Peter Falk
Peter Falk
16 September 1927
New York, New York
My ears pop in an elevator. As a matter of fact I don't even like being this tall.
Peter Falk as Columbo in Swan Song
Peter FalkTrivia

One of his greatest passions is drawing and sketching; has studio on grounds of Beverly Hills estate.

His right eye was surgically removed at the age of three, because of cancer.

Graduated from Ossining High School.

President of his class.

Worked as an efficiency expert for the Budget Bureau of the state of Connecticut before becoming an actor. Studied acting with Eva Le Galliene and Sanford Meisner.

Is a Certified Public Accountant.

Falk puts damper on rumor that his trademark 'Columbo' raincoat has been placed in the Smithsonian Institution: says it's in his upstairs closet.

First foray into acting: filled in the role of detective in high school play when original student-actor fell sick. Left college to serve as a cook in the Merchant Marines. Returned and received poli. sci degree from NY's New School, then graduate degree from Syracuse U. Applied to CIA, but was turned down. Then took state budget job in Hartford, CT. Five years after he started taking acting lessons, he earned first Oscar nomination.

Columbia Studios chief, the boorish Harry Cohn, rejected Falk declaring, "For the same money, I can get an actor with two eyes!"

His father was of Russian Jewish ancestry and his mother was of Polish Jewish, with a mix of Hungarian and Czech Jewish ancestry further back. So, contrary to Falk's public image, he is not an Italian but a mixture of very hardy Jewish Eastern European stock.

Once when he was playing in a Little League game, the umpire called him out. Falk thought that he was safe. He pulled his glass eye out of its socket and handed it to the umpire, telling him, "Here, I think you might need this."

His daughter Catherine Falk is a private detective in real life

Columbo's first name is never mentioned in the series. Though it was reported to be Philip Columbo by Fred Worth in his book 'Super Trivia' (1977) and later copied by the makers of Trivial Pursuit in 1984, Worth admitted to having fabricated the name as a means of proof of copyright in case someone were to have pirated his book (which someone did). The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, but was thrown out in the end.

Columbo's wife, who he speaks of often, is never seen in the series. Interestingly, most of the facts that are supposedly known about Lt. Columbo's private life are up in the air and sometimes contradictory. This may be due to his character being somewhat forgetful or may be due to him leading a suspect with a 'likely story' hoping they will trip up and reveal a clue. His car, a 1959 Peugeot 403 Cabriolet (only 504 were made that year), is in most every episode and is treated almost as a character.

Children: Catherine, Jackie

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 153-154. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

He earned an MPA, Master of Public Administration degree, from Syracuse University in 1953.

Officially declared himself an actor at age 29 and moved to New York City.

During the 5th June 2000 episode of "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn", Craig Kilborn's 3rd question to Peter Falk during "Five Questions" was this: "Use the words 'Falk' and 'you' in a sentence." Peter Falk chuckled a bit, touched his nose, and replied simply: "Falk... you!"

Has his look-alike puppet in the French show "Guignols de l'info, Les" (1988).


Actor - filmography

The Book of Joe (2005) (filming) .... Vincent
Retirement (2006) (post-production) .... Gus Fitzgerald
The Thing About My Folks (2005) .... Sam Kleinman
When Angels Come to Town (2004) (TV) .... Max
Shark Tale (2004) (voice) .... Don Feinberg
Checking Out (2004) .... Morris Applebaum
Finding John Christmas (2003) (TV) .... Max
Wilder Days (2003) (TV) .... James 'Pop Up' Morse
Columbo: Columbo Likes the Nightlife (2003) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Undisputed (2002) .... Mendy Ripstein
... aka Undisputed - Sieg ohne Ruhm (Germany)
3 Days of Rain (2002) .... Waldo
The Lost World (2001) (TV) .... Reverend Theo Kerr
... aka Vergessene Welt, Die (Germany)
A Town Without Christmas (2001) (TV) .... Max
Corky Romano (2001) .... Francis A. 'Pops' Romano
... aka Corky Romano: 'Special' Agent (USA: complete title)
Made (2001) .... Max
Hubert's Brain (2001) (voice) .... Bailey
Enemies of Laughter (2000) .... Paul's Father
Columbo: Murder with Too Many Notes (2000) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Lakeboat (2000) .... The Pierman
A Storm in Summer (2000) (TV) .... Abel Shaddick
From Where I Sit (2000) (TV) .... Abe
Vig (1998) (V) .... Vinnie
... aka Money Kings
Columbo: Ashes to Ashes (1998) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Pronto (1997) (TV) .... Harry Arno (Henri Arnaud)
Columbo: A Trace of Murder (1997) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Strange Bedfellows (1995) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Roommates (1995) .... Rocky Holzcek
Cops n Roberts (1995) .... Salvatore Santini
The Sunshine Boys (1995) (TV) .... Willie Clark
Columbo: Undercover (1994) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Butterfly in Shades of Grey (1993) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: It's All In the Game (1993) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: A Bird in the Hand ... (1992) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: No Time to Die (1992) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Death Hits the Jackpot (1991) (TV) .... Lt Columbo
Columbo: Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star (1991) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
... aka Murder of a Rock Star (Canada: English title)
Columbo: Caution! Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health (1991) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Columbo Goes to College (1990) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Tune in Tomorrow... (1990) .... Pedro Carmichael
... aka Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
Columbo: Murder in Malibu (1990) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Uneasy Lies the Crown (1990) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
In the Spirit (1990) .... Roger Flan
Columbo: Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo (1990) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Agenda for Murder (1990) (TV) .... Lt. Colombo
Columbo: Columbo Cries Wolf (1990) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Murder, a Self Portrait (1989) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Cookie (1989) .... Dominick 'Dino' Capisco
Columbo: Grand Deceptions (1989) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Sex and the Married Detective (1989) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Murder, Smoke and Shadows (1989) (TV) .... Columbo
Columbo: Columbo Goes to the Guillotine (1989) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Vibes (1988) .... Harry Buscafusco
The Princess Bride (1987) .... The Grandfather
Happy New Year (1987) .... Nick
Himmel über Berlin, Der (1987) .... Der Filmstar
... aka Ailes du désir, Les (France)
... aka The Sky Above Berlin (USA: literal English title)
... aka The Sky Over Berlin (USA: literal English title)
... aka Wings of Desire (USA)
Big Trouble (1986) .... Steve Rickey
...All the Marbles (1981) .... Harry Sears
... aka The California Dolls (USA: reissue title)
The Great Muppet Caper (1981) (uncredited) .... Tramp
The In-Laws (1979) .... Vincent J. Ricardo
The Muppets Go Hollywood (1979) (TV)
The Brink's Job (1978) .... Tony Pino
... aka Big Stickup at Brink's
The Cheap Detective (1978) .... Lou Peckinpaugh
... aka Neil Simon's The Cheap Detective (USA: complete title)
Columbo: The Conspirators (1978) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: How to Dial a Murder (1978) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Make Me a Perfect Murder (1978) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Murder Under Glass (1978) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Opening Night (1977) (uncredited) .... Cameo appearance
Columbo: Try and Catch Me (1977) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: The Bye-Bye Sky High I.Q. Murder Case (1977) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Frank Sinatra (1977) (TV) (uncredited) .... Lt. Columbo
Mikey and Nicky (1976) .... Mikey
Columbo: Old Fashioned Murder (1976) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Fade in to Murder (1976) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Murder by Death (1976) .... Sam Diamond
Columbo: Last Salute to the Commodore (1976) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Now You See Him (1976) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Griffin and Phoenix: A Love Story (1976) (TV) .... Geoffrey Griffin
... aka Today Is Forever (USA)
Columbo: A Matter of Honor (1976) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Identity Crisis (1975) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: A Case of Immunity (1975) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Forgotten Lady (1975) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: A Deadly State of Mind (1975) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Playback (1975) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Troubled Waters (1975) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light (1974) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Negative Reaction (1974) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: An Exercise in Fatality (1974) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
A Woman Under the Influence (1974) .... Nick Longhetti
Columbo: A Friend in Deed (1974) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Swan Song (1974) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Mind Over Mayhem (1974) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Publish or Perish (1974) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Double Exposure (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Candidate for Crime (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Any Old Port in a Storm (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Lovely But Lethal (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Double Shock (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: The Most Dangerous Match (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: A Stitch in Crime (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Requiem for a Falling Star (1973) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Dagger of the Mind (1972) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: The Most Crucial Game (1972) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: The Greenhouse Jungle (1972) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Étude in Black (1972) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Blueprint for Murder (1972) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Short Fuse (1972) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Lady in Waiting (1971) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Suitable for Framing (1971) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Dead Weight (1971) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
Columbo: Death Lends a Hand (1971) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Murder by the Book (1971) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
Columbo: Ransom for a Dead Man (1971) (TV) .... Lieutenant Columbo
A Step Out of Line (1971) (TV) .... Harry Connors
Husbands (1970) .... Archie Black
Rosolino Paternò: Soldato... (1970) .... Peter Pawney
... aka Operation Snafu
... aka Situation Normal, All Fouled Up
... aka Situation Normal: A.F.U.
Castle Keep (1969) .... Sfc. Rossie Baker
Intoccabili, Gli (1968) .... Charlie Adamo
... aka Machine Gun McCain (USA)
Anzio (1968) .... Cpl. Jack Rabinoff
... aka Batalla de Anzio, La (Spain)
... aka Sbarco di Anzio, Lo
... aka The Battle for Anzio (UK)
A Hatful of Rain (1968) (TV) .... Polo Pope
Prescription: Murder (1968) (TV) .... Lt. Columbo
... aka Columbo: Prescription Murder
Luv (1967) .... Milt Manville
Penelope (1966) .... Lieutenant Horatio Bixbee
Brigadoon (1966) (TV) .... Jeff Douglas
Too Many Thieves (1966) .... Danny
"The Trials of O'Brien" (1965) TV Series .... Daniel O'Brien
The Great Race (1965) .... Maximillian 'Max' Meen
... aka Blake Edwards' The Great Race (USA: complete title)
Italiani brava gente (1965) .... Medic Captain
... aka Attack and Retreat (USA)
... aka Italiani brava gente (USA)
... aka Oni shli na vostok (Soviet Union: Russian title)
Ambassador at Large (1964) (TV)
Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) .... Guy Gisborne
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) .... Third cab driver
... aka It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (USA: promotional title)
The Balcony (1963) .... Police Chief
Pressure Point (1962) .... Young psychiatrist
Pocketful of Miracles (1961) .... Joy Boy
The Million Dollar Incident (1961) (TV) .... Sammy
Cry Vengeance! (1961) (TV) .... Priest
The Secret of the Purple Reef (1960) .... Tom Weber
Murder, Inc. (1960) .... Abe 'Kid Twist' Reles
Pretty Boy Floyd (1960) .... Shorty Walters
The Power and the Glory (1959) (TV) .... Mestizo
... aka Play of the Week: The Power and the Glory (USA: series title)
The Bloody Brood (1959) .... Nico
Wind Across the Everglades (1958) .... Writer
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Peter Falk
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