Peter Falk

Does any other actor quite meet the definition of avuncular like Peter Falk does? I can't think of any. He's one of those actors that I just don't remember ever not knowing who they are. It's as though at birth I knew of The Beatles, Fred & Ginger, and inexplicably, Peter Falk. Best known as Columbo, that marvelous detective, my first taste of him was his small but endearing role as the grandfather in The Princess Bride. But it was when I saw A Woman Under the Influence in high school that I realised what an incredible talent lies behind knowing smile. I'm checking out some Falk films from the library, re-watching some classics and digging in to a few new ones, such as Murder, Inc. and The In-Laws. More on those later!

(photo kidnapped from metv)