Columbo actor Peter Falk dies at his home, aged 83

PETER FALK, the stage and film actor who became identified as the squinty, rumpled detective in Columbo, which spanned 30 years of prime-time television, died at the age of 83 on Thursday night at his Beverly Hills home.

Columbo began its history in 1971 as part of the NBC Sunday Mystery Movie series, appearing every third week. It became by far the most popular of the three mysteries, the others being McCloud and McMillan and Wife.

Falk was reportedly paid $250,000 a movie and could have made much more if he had accepted an offer to convert Columbo into a weekly series. However, he declined, saying that carrying a weekly detective series would be too great a burden.

Columbo — he never had a first name — presented a contrast to other TV detectives. “He looks like a flood victim,” Falk once said. “You feel sorry for him. He appears to be seeing nothing, but he’s seeing everything. Underneath his dishevelment, a good mind is at work.”

NBC cancelled the three series in 1977. In 1989, ABC offered Columbo in a two-hour format usually appearing once or twice a season.

The movies continued into the 21st century. Columbo appeared in 26 foreign countries and was a particular favourite in France and Iran.

Columbo’s trademark was an ancient raincoat Falk had once bought for himself. After 25 years on television, the coat became so tattered it had to be replaced.

Peter Michael Falk was born on September 16, 1927, in New York City and grew up in Ossining, New York, where his parents ran a clothing store.

At three, he had one eye removed because of cancer.

When Falk was starting as an actor in New York, an agent told him, “Of course, you won’t be able to work in movies or TV because of your eye.”

Falk would later win two Oscar nominations (Murder, Inc in 1960 and Pocketful of Miracles in 1961) and collect five Emmys.

Falk is survived by his second wife, actress Shera Danese, and two daughters by his first wife, pianist Alyce Mayo.