Television lost another legend this week. Actor Peter Falk, best known as television’s “Columbo,” died today at age 83. Although a cause of death was not listed, he had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Falk was born in New York City and had his right eye removed due to retinoblastoma when he was only three years old. After graduating from high school, he briefly attended college then served in the United States Merchant Marine. Falk eventually returned to college to receive both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. He was rejected for a job with the CIA and eventually became a management analyst in Hartford.
Falk joined the community theater in Hartford and the rest is history. He eventually studied under actress Eva Le Gallienne, who would later recommend him to the William Morris Agency. He left his analyst job to start acting full time and made his Broadway debut in 1956 in “Diary of a Scoundrel.”
In the late ‘50s, Falk began to get a few small roles in feature films. In 1960, he won rave reviews for playing Abe Reles in Murder, Inc.. Falk would later call the role the “miracle” that “made my career.” He would receive a Best Supporting Actor nomination for the role. Falk would go on to star in Pocketful of Miracles (for which he received another Oscar nomination), It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Robin and the 7 Hoods, and The Great Race.
Meanwhile, Falk was also doing television shows such as “Have Gun-Will Travel,” “Naked City,” and “The Trails of O’Brien.” He landed the role of Lieutenant Columbo in the series “Columbo” from 1971 until 1978, although the pilot for the show aired in 1968. It returned to the air for specials from 1989 until 2003. He would win four Emmys for his performance in show.
Some of Falk’s later work included appearing in The Princess Bride, Wings of Desire, Glengarry Glen Ross, and A Town Without Christmas.