"He can break your heart and make you laugh," - defined the dramatic range of the actor famous director William Friedkin.Film stars Peter Falk is best known for the Russian audience for the television series about the meticulous and charismatic Lieutenant Colombo.However, the actor starred in his long life in art in more than one hundred and ninety projects, has solid awards and millions of fans.
Peter Falk.Biography, beginning
He was born September 16, 1927 in America, but his great-grandfather immigrated here from Russia in the late 19th century.The father of the future actor was a haberdasher, mother - an accountant.On stage, Peter's career seriously thought about, despite the fact that the time in the school participated in the children's performances.Interests boys were diverse: he was interested not only in art but also in sports.After college, Peter Falk tried to join the armed forces of the United States, but because of the artificial eye to it was not accepted.
Life before the scene
actor right eye lost in the age of three.The teacher in a kindergarten drew attention to the fact that the country boy turns his head, looking at something, the child checked by an ophthalmologist, and it turned out that the baby suffers from retinoblastoma - a malignant tumor of the retina.The eye was removed and covered the first black band, and later "have built" a glass body.Still later, it was replaced by plastic.The prosthesis has not prevented the leadership of the Navy to adopt a young Falk to the ship's cook.On this occasion, the actor once joked: "No one bothered, blind or not. The only one who has to see perfectly is the captain, although in the case of" Titanic "and he did not see very well."
After serving six years in the Navy, Peter Falk returned to New York and enrolled at university to study literature and politics.In 1951, after graduating from the Institute for Social Research, a young man was awarded the degree of Bachelor of Political Science.In 1953 he received a master's degree in public administration.Falk tries to get a job at the CIA, but fails, goes to work in the State Budget Office as an analyst.Simultaneously Falk learned the basics of acting in special courses.
success
first professional work, Peter Falk was the role of the servant of Don Juan in the play by Moliere, while the actor was about thirty years.At the same time he began to play on Broadway, and in 1957 he saw a television audience.
In 1960, the actor decided to leave the scene for the film and moved to Los Angeles, close to Hollywood.The first feature film, which starred Peter Falk, was a film "Murder Incorporated" for her role in the actor was nominated for "Oscar".It was announced on the prize "Emmy" for the image created in "The Law and Mr. Jones".Again, the actor became a contender for the "Oscar", starring in the film "Pocketful of Miracles" and the owner of the "Emmy" after the tape "The price of tomato juice."This rapid success in such a short time is not surprising: the skill and charm the actor was not to occupy.
TV career
actor chose the role in the television project is very deliberately.Rejecting the series is not it interesting proposals Falk agreed to participate in a comedy detective series called "The Case of O'Brien."While the story and setting are at a high level, and the series was evaluated positively by critics, the movie did not get a great rating.Comedy genius manifested itself in him, Peter Falk, whose filmography soon shone another TV role, glorified actor on the world.
My name is Colombo
That was the name of the show in the Russian version.The character was so precisely and subtly played by an actor, that he began to have many viewers firmly associated with a keen detective eternally rumpled light raincoat.Colombo had lived on the screen for more than 35 years and during that time has collected four statuettes "Emmy" for Best Actor.Many times the film was nominated for the award and the "Golden Globe".The first episode aired in 1968, it was called "precept:" Murder ", and then, in 1971, there was a second series of" Etude in black tones. "The series was not slow to enter the top five on channel NBC Mystery Wheel. Since 1978and 1988 in the production of the series was a break, and then the show resumed and continued until 2003. Despite the fact that thirty-five years, the public never knew the name of Lieutenant Kolobmo, this figure has become a real cult. Peter Falk, Columbo differed from other cinedetectives and appearance, and behavior. The apparent simplicity and naivete of his hiding sharp deductive mind, and the apparent distraction - limiting concentration and strict logic. Stories about Colombo is also different from all the others in that the viewer's attention kept no secret clues - her audienceseen from the first frame of the film - and intriguing work of mind favorite detective with a characteristic squint and cigar unchanged. Today, devoted fans around the world are united in the fan clubs of Colombo and painstakingly gather information about their idol.
theatrical career
In 1971, the actor was invited back to Broadway in Neil Simon's statement, "The Prisoner of Second Avenue."For this work he won Tony Award.Another triumph was the role of the theater in a production of Arthur Miller's "Communication Mr. Peter."In 2000, the actor played in the theater of Los Angeles Geffen Playhouse in the play Defiled.Yet the movie was for Peter more fertile place than the theater scene.
film career
Friendship with director Neil Simon led to the fact that Falk starred in several of his films - "Murder by Death," "The Sunshine Boys" in which he starred with Woody Allen, and "Cheap Detective".Falk comic gift is especially apparent in the film "The Wedding Party" Arthur Hiller, tells about the robbery of a bank machine.Here, too, it involved a favorite actor detective story, which is played out with great humor.
with actor Joe Mantegna, Peter starred in the film "The Americans", received in 1986 the prestigious Pulitzer Prize.Unforgettable was the play of the actor in the 1999 film "Summer storm" Robert Wise Rod Serling scenario.Working with Joe Mantegna in "American" resulted in the fact that Joe invited Peter Falk in his directorial debut - the picture "Boat", where Falk starred with John Tarturo and Andy Garcia.
close friend of the actor was a talented actor, screenwriter and director John Cassavetes.They Falk were largely similar.On the other Peter Falk starred in three motion pictures: "Husbands," "A Woman Under the Influence" and "Mickey and Nicky."
In the romantic film "The Princess Bride" Bob Reiner Peter Falk created a funny and touching image of my grandfather, who came to visit a sick grandchild and read him a book about a princess.
In "Sky over Berlin" excellent Falk played a cameo appearing as an angel.This work brought the actor critical acclaim.With the same enthusiasm as they were met by Peter Falk in the movie "Passion of luck," "Listen to Tomorrow," "So far, so close", "Roommates," "Cash Kings."
At the beginning of the new millennium
During his trip to New Zealand, Falk starred in the two-part adaptation of Conan Doyle's "The Lost World" (2001).In the same year the actor starred in a fairy tale "City Without Christmas" ranked the highest place in the ranking of CBS.2002 in the career of the actor's role in the film was marked "non-negotiable".In early 2003, Falk appears in the movie "Columbo like night life", and in April this year, he received the award "for his contribution to cinema."From 2003 to 2004, the actor voiced the character of Don Bisi illustration in "Shark Tale."In the 2004 film, created for the theatrical play "make room", the role of head of the family, declared himself dying to raise a family, again with talent and recklessly played Peter Falk.His film delighted the public until 2009, when the actor starred as the father Randolph in the film "American Cowslip".
personal life and hobbies
actor all his life fond of chess and drawing.The love of painting began when during breaks on set, he did outline talented.In America we have repeatedly held exhibitions of his work.Peter Falk (photo of his paintings are on his website), charcoal drawing and watercolor.In addition, the artist was no stranger to literature and wrote an autobiographical book, the title of which used the phrase, often uttered Colombo: "Another thing: Stories of my life."
actor was married twice.The first time - on classmate Alice Mayo, with which they have adopted two girls.One of them was a private detective, and another - a psychologist.The second time Falk married actress Denise Cheret, who played with him in the television series "Columbo."The couple have lived in harmony for over 25 years in a house in Beverly Hills.
Peter Falk died on 23 June 2011 in the age of 83 and is buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in western Los Angeles.
