Peter Michael Falk was born on 16 September 1927, in New York City, USA, of Jewish descent. Peter was an actor, probably best known for playing the role of Lieutenant Columbo in the television series “Columbo”. He also made appearances in various films such as “A Woman Under the Influence”, Murder by Death” and “The Princess Bride”. All of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich was Peter Falk? As of mid-2016, sources estimate a net worth that was at $14 million, mostly earned through a successful career as an actor. He is considered one of the best television actors of all time, and was rewarded multiple times for his work. He also had a well-known stage career, and all of these helped raise Peter’s wealth prior to his passing.
Peter Falk Net Worth $14 Million
As a young boy, Falk had his right eye surgically removed because of retinoblastoma. Due to this he had to wear an artificial eye for most of his life, though it did not affect him much as he still played sports. One of his first acting opportunities was in a production of “The Pirates of Penzance” at the age of 12 years. He attended Ossining High School and matriculated in 1945 before attending Hamilton College, although he tried to enlist for World War II but his missing eye led to rejection. He then worked for a year as a cook and mess boy for the United States Merchant Marine. He went back to Hamilton and later attended the University of Wisconsin, before transferring to the New School for Social Research where he graduated with a degree in literature and political science. After school, he travelled to Europe and worked in (then) Yugoslavia before returning to the US, to study at Syracuse University, graduating this time with a Master of Public Administration degree, after which he found work at the Connecticut State Budget Bureau.
He joined a group called Mark Twain Masquers and started to performing in productions such as “The Crucible” and “The Country Girl”. He eventually quit his job at the Bureau and tried his hand at professional acting. He then got opportunities to act on stage in New York, for example in “Don Juan” and “The Iceman Cometh”. In 1956, he made his Broadway debut in a production of “Diary of a Scoundrel”.
Despite his success on stage, he couldn’t get film work because of his eye. He first appeared on screen doing small roles such as “The Bloody Brood” and “Pretty Boy Floyd”. In the film “Murder, Inc.”, he started to earn recognition and his performance would be the reason for more opportunities to act. He appeared in the 1960 series “The Witness” which earned him a nomination for an Academy Award. He then went on to appear in “Pocketful of Miracles”, “Robin and the 7 Hoods” and “The Great Race”.
Around this time, he started to be cast in various television roles, and became really well known because of the series “Columbo”. He portrayed the title character, who was a police detective, at times absent-minded. The character first appeared in “Prescription; Murder” but the popularity earned him the chance to continue the character in various films and his own television series. “Columbo” aired as part of “NBC Mystery Movie” and had a run from 1971 to 1978. The character then moved networks, and Peter continued to perform the role until 2003.
For his personal life, Peter married Alyce Mayo in 1960, and they adopted two daughters, but divorced in 1976. He married Shera Danese in 1977 and they were together until his passing in 2011. Falk was plagued by dementia later in life, and was then diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Eventually at the age of 83, he died due to complications from Alzheimer’s and pneumonia. He is survived by his two daughters and wife.
