Columbo star Peter Falk leaves bulk of multi million dollar estate to his devoted wife Shera
By Mail Foreign Service and Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:49 AM on 25th June 2011
Columbo star Peter Falk has left the bulk of his multi million dollar estate to his beloved wife of 33 years, Shera.
The star, who passed away at his home in Beverly Hills on Thursday night, set up a trust fund years before he was formally diagnosed with Alzheimers disease, according to Radar.
The estate is said to be worth around $5 million dollars.
Beloved: Peter Falk, pictured with Shera back in 2005, has left the bulk of his $5 million estate to her
'Peter left the bulk of his estate to Shera,' a source told the showbiz website. 'The house that the two of them lived in together, art work, investment accounts, and more have been left to Shera.
It is being reported that Peter also left an estimated six figure inheritance to his two adopted daughters from his first marriage, Catherine and Jackie.
Radar Online goes on to report that the actor had been estranged from Catherine for some time, and suspected that she would challenge the will - so a clause is present to ensure she loses all of her inheritance, if she in any way contests his instructions.
'Peter's daughter Catherine had a very strained relationship with her stepmother, Shera for years, and tried to get conservatorship of Peter several years ago,' the source adds.
Estranged: Peter and his adopted daughter Catherine together at a New York event back in 2002
'The judge flatly denied that request because Shera proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was providing excellent care of her husband at home.'
The website reports that Catherine was allowed to see her father once a month at a neutral location, and adds that the actor had a good relationship with his other adopted daughter Jackie.
Following treatment at a Southern California hospital for several weeks, Shera brought Peter home for his final few days.
'He died very peacefully with his wife by his side,' the source tells Radar.'
The actor had been ill for some time, battling against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Peter Falk starred as Columbo from 1973 up until 2003 - with the show heralded as one of the greatest detective dramas of all time
Battle over: Prior to his death, Falk had been battling with dementia and Alzheimer's
Despite a long and varied career, Falk gained fame for his portrayal of the glass-eyed, dishevelled but crafty Los Angeles Lieutenant.
Columbo always wore a grubby rain mac and smoked cigars, and usually made a false exit before uttering his catchphrase: ‘Just one more thing.’
His portrayal of the cop spawned numerous impressions.
The original series ran for seven years from 1971, but was constantly re-commissioned throughout the 1980s and 1990s due to its popularity.
JUST ONE MORE THING...
After his stint in the Marines, Falk applied to join the CIA but was rejected and turned to acting - he made his debut as Richard III in Hartford, Connecticut where he was working as a management analyst before leaving for his native New York to pursue an acting career.
He arrived in 1956 and within six months was cast in his first professional role as Sagnarele in Don Juan.
Throughout the late 1950s Falk appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions.He made his Broadway debut as the young Joseph Stalin in The Passion of Joseph D in 1964.
His film debut came in 1958 in Wind Across The Everglades and followed it with a small role in The Bloody Brood.
In his first two years in Hollywood, Falk won considerable acclaim for both his film and television work
Between 1965 and 1966 Falk won considerable popularity in the role of the barrister Daniel O'Brian in The Trials of O'Brian. Falk's performance as the dishevelled but brilliant lawyer brought him to the attention of Link and Lewison, who were looking for an actor to play Lieutenant Columbo.
Falk agreed to do a pilot for the show and Prescription; Murder was made in 1968.
The film was a success and Falk began rehearsing the first series of Columbo in 1970.
Falk eventually left the series in 1977 after complaining that the quality of the scripts had deteriorated. He returned to his film career with a series of comedy roles in The Brink's Job, The Cheap Detective both in 1978 and The In-Laws in 1979, playing both criminals and detectives.
He also worked with indie auteur John Cassavetes on several improvisational films in the 1970s, including Husbands and A Woman Under the Influence.
But in the early 1980s Falk's film career faltered when he made the unwise choice of accepting the lead in The California Dolls as the manager of two female wrestlers.
However, in 1987 he endeared himself to a generation of younger fans when he took on the role of grandfather in The Princess Bride.
In 1989 Falk returned to the role of Lieutenant Columbo for one last series of films, he last donned the famous mac in 2003.
He arrived in 1956 and within six months was cast in his first professional role as Sagnarele in Don Juan.
Throughout the late 1950s Falk appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions.He made his Broadway debut as the young Joseph Stalin in The Passion of Joseph D in 1964.
His film debut came in 1958 in Wind Across The Everglades and followed it with a small role in The Bloody Brood.
In his first two years in Hollywood, Falk won considerable acclaim for both his film and television work
Between 1965 and 1966 Falk won considerable popularity in the role of the barrister Daniel O'Brian in The Trials of O'Brian. Falk's performance as the dishevelled but brilliant lawyer brought him to the attention of Link and Lewison, who were looking for an actor to play Lieutenant Columbo.
Falk agreed to do a pilot for the show and Prescription; Murder was made in 1968.
The film was a success and Falk began rehearsing the first series of Columbo in 1970.
Falk eventually left the series in 1977 after complaining that the quality of the scripts had deteriorated. He returned to his film career with a series of comedy roles in The Brink's Job, The Cheap Detective both in 1978 and The In-Laws in 1979, playing both criminals and detectives.
He also worked with indie auteur John Cassavetes on several improvisational films in the 1970s, including Husbands and A Woman Under the Influence.
But in the early 1980s Falk's film career faltered when he made the unwise choice of accepting the lead in The California Dolls as the manager of two female wrestlers.
However, in 1987 he endeared himself to a generation of younger fans when he took on the role of grandfather in The Princess Bride.
In 1989 Falk returned to the role of Lieutenant Columbo for one last series of films, he last donned the famous mac in 2003.
A staple of Sunday afternoon TV, its repeats still regularly run throughout the world. The debut episode was directed by a young Steven Spielberg.
Falk won four Emmys for his portrayal of the policeman. His last appearance as Columbo was as recently as 2003.
Actor-director John Cassavetes referred to Falk as the man ‘everybody falls in love with’.
At the height of his fame he was being paid some £300,000 per episode. Despite this he constantly asked network chiefs to release him from the role only for him to return again and again.
Falk was much more than just the role he achieved global fame for, the actor was also nominated twice for an Oscar - in 1960 for a film called Murder inc. and the following year for a movie called Pocketful of Miracles.
Other notable movies in which Falk appeared included It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and The Great Race where he appeared as Jack Lemmon’s evil sidekick. He also appeared on Broadway, once as Soviet leader Stalin.
Columbo was a success as soon as the first episode was screened. The programme defied all the conventions of television detective drama.
The viewer saw the murderer commit the crime, there were no car chases, no sex or violence, and Falk often did not appear during the first half an hour of the programme.
The success of the series rested with Falk's performance, and input, in the lead role.
He invested the shabby, preoccupied detective with such depth that the show became one of the most successful detective series in the world.
Falk excelled in embodying the class element of the show, as working for the Los Angeles Police Department, Columbo was almost always sneered at as a working class interloper by the super-rich of Beverly Hills, Malibu and Brentwood that he investigated.
The actor put much of his personality into ensuring that Columbo, who drove his battered old car into the vast estates of Bel Air, never cared about how much money anyone did or didn't have.
But the really likeable aspect of Falk's performance was the fact that he made his hero humble, he never gloated about bagging a condescending killer.
It was the dignified victory of the many over the cloistered few in every episode, and at the heart of Columbo's mass appeal.
Famous face: Peter Falk, in his role as Columbo, which was aired in over 40 countries
Big screen: Falk starred in the 2001 film Corky Romano portraying a Mafia boss
Villains no matter how evil were always addressed as 'ma'am,' or 'sir' as the deceptively bumbling detective distracted their smooth patter midway by plucking a boiled egg from his pocket, or delivering that famous line after exiting a room.
Levinson and Link said that Falk wore the same suit, tie, and shoes for the entire run of the series.
Falk himself picked out the Peugeot car that Columbo rattled around L.A. in; its tan color matched his character’s coat.
It was even said that film director Federico Fellini would leave dinner parties to go watch the latest episode of Columbo, such was the impact of Falk's performance.
He was also an accomplished artist.
A New Yorker, Falk did not turn to acting until the age of 30. He was initially told not to turn to acting because of his glass eye.
Man of many talents: Falk, wearing a German police officer uniform on the TV show 'Wetten, dass...?' (Bet, That...) in Germany is survived by his wife Shera and daughter Catherine
Falk lost an eye at the age of three because of a malignant tumour.
The disability also saw him rejected from the armed services but undeterred Falk joined the United States Merchant Marine, and served as a cook and mess boy.
He recalled in his autobiography, Just One More Thing: 'There they don't care if you're blind or not, the only one on a ship who has to see is the captain. And in the case of the Titanic, he couldn't see very well, either.'
He served as a Marine in the years after World war Two before unsuccessfully applied to work for the CIA.
It was only after being rejected by the agency that he turned to acting.
Flashback: Peter Falk, pictured with actress Gena Rowlands in the film 'The Brinks Job'
Star: Falk alongside legendary British actor Peter Sellers, left, in the film 'Murder by Death'
Falk was married twice.
In 1960 he wed his fellow Syracuse University student Alyce Mayo.
They adopted two daughters but divorced in 1976.
A year later Falk married Shera Danese, who regularly appeared on Columbo, the actress, who survives him was 21 years his junior and in typical fashion he joked about the age difference.
When asked in the 70s what they had in common, he replied: 'I think it's safe to say that we both like the colour blue.'
The acting world also paid tributes to Falk today.
John Favreau, who co-starred with Falk in Favreau’s directorial debut, 2001′s Made said: 'He was a pioneer of independent film and redefined what you could do on television.
'He brought tremendous truth and honesty to his performances. I was blessed to have worked with him.'
Alec Baldwin tweeted: 'Peter Falk in Cassavetes' HUSBANDS. Flights of Angels ...'
In 1960 he wed his fellow Syracuse University student Alyce Mayo.
They adopted two daughters but divorced in 1976.
A year later Falk married Shera Danese, who regularly appeared on Columbo, the actress, who survives him was 21 years his junior and in typical fashion he joked about the age difference.
When asked in the 70s what they had in common, he replied: 'I think it's safe to say that we both like the colour blue.'
Popularity: Falk presenting a Golden Camera Award in Berlin back in 2004
John Favreau, who co-starred with Falk in Favreau’s directorial debut, 2001′s Made said: 'He was a pioneer of independent film and redefined what you could do on television.
'He brought tremendous truth and honesty to his performances. I was blessed to have worked with him.'
Alec Baldwin tweeted: 'Peter Falk in Cassavetes' HUSBANDS. Flights of Angels ...'
Happy together: Peter and Shera, who were together for 33 years, as they attended a Beverly Hills gala back in 2002
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