ACTOR
Peter Falk
- Known for
- Columbo (1971), Murder by Death (1976), Undisputed (2002), A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
49 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
Peter Falk is an actor best known for Columbo, Murder by Death and Undisputed.
23 Interesting Facts About Peter Falk
- #002
Peter Falk became a certified public accountant.
- #003
Peter Falk's daughter, Catherine Falk, is a private detective in real life.
- #006
Falk put to rest a rumor that his trademark Columbo raincoat had been placed in the Smithsonian Institution: he said it was in his closet upstairs.
- #009
A street in his hometown of Ossining, New York, was named after him. Peter Falk removed his trademark raincoat, which was covering the sign, to unveil the Peter Falk Place street sign (2005).
- #012
He had been a heavy smoker since the age of 15, but after he began playing Lieutenant Columbo he also started smoking cigars.
- #014
One of his greatest passions was drawing and sketching; he had a studio on his Beverly Hills property.
- #015
At the age of 17 he wanted to join the United States Marine Corps but was rejected because he was blind in one eye.
- #016
He has a puppet likeness of himself on the French comedy show Les Guignols de l'info (1988).
- #017
He was diagnosed with dementia, possibly caused by Alzheimer's disease (2007).
- #019
He began acting at the age of 26 but did not officially declare himself an actor, and did not move to New York until he was 28.
- #023
Falk believed his performances came across much better when dubbed into foreign languages, especially French.
- #024
Falk inspired at least two Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters: Dick Dastardly in Wacky Races (1968) was based on his Max Meen in The Great Race (1965), and the detective dog Mumbly in The New Tom & Jerry Show (1975) was based on Columbo in general.
- #025
Falk was close friends with Patrick McGoohan. Together they made four television films: By Dawn's Early Light (1974), Identity Crisis (1975), Columbo: Agenda for Murder (1990) and Ashes to Ashes (1998).
- #026
Falk and his close friend John Cassavetes made six films together: Husbands (1970), Machine Gun McCain (1969), Mikey and Nicky (1976), Opening Night (1977), Big Trouble (1986) and A Woman Under the Influence (1974), plus one television film, Étude in Black (1972).
- #029
In early 2007, Falk reportedly optioned a Columbo script titled "Hear no Evil," planned as his 70th and final outing as the detective. ABC declined the project, and the series' producers tried to buy it from foreign production companies, but that did not work. Shortly afterward, Falk was diagnosed with dementia.
- #033
Before becoming an actor, Falk worked as an efficiency expert for the Connecticut State Budget Bureau. He trained in acting with Eva Le Gallienne and Sanford Meisner.
- #035
Falk was president of his high school class.
- #038
The voice of Avatar in the animated film Wizards (1977), performed by Bob Holt, was modeled on Peter Falk.
- #040
Ross Martin was Peter Falk's acting teacher in earlier years.
- #041
At the age of 29, Peter Falk studied acting with the Mark Twain Masquers in Hartford, Connecticut, and worked with Eva Le Gallienne at the White Barn Theatre in Westport, Connecticut.
- #044
Peter Falk was 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) tall.
- #046
Peter Falk's distinctive squint resulted from a tumor in his left eye when he was 3 years old and the placement of a glass eye in place of the eye.
- #047
On 6 May 2020, Peter Falk was honored with the Sketch of the Day cartoon on the Star Portraits website.
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