American actor Peter Falk is well known for his role in the television detective series Colombo, which brought him worldwide fame and recognition.
Biography of Peter Falk
Peter Michael Falk was born on September 16, 1927 in New York. His parents were American accountants and Eastern Europeans of Jewish descent. Peter Falk has Russian, Hungarian, Czech roots.
Having lost his right eye at the age of three due to a tumor, Peter Falk was replaced with a glass prosthesis. In the future, this squint will become the hallmark of the actor. After graduating from high school and a brief stint in college, Falk took a job as a ship's chef. He later returned to his studies, even earning a master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University.
Peter Falk discovered his acting talent while working in Hatford. At the age of 29, he left his position in the state structure for the theater stage.
Peter Falk's career
The future theater and film actor Peter Falk began his career rather late, at the age of 29. During the early stages of his career, Peter Falk was often cast as urban gangsters or working class members.
In 1956 he made his Broadway debut in the production of Don Giovanni. In 1958, Peter Falk appeared in the film The Wind Over the Plains opposite Christopher Plummer and Gypsy Rose Lee. Falk soon becomes a noticed actor, often playing the role of criminals. In 1960, Peter Falk was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in Murder, Inc.
In 1965, the comedy adventure film Big Races was released on the big screens, where Peter Falk starred with such Hollywood actors as Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis.
The most popular actor brought the role in the detective series "Colombo", in which he used the image of a rude and boring simpleton detective, always exposing criminals and fraudsters. This image was very fond of the audience, thanks to which the series was a huge success. The first series was released in 1968, later, with interruptions, the series appeared from 1971 to 1978, and from 1989 to 2003.
In addition to Colombo, Falk has appeared in several popular crime comedies, including Supper with Murder (1977) and In-Laws (1981). Peter Falk starred until 2003, appearing for the last time as Lieutenant Columbo. The actor's health was badly shaken, Peter Falk suffered from Alzheimer's disease. On June 23, 2011, the actor passed away at the age of 83.
Personal life of Peter Falk
Peter Falk married Alice Mayo in 1960. They adopted two daughters and divorced in 1976. In 1977, Peter's wife becomes actress Shera Danese, who has repeatedly appeared in the TV series "Colombo".
A monument to the hero of Peter Falk, Lieutenant Colombo and his dog is erected in Budapest.
