Falk, Peter (1927-2011), was an American actor known for his distinctive side-of-the-mouth speaking style. Falk also had a characteristic squint that came from losing an eye at the age of 3. He was probably most famous as the eccentric police detective in the television series “Columbo” (1971-1977).
Peter Michael Falk was born in New York City on Sept. 16, 1927. He received a bachelor’s degree from the New School for Social Research in 1951 and a master’s degree in public administration from Syracuse University in 1953. He worked as an efficiency expert for the Connecticut state government until he decided to go into acting in 1955. He began his career on the off-Broadway stage in New York City, appearing in many plays in the late 1950’s, notably the revival of Eugene O’Neill’s tragedy The Iceman Cometh in 1956. He also starred in Neil Simon’s Broadway comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1971).
Falk made his motion-picture debut in Wind Across the Everglades (1958). His major films included Murder Inc. (1960), Pocketful of Miracles (1961), The Great Race (1965), Castle Keep (1969), Murder by Death (1976),The Cheap Detective (1978), The In-Laws (1979), All the Marbles (1981), The Princess Bride (1987), and Tune In Tomorrow (1990). He died on June 23, 2011.
