The Million Dollar Incident]]''
| Sammy
|-
| ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents]]''
| Meyer Fine
| Season 6 Episode 28: "Gratitude"
|-
| ''[[The Barbara Stanwyck Show]]''
| Joe
| Season 1 Episode 32: "The Assassin"
|-
| ''[[Target: The Corruptors!]]''
| Nick Longo
| Season 1 Episode 1: "The Million Dollar Dump"
|-
| ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''
| Ramos Clemente
| Season 3 Episode 6: "[[The Mirror (The Twilight Zone)|The Mirror]]"
|-
| rowspan="8" | 1962
| ''[[Naked City (TV series)|Naked City]]''
| Frankie O'Hearn
| Season 3 Episode 25: "Lament for a Dead Indian"
|-
| ''[[The New Breed (TV series)|The New Breed]]''
| Lopez
| Season 1 Episode 15: "Cross the Little Line"
|-
| ''[[87th Precinct (TV series)|87th Precinct]]''
| Greg Brovane
| Season 1 Episode 19: "The Pigeon"
|-
| ''[[Here's Edie]]''
| Cabbie
| Episode #1.1
|-
| ''[[Alfred Hitchcock Presents|The Alfred Hitchcock Hour]]''
| Robert Evans
| Season 1 Episode 13: "Bonfire"
|-
| rowspan="2" | ''[[The Dick Powell Show]]''
| Aristede Fresco
| Season 1 Episode 17: "Price of Tomatoes"
|-
| Dr. Alan Keegan
| Season 2 Episode 4: "The Doomsday Boys"
|-
| ''[[The DuPont Show of the Week]]''
| Collucci 
| Season 1 Episode 24: "A Sound of Hunting"
|-
| rowspan="4" | 1963
| ''[[The Dick Powell Show]]''
| Martin
| Season 2 Episode 18: "The Rage of Silence"
|-
| ''[[Dr. Kildare (TV series)|Dr. Kildare]]''
| Matt Gunderson
| Season 2 Episode 29: "The Balance and the Crucible"
|-
| ''[[Wagon Train]]''
| Gus Morgan
| Season 7 Episode 3: "The Gus Morgan Story"
|-
| ''[[Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre]]''
| Bert Graumann
| Season 1 Episode 4: "Four Kings"
|-
| rowspan="3" | 1964
| ''[[The DuPont Show of the Week]]''
| Danilo Diaz
| Season 3 Episode 21: "Ambassador at Large"
|-
| rowspan="2" | ''[[Ben Casey]]''
| Dr. Jimmy Reynolds
| Season 4 Episode 6: "For Jimmy, the Best of Everything"
|-
| 
| Season 4 Episode 12: "Courage at 3:00 A.M."
|-
| 1965
| ''[[Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre]]''
| Bara
| Season 2 Episode 19: "Perilous Times"
|-
| 1965–66
| ''[[The Trials of O'Brien]]''
| Daniel O'Brien
| 22 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1966
| ''[[Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre]]''
| Mike Galway
| Season 4 Episode 7: "Dear Deductible"
|-
| ''[[Brigadoon (1966 film)|Brigadoon]]''
| Jeff Douglas
| Television movie
|-
| 1967
| ''[[The Red Skelton Hour]]''
| Colonel Hush-Hush
| Season 16 Episode 16: "In One Head and Out the Other"
|-
| 1968
| ''[[A Hatful of Rain]]''
| Polo Pope
| Television movie
|-
| 1968–2003
| ''[[Columbo]]''
| [[Columbo (character)|Lieutenant Columbo]]
| 69 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2" | 1971
| ''[[The Name of the Game (TV series)|The Name of the Game]]''
| Lewis Corbett
| Season 3 Episode 15: "A Sister from Napoli"
|-
| ''A Step Out of Line'' 
| Harry Connors
| Television movie
|-
| 1978
| ''[[The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast]]'' 
| Columbo
| Television special
|-
| 1992
| ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]''
| Himself
| Season 1 Episode 8: "Out of the Loop"
|-
| 1996
| ''[[The Sunshine Boys (1996 film)|The Sunshine Boys]]''
| Willie Clark
| rowspan="7" | Television movie
|-
| 1997
| ''Pronto''
| Harry Arno
|-
| 2000
| ''[[A Storm in Summer]]''
| Abel Shaddick
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2001
| ''[[The Lost World (2001 film)|The Lost World]]''
| Reverend Theo Kerr
|-
| ''[[A Town Without Christmas]]''
| rowspan=2|Max
|-
| rowspan="2" | 2003
| ''[[Finding John Christmas]]''
|-
| ''Wilder Days''
| James 'Pop Up' Morse
|-
| 2004
| ''[[When Angels Come to Town]]''
| Max
| Television movie (final TV role)
|}

=== Theatre ===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title !! Role !! class="unsortable" | Venue 
|-
| rowspan="2" |1956 || ''[[Saint Joan (play)|Saint Joan]]'' || English Soldier || [[Walter Kerr Theatre]], Broadway
|-
| ''[[Diary of a Scoundrel]]'' || Mamaev's Servant || [[Phoenix Theatre (New York City)|Phoenix Theatre]], off-Broadway
|-
|1956–57 ||''[[The Iceman Cometh]]'' || Rocky Pioggi || [[Circle in the Square Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1964 || ''[[The Passion of Josef D.]]'' || [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] || [[Ethel Barrymore Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|1971–73 ||''[[The Prisoner of Second Avenue]]'' || Mel Edison || [[Eugene O'Neill Theatre]], Broadway
|-
|2000 || ''Defiled'' || Brian Dickey || [[Geffen Playhouse]], Los Angeles 
|}

==Awards and nominations==
===[[Academy Awards]]===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[33rd Academy Awards|1960]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| ''[[Murder, Inc. (1960 film)|Murder, Inc.]]'' 
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1961 |title=The 33rd Academy Awards (1961) Nominees and Winners |date=October 5, 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=May 4, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015234831/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1961 |archive-date=October 15, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| [[34th Academy Awards|1961]]
| ''[[Pocketful of Miracles]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1962 |title=The 34th Academy Awards (1962) Nominees and Winners |date=October 5, 2014 |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=February 19, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215223044/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1962 |archive-date=February 15, 2015}}</ref>
|}

===[[Emmy Awards]]===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref.
|-
! colspan="5"| [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] 
|-
| [[13th Primetime Emmy Awards|1961]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor or Actress in a Single Program]]
| ''[[The Law and Mr. Jones]]'' {{small|(Episode: "Cold Turkey")}}
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="12"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/peter-falk/ |title=Peter Falk |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[14th Primetime Emmy Awards|1962]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role]]
| ''[[The Dick Powell Show]]'' {{small|(Episode: "[[The Price of Tomatoes]]")}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[24th Primetime Emmy Awards|1972]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series]]
| rowspan="10"| ''[[Columbo]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[25th Primetime Emmy Awards|1973]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Drama Series – Continuing)]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[26th Primetime Emmy Awards|1974]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[27th Primetime Emmy Awards|1975]]
| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[28th Primetime Emmy Awards|1976]]
| rowspan="6"| [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[29th Primetime Emmy Awards|1977]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[30th Primetime Emmy Awards|1978]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[42nd Primetime Emmy Awards|1990]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[43rd Primetime Emmy Awards|1991]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[46th Primetime Emmy Awards|1994]]
| {{nom}}
|-
! colspan="5"| [[Daytime Emmy Awards]]
|-
| [[28th Daytime Emmy Awards|2001]]
| [[Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming|Outstanding Performer in a Children's Special]]
| ''[[A Storm in Summer]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref name="Awards">{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000393/awards?ref_=nm_awd |title=Peter Falk – Awards |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date= March 20, 2020}}</ref>
|}

===[[Golden Globe Awards]]===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[19th Golden Globe Awards|1961]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actor|Most Promising Newcomer – Male]]
| ''[[Murder, Inc. (1960 film)|Murder, Inc.]]'' 
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="10"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/person/peter-falk/ |title=Peter Falk |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[29th Golden Globe Awards|1971]]
| rowspan="7"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama|Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama]]
| rowspan="7"| ''[[Columbo]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[30th Golden Globe Awards|1972]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[31st Golden Globe Awards|1973]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[32nd Golden Globe Awards|1974]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[33rd Golden Globe Awards|1975]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[35th Golden Globe Awards|1977]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[48th Golden Globe Awards|1990]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[49th Golden Globe Awards|1991]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television]]
| ''[[Columbo season 10|Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[51st Golden Globe Awards|1993]]
| ''[[Columbo season 10|Columbo: It's All in the Game]]''
| {{nom}}
|}

===Other Awards===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Year
! Award
! Category
! Nominated work
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| [[5th AARP Movies for Grownups Awards|2005]]
| [[AARP Movies for Grownups Awards]]
| [[AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Grownup Love Story|Best Grownup Love Story]]
| ''[[The Thing About My Folks]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"| <ref name="Awards"/>
|-
| 1976
| rowspan="2"| [[Bambi Award]]s
| rowspan="2"| TV Series International
| rowspan="2"| ''[[Columbo]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| 1993
| {{won}}
|-
| 1975
| [[Bravo Otto]]
| Best Male TV Star
| {{n/a}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[49th David di Donatello|2004]]
| [[David di Donatello|David di Donatello Awards]]
| Golden Plate
| {{n/a}}
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.daviddidonatello.it/motore-di-ricerca/cercavincitori2.php?idsoggetto=222&vin=Falk |title=Peter Falk |publisher=[[David di Donatello]] |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 2005
| [[Florida Film Festival]]
| Lifetime Achievement Award
| {{n/a}}
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref name="Awards"/>
|-
| 1972
| [[Golden Apple Award]]s
| Male Star of the Year
| {{n/a}}
| {{won}}
|-
| 1976
| [[Goldene Kamera]]
| Best German Actor
| ''Columbo''
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenekamera.de/die-preistraeger-1976/ |title=The award winners 1976 |date=November 27, 2023 |publisher=[[Goldene Kamera]] |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 1974
| [[Hasty Pudding Theatricals]]
| [[Hasty Pudding Man of the Year|Man of the Year]]
| {{n/a}}
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hastypudding.org/past-honoree/ |title=Past Men and Women of the Year |publisher=[[Hasty Pudding Theatricals]] |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 1962
| [[Laurel Awards]]
| Top Male New Personality
| {{n/a}}
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref name="Awards"/>
|-
| 2003
| [[Method Fest Independent Film Festival]]
| Lifetime Achievement Award
| {{n/a}}
| {{won}}
|-
| 2006
| [[Milan Film Festival]]
| Best Actor
| ''The Thing About My Folks''
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Josh Hartnett]] for ''[[Lucky Number Slevin]]''.}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{Cite web |title=History {{!}} Miff Awards |url=https://www.miffawards.com/pages/history.php?lang=en |access-date=September 13, 2022 |website=www.miffawards.com |archive-date=September 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220913054953/https://www.miffawards.com/pages/history.php?lang=en |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| 2006
| rowspan="2"| Online Film & Television Association Awards
| Television Hall of Fame: Actors
| {{n/a}}
| {{Won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/tv-hall-of-fame/television-hall-of-fame-actors/ |title=Television Hall of Fame: Actors |publisher=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| 2021
| Television Hall of Fame: Characters
| [[Columbo (character)|Lt. Columbo]] {{small|(from ''Columbo'')}}
| {{Won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oftaawards.com/tv-hall-of-fame/television-hall-of-fame-characters/ |title=Television Hall of Fame: Productions |publisher=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[16th People's Choice Awards|1989]]
| rowspan="2"| [[People's Choice Awards]]
| rowspan="2"| Favorite Male TV Performer
| {{n/a}}
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"| <ref name="Awards"/>
|-
| [[17th People's Choice Awards|1990]]
| {{n/a}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1974
| rowspan="2"| [[Photoplay#The Photoplay Magazine Medal of Honor|Photoplay Awards]]
| Favorite Male Star
| {{n/a}}
| {{nom}}
|-
| 1976
| Favorite Movie
| ''[[Murder by Death]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[2002 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards|2002]]
| [[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]]
| Worst Supporting Actor
| ''[[Undisputed (film)|Undisputed]]''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thestinkers.com/2002.html |title=Winners – 2002 Stinkers Bad Movie Awards |publisher=[[Stinkers Bad Movie Awards]] |access-date=January 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061112232158/http://www.thestinkers.com/2002.html |archive-date=November 12, 2006}}</ref>
|-
| 2005
| [[TV Land Award]]s
| Favorite "Casual Friday" Cop
| ''Columbo''
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref name="Awards"/>
|}

===Other Honors===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Year
! Honor
! Category
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| 2013
| [[List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame|Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
| Television
| {{Won|Inducted}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://walkoffame.com/peter-falk/ |title=Peter Falk |publisher=[[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] |date=July 25, 2013 |access-date=November 5, 2024}}</ref>
|}

==Bibliography==
* {{Citation |last=Falk |first=Peter |title=Just One More Thing: Stories from My Life |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cDNmfbrnGkMC |publisher=[[Carroll & Graf Publishers]] |year=2006|location=New York |isbn=0-7867-1795-5}}.

==Further reading==
* Richard A. Lertzman & William J Birnes (2017). ''Beyond Columbo: The life and times of Peter Falk''. Shadow Lawn Press. {{ISBN|978-1-521-88149-1}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Peter Falk}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IOBDB name}}
* {{TCMDb name}}
* {{Charlie Rose guest|6508}}
* {{Discogs artist|Peter Falk (5)}}
* {{NYTtopic|people/f/peter_falk}}
* {{cite episode |title='Just One More Thing' About Falk, TV's 'Columbo' |transcript-url = https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=137446127 | url = https://www.npr.org/2011/06/27/137446127/just-one-more-thing-about-falk-tvs-columbo |airdate=June 27, 2011 |series=Fresh Air |network=NPR |transcript=Transcript }}
* {{Emmys person|peter-falk}}
* {{Find a Grave|71906173}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Peter Falk
|list =
{{EmmyAward DramaLeadActor 1950-1975}}
{{EmmyAward MiniseriesLeadActor 1950-1975}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActorTVDrama 1969-1989}}
{{Hasty Pudding Man of the Year}}
}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|New York City|Los Angeles|California|Theatre|Film|Television||Judaism}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falk, Peter}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Actors from Ossining, New York]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American memoirists]]
[[Category:American people of Czech-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American sailors]]
[[Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (television) winners]]
[[Category:Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery]]
[[Category:Columbo]]
[[Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in California]]
[[Category:Jewish American male actors]]
[[Category:Jewish American military personnel]]
[[Category:Male actors from the Bronx]]
[[Category:Male actors from Westchester County, New York]]
[[Category:Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs alumni]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New York City]]
[[Category:The New School alumni]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Drama Series Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Television producers from New York City]]
[[Category:United States Merchant Mariners of World War II]]