Filed by KOSU News in Art & Life.
June 27, 2011

Peter Falk, who was known to TV viewers around the world for his portrayal of the disheveled and seemingly inept homicide detective Lt. Columbo, died on Thursday. He was 83.

Falk joined Fresh Air’s Terry Gross in 1995 for a discussion about his acting career and about what it was like to grow up with a glass eye.

“I was very comfortable with it,” he said. “And I realized you could get a laugh with it. … You could always get people’s attention if you took a spoon and tapped it.”

Falk won three Emmys for his work on Columbo. He was also nominated for two Oscars and appeared in stage productions by Paddy Chayefsky, Neil Simon and Arthur Miller. His film credits include Murder By Death, The In-Laws, and The Princess Bride. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]