A cultural phenomenon, Columbo remains the ultimate comfort show for viewers around the world. Following its premiere on NBC in 1971, the American crime drama, which follows the private investigations of Lieutenant Columbo, catapulted its lead, the late Peter Falk, to international stardom. Garnering the actor four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe during its 69-episode run, the character of Columbo wasn't far removed from the man playing him. "My mom always told me my dad was Columbo long before Columbo found my dad," Peter's daughter, Catherine Falk, told Closer.
© Disney General Entertainment Con"He'd ask the same question like 20 different ways until he got the answer that he wanted. He was always curious about things." A devoted family man, Peter, who adopted two daughters, Catherine and Jackie, with his first wife and college sweetheart, Alyce Mayo, cherished his role as a father, just as he did the role of Columbo. "He was exactly the same on screen as off screen," Catherine shared with CBS News. "He was just this tender, really funny, goofy person."
Catherine Falk's relationship with her famous father
Catherine has spoken highly of her beloved father, who passed away in 2011. Joining Closer for an interview in 2023, she said, "The greatest lesson I learned from my father was how to size people up. He had a true gift for that. He taught me how to analyse people's gestures, body language and physical movements."
For Catherine and her sister, Jackie, there was never any tension between their parents, who divorced in 1976. Describing them as "best friends," Catherine added, "I remember watching my mom and dad laugh and tell stories about their college years. It was nice as a teenager to experience that."
© Getty ImagesA passionate and creative man, Catherine remembers Peter as someone consumed by art, politics and music, who often brought the whole family to movie premieres and on set visits, while also treating them to ice hockey games and days skating at the local ice rink.
Catherine's fight to see her father in his final years
Catherine, who previously worked as a private investigator, founded the Catherine Falk Organisation in 2011 to champion the 'Peter Falk Law'. A family visitation bill, which ensures that children from previous marriages cannot be blocked from seeing their incapacitated parents, Catherine was inspired to start the foundation after her father's second wife, actress Shera Denise, isolated Peter, who was diagnosed with advanced dementia in 2008, from his two daughters in the final years of his life.
© WireImage for Guccio Gucci SpaAccording to the foundation's website, Shera had failed to disclose Peter's illness to his children and prevented them from visiting him. As a result, Catherine filed a petition for conservatorship of her father in the Los Angeles Supreme Court in December 2008, which, after seven months of litigation, ordered the conservator, Shera, to allow Catherine to see her father. "It cost me close to $100,000 in my money, not my dad's money, my money to get in just before he passed away; that's wrong," Catherine told CBS in 2016.
Catherine, who continues to lobby for family rights legislation in the US, is also an advocate for elder abuse prevention and guardianship reform. According to the foundation, the Peter Falk Law bill is being considered by Legislatures in over 20 states. Additionally, the organisation provides resources to families trying to get visitation rights to an elderly parent.
