Shera Danese
| Shera Danese | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 9, 1949 Hartsdale, New York, U.S. |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
| Spouse(s) | Peter Falk (1977–2011; his death) |
Shera Danese (born October 9, 1949) is an American actress and the widow of actor Peter Falk.
Biography
Life and career
Danese was born in Hartsdale, New York. Her acting career began in 1976 with a part in one episode of One Day at a Time. Her other television credits include roles on Serpico, Baretta, Three's Company, Kojak, Family, Hart to Hart, Starsky and Hutch and Charlie's Angels. In one of her few roles on the big screen, she played a prostitute named Vicky in Risky Business, the 1983 film starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay.
Danese had a major role in three of the six Columbo episodes in which she appeared. These include the 1976 Columbo movie Fade in to Murder, 1978's Murder Under Glass, 1989's Murder, a Self Portrait, 1991's Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star, 1994's Columbo: Undercover and, lastly in 1997, Columbo: A Trace of Murder.[1] She was never the killer, but she helped plan the murder in the episode A Trace of Murder - 25th Anniversary Movie. She has the distinction of having acted in more episodes of Columbo than any other actress (but not actor).
Personal life
Shera met Peter Falk on the set of the TV series Columbo and became his second wife on December 7, 1977. They were married for 33 years until Falk's death on June 23, 2011. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease and pneumonia. His tombstone reads "I'm not here. I'm home with Shera."
Peter left his estate including his collection of artwork to Shera; his estate was reported to be worth about $5 million. He also left millions to Catherine and Jackie, his adopted daughters.[2]
The Daily Telegraph said of Falk and Danese, "Unlike the uxorious Lieutenant Columbo, Falk's relationship with his second wife, the actress Sheralyn Danese, remained unpredictable. So frequent were their numerous break ups and reconciliations that they were known in Hollywood as the 'Fighting Falks'. 'She makes me laugh,' Falk said of his 23-year-old wife, 'but if I had to say what we had in common I guess it would be that we both like the colour blue."[3] However, Danese and Falk married in 1977 when she was 28 years old.
References
- ↑ Idmb.com
- ↑ Columbo star Peter Falk leaves bulk of multi million dollar estate to his wife Shera, The Daily Mail, June 24, 2011
- ↑ "Peter Falk Obituary". The Daily Telegraph. June 24, 2011. Retrieved May 1, 2016.