In 18 seasons and nearly 70 episodes, Columbo fans have never had the opportunity to see the wife of the famous inspector who nevertheless regularly refers to it. But on the occasion of the birthday of Peter Falk, who would have celebrated his 93 years this Wednesday, September 16, 2020, Closer invites you to discover who was Shera, the real last love of the American actor who died in 2011.
It was in 1976 that Peter Falk met Shera Danese on the set of an episode of Columbo. She is 27 years old while he is 49. The young woman then plays a pretty blonde secretary who makes an appearance in two scenes of episode Two in one. Previously, Shera Danese had already played in other successful series such as For the Love of Risk or Starsky & Hutch. When he meets this beautiful New Yorker, Peter Falk is still married to Alyce Mayo, the mother of his two children. But love at first sight is obvious and the American actor decides to divorce, in 1976, and remarry, in 1977, with Shera Danese. The latter will subsequently make five other appearances in episodes of Columbo in 1978, 1989, 1991, 1994 and 1997.
Complicated relationship between Shera Danese and Catherine Falk, the actor’s daughter
If between Peter and Shera, it is crazy love, relations are much more complicated between Catherine Falk, the actor’s daughter, and her stepmother. “Since my father married Shera thirty years ago our relationship has become difficult. I kept hundreds of postcards he sent to my sister and me when he was shooting Columbo. Yet when we went Visiting him at his home in Beverly Hills, Shera regularly slammed the door in our face “, claims in particular the one who has become a private detective. Touched by Alzheimer’s disease, Peter Falk, meanwhile, loved his wife until the last second to the point of asking to have his gravestone inscribed: “I’m not here, I’m at home with Shera “.
Peter Falk and Shera Danese © ALPHA AGENCY
3 Responses
It is quite sad that his daughter was not able to be with her father at his bedside upon his death. There should be a law that gives the right to grown children to be at their parents’ last moments on Earth no matter what issues they had.☹️
Wholeharted agree. Heartbreaking to be excluded from a loved ones funeral and rather cruel. Unforgivable.
Absolutely so sad it seems like he obviously was In love with his wife and he loved his children but in that position he’s very very ill and his wife obviously didn’t want reminders of his past but really she should have understood that they were his children that’s the saddest part Peter falk was one of my favourite actors he was perfect but he had a great sense of humour even at the end he had his grave stone say a really lovely thing and yet comical I’m not here, I’m at home with shera ?