
Peter Falk
Department: Acting
Biography
Peter Michael Falk (September 16, 1927 – June 23, 2011) was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Lieutenant Columbo in the television series Columbo (1968–1978, 1989–2003), which earned him four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Falk was twice nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for Murder, Inc. (1960) and Pocketful of Miracles (1961). He is also known for his collaborations with filmmaker and actor John Cassavetes in films such as: Husbands (1970), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Opening Night (1977), Elaine May's Mikey and Nicky (1976) and the Columbo episode: Étude in Black (1972). Falk's other film roles include It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), The Great Race (1965), Anzio (1968), Murder by Death (1976), The Cheap Detective (1978), The In-Laws (1979), The Princess Bride (1987), Wings of Desire (1987), The Player (1992), and Next (2007).
Known For

Wings of Desire
1987

Pocketful of Miracles
1961

The Lost World
2001

Next
2007

The Princess Bride
1987

Arthur Miller: Writer
2017

The Player
1992

Faraway, So Close!
1993

Vibes
1988

...All the Marbles
1981

Murder by Death
1976

The Great Race
1965

The Thing About My Folks
2005

The Brink's Job
1978

Pressure Point
1962

A Town Without Christmas
2001

Anzio
1968

I Love Liberty
1982

A Woman Under the Influence
1974

Tune in Tomorrow...
1990

The Cheap Detective
1978

Undisputed
2002

Murder, Inc.
1960

American Cowslip
2009

Made
2001

Machine Gun McCain
1969

Castle Keep
1969

Robin and the 7 Hoods
1964

Corky Romano
2001

Finding John Christmas
2003

The In-Laws
1979

Husbands
1970

Checking Out
2006

Three Days of Rain
2002

Out of the Shadows: The Films of John Cassavetes
1993

Money Kings
1998

Cookie
1989

Mikey and Nicky
1976

Big Trouble
1986

Shoot Don't Shoot
1982

The Bloody Brood
1959

Anything for John
1993

John Cassavetes: To Risk Everything to Express It All
1996

Happy New Year
1987

The Sunshine Boys
1996

The Balcony
1963

Luv
1967

In the Spirit
1990

A Storm in Summer
2000

When Angels Come to Town
2004

Lakeboat
2000

Penelope
1966

Attack and Retreat
1964

Griffin and Phoenix
1976

Wilder Days
2003

The Secret of the Purple Reef
1960

Enemies of Laughter
2000

Char·ac·ter
2012

The Making of 'Husbands'
1971

Operation Snafu
1970

NBC 75th Anniversary Special
2002

Three Days to Vegas
2007

A Step Out of Line
1971

Edge of Outside
2006

Roommates
1995

Sanford Meisner: The American Theatre's Best Kept Secret
1990

Too Many Thieves
1966

Pronto
1997

Lost Case
2014

Shark Tale
2004

Brigadoon
1966

Arena - John Cassavetes
1989

Wings of Desire: The Angels Among Us
2003

The Great Muppet Caper
1981

Opening Night
1977

Ransom for a Dead Man
1972

Hubert's Brain
2001

A Constant Forge
2000

Prescription: Murder
1968

Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World'
1991

Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders
1990

From Where I Sit
2000

Pretty Boy Floyd
1960

Wind Across the Everglades
1958

A Hatful of Rain
1968

Cops n Roberts
1995

Peter Falk versus Columbo
2019

Scared Straight!
1978

Frank Capra's American Dream
1997

The World of Jim Henson
1994

My Darling Vivian
2020

The Muppets Go Hollywood
1979

Night of 100 Stars
1982

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963

All Star Tribute to Ingrid Bergman
1979

The Million Dollar Incident
1961

ABC's 50th Anniversary Celebration
2003

Natalie - A Tribute to a Very Special Lady
1982

Inside the Actors Studio
1994

The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003

Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003

LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988

The View
1997

Naked City
1958

The Merv Griffin Show
1962

Studio One
1948

The Islanders
1960

The Twilight Zone
1959

Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993

Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1955

Target: The Corruptors!
1961

Have Gun, Will Travel
1957

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
1968

The Aquanauts
1960

Decoy
1957

Ben Casey
1961

The New Breed
1961

Robert Montgomery Presents
1950

Dr. Kildare
1961

Good Day Live
2001

Basketball: A Love Story
2018

The Untouchables
1959

The Barbara Stanwyck Show
1960

Naked City
1958

Naked City
1958

Wetten, dass..?
1981

The Aquanauts
1960

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962

The American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973

Reading Rainbow
1983

The Mike Douglas Show
1961

Studio One
1948

V.I.P. Schaukel
1971

The Lost World
2001

American Masters
1986

The Larry Sanders Show
1992

The Trials of O'Brien
1965

The Name of the Game
1968

The Red Skelton Show
1951

The DuPont Show of the Week
1961

The DuPont Show of the Week
1961

Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine
1962

Jackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine
1962

Wagon Train
1957

The Dick Powell Show
1961

The Dick Powell Show
1961

The Dick Powell Show
1961

The Witness
1960

Play of the Week
1959

Play of the Week
1959

Armstrong Circle Theatre
1950

Deadline
1959

87th Precinct
1961

Columbo
1971

Bambi
1948

The Mike Douglas Show
1961

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975

Champs-Elysées
1982

The Law and Mr. Jones
1960

The Dick Cavett Show
1968

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
1973

Naked City
1958

The Jerry Lewis Show
1963

Treffpunkte
1970

Golden Globe Awards
1944

Golden Globe Awards
1944

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1962

Seitenblicke
1987

The Danny Kaye Show
1963

30 millions d'amis
1976

Vivement dimanche
1998

Exclusiv - Das Star-Magazin
1994

The Untouchables
1959

Golden Globe Awards
1944

Golden Globe Awards
1944

Dinah!
1974

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962

Kraft Television Theatre
1947

Kraft Television Theatre
1947

Omnibus
1952

New York Confidential
1959

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962

Tony Awards
1956

Tony Awards
1956