Biography for
Peter Falk (I)

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As Columbo: The raincoat, the cigar, the slouch, the false exit followed by the catchphrase, "One more thing..."

Trivia

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 Gallienne 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.

Harry Cohn, head of Columbia Pictures and renowned for his boorishness and vulgarity, 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, 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 June 5, 2000, episode of "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (1999), Craig Kilborn's third question to Falk during "Five Questions" was this: "Use the words 'Falk' and 'you' in a sentence". 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).

He and his good friend John Cassavetes made 6 movies together: Husbands (1970), Intoccabili, Gli (1968), Mikey and Nicky (1976), Opening Night (1977), Big Trouble (1986), A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and one movie made for TV: Columbo: Étude in Black (1972) (TV)

Had a street renamed after him in his hometown of Ossining, New York. To unveil the Peter Falk Place street sign, he pulled off a trademark raincoat covering the sign. [2005]

Is a close friend of Patrick McGoohan.

Avatar's voice in the animated movie Wizards (1977) (voiced by Bob Holt) was modelled after Falk.

He has inspired at least two Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters. Muttley in "Wacky Races" (1968) was based on Falk's Max Meen from The Great Race (1965), and Mumbly, the detective dog on "The New Tom & Jerry Show" (1975) was loosely based on Columbo.

In 1961, he became the first actor nominated for an Oscar and an Emmy in the same year, receiving best supporting nominations for the movie Murder, Inc. (1960) and the TV show "The Law and Mr. Jones" (1960). He followed up in 1962 by being doubly nominated again for supporting actor for the movie Pocketful of Miracles (1961) and best actor (he won) for "The Price of Tomatoes," an episode of "The Dick Powell Show" (1961).

Peter Falk's great-grandfather was Miksa Falk, a well-known Hungarian writer and politician. He was the editor of the liberal Hungarian newspaper, the Pester Lloyd.

Tested for the role of Ted Henderson in "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" (1969).

Salary

Where Are They Now

(2006) Release of his book, "Just One More Thing".

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