Biography
Columbo, actor-director-producer Peter Falk was a much-admired star of television, film and stage for over half a century. Falk brought streetwise energy to his comic roles, which included his Oscar-nominated turn in "Pocketful of Miracles" (1961) and the enduring cult favorite "The In-Laws" (1979), but could also be searingly intense in dramas, as he proved in a string of films for his close friend, independent filmmaker John Cassavetes, …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
| Moved to New York City | ||
| While employed by the State of Connecticut joined Mark Twain's Maskers of Hartford | ||
1945 | Joined the Merchant Marines as a cook | |
1952 | Worked as an efficiency expert for Budget Bureau of the State of Connecticut | |
1956 | Made Broadway debut playing an English soldier in George Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan" | |
1956 | Professional Off-Broadway debut in Molière's "Don Juan" at the Fourth Street Theatre | |
1957 | Cast in the Circle in the Square's highly successful revival of "The Iceman Cometh" with Jason Robards | |
1958 | Film acting debut in Nicholas Ray's "Wind Across the Everglades" | |
1960 | Received a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination for his role in "Murder, Inc." | |
1961 | Co-starred with Glenn Ford in "Pocketful of Miracles"; earned second Supporting Actor Academy Award nomination | |
1961 | Earned an Emmy nomination for appearing in the "Cold Turkey" episode of James Whitmore's "The Law and Mr. Jones" (ABC) | |
1963 | Played a cab driver in the all-star comedy film "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" | |
1964 | Appeared opposite members of the Rat Pack in the crime spoof, "Robin and the 7 Hoods" | |
1964 | Portrayed Stalin in the Broadway production of "The Passion of Josef D." | |
1965 | Co-starred in the Blake Edwards farce "The Great Race" with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis | |
1965 | Played the title role in his debut TV series, "The Trials of O'Brien" | |
1968 | First appearance as Lt. Columbo in the TV-movie "Prescription: Murder" | |
1970 | First of four appearances in films directed by John Cassavetes, "Husbands" | |
1971 | Played the absent-minded police detective, Lt. Columbo in the long-running TV series "Columbo" (NBC) | |
1971 | Returned to Broadway for Neil Simon's play, "The Prisoner of Second Avenue"; directed by Mike Nichols | |
1972 | Co-starred with Stockard Channing in Neil Simon's play "The Cheap Detective" | |
1974 | Re-teamed with director John Cassavetes for "A Woman Under the Influence" | |
1979 | Co-starred with Alan Arkin in the comedy "The In-Laws" | |
1986 | Featured in the national touring company of David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross" playing shady real-estate salesman, Shelley Levine | |
1987 | Played an ex-angel in Win Wenders' "Wings of Desire" | |
1987 | Played the beloved grandfather in Rob Reiner's fantasy film "The Princess Bride" | |
1989 | Reprised the role of Lt. Columbo for a long-running series of 2-hour ABC TV-movies; also co-executive produced and sometimes wrote | |
1997 | Appeared with Woody Allen in the television adaptation of Neil Simon's play "The Sunshine Boys" (CBS) | |
1998 | Returned to the stage to star in Arthur Miller's "Mr. Peter's Connections" at the Signature Theatre in New York | |
1999 | Appeared in Joe Mantegna's directorial debut, "Lakeboat," which also starred Joe Mantegna, Andy Garcia and John Turturo | |
2000 | Featured in the mobster drama "Made," opposite Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn | |
2001 | Co-starred in the two-part miniseries adaptation of the classic "The Lost World" with Bob Hoskins (aired on the BBC and A&E Networks) | |
2003 | Appeared in the final Columbo TV-movie, "Columbo Likes The Nightlife" on ABC | |
2004 | Provided the voice of Don Brizzi in the animated film "Sharktale" | |
2005 | Played Paul Reiser's father in "The Thing About My Folks"; also written and produced by Reiser | |
2007 | Featured in the thriller "Next" with Nicolas Cage | |
2008 | Final film appearance, playing a family priest in "American Cowslip" | |
Awards
1960 | Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in Murder, Inc. |
1960 | Golden Globe Award for New Star Of The Year - Actor |
1961 | Academy Award for Actor In a Supporting Role in A Pocketful of Miracles |
1961 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance In a Supporting Role By an Actor in The Law and Mr. Jones |
1962 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Single Performance By an Actor In a Leading Role in The Dick Powell Show |
1971 | Golden Globe Award for Actor in a Leading Role - Drama Series Or Television Movie in Columbo |
1972 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Columbo |
1973 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Columbo |
1973 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance By an Actor In a Leading in Columbo |
1974 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Columbo |
1974 | Primetime Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor In a Limited Series in Columbo |
1975 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Columbo |
1975 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor In a Limited Series in Columbo |
1976 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Columbo |
1977 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Columbo |
1977 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Columbo |
1978 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Columbo |
1990 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama in Murder in Malibu |
1990 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo |
1991 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star |
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Caution: Murder Can Be Hazardous to Your Health |
1993 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television in Columbo: It's All in the Game |
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Columbo: Strange Bedfellows |