'Columbo' Star Peter Falk Dies

Actor Peter Falk, perhaps best known for starring in the series "Columbo," has passed away. He was 83.

The five-time Emmy award winner, and two-time Oscar nominee passed away Thursday night in Beverly Hills.

Falk was born on September 16, 1927 in New York City. The future actor had his right eye removed at a young age due to a malignant tumor, and lived the rest of his life with a glass eye. As a result, he was unable to join the armed services, and joined the merchant marine instead. After a short stint in the merchant marine, Falk graduated with a bachelor's degree from The New School for Social Research, then later obtained a master's degree from Syracuse University.

While working in Hartford, Connecticut for the State Budget Bureau, Falk got involved in community theater, later becoming a Tony-award winning actor on Broadway, before making his screen debut. Falk was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for 'Murder, Inc.,' as well as for his role in Frank Capra's 'Pocketful of Miracles.'

But it wasn't until 1968 that Falk debuted on TV in the role for which he would earn four Emmys and multiple additional nominations, playing Lieutenant Columbo first in two television movies, then in the series, "Columbo." The show aired from 1971 to 1977, and continued in a series of TV movies as late as 2003. Falk also won an Emmy for his work in 1961's "The Dick Powell Theatre."

In recent years Falk was in the news, after suffering from dementia and being put under conservatorship in 2009, with his wife Shera being appointed to handle his affairs. According to the AP, Falk's daughter Catherine had petitioned to take over her father's affairs, but instead the court had granted her 30-minute visits every other month.

Falk is survived by his wife Shera, and his daughters Catherine and Jackie.