Actor Peter Falk has died at the age of 83. He was best known for his portrayal of one of the most famous characters in the history of television: homicide detective ‘Lt. Columbo’ in the TV series Columbo. The character was partially based on the detective ‘Porfiry Petrovich’ in Crime and Punishment.

Falk also acted in and financially supported his friend John Cassavetes’s (the actor with Falk in the Columbo clip posted above) landmark independent films.

Husbands

A Woman Under the Influence

And, of course, who can forget this classic scene in the 1979 Andrew Bergman comedy The In-Laws.

Falk received his first Academy Award nomination (for Best Supporting Actor) for his role in the movie Murder, Inc. (His second nomination for Best Supporting Actor was for Pocketful of Miracles.)

[Thanks to Carleton Bryant for this clip]