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Shera Danese

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shera Danese
Years active1975–2010
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1977; died 2011)​

Shera Danese is an American actress and the widow of actor Peter Falk, the star of Columbo. Danese appeared alongside Falk on Columbo in several supporting roles and holds the distinction of making the most appearances of any actress in the series.[1][2]

Biography

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Life and career

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Danese was the 1970 Miss Pennsylvania World.[3]

Her acting career began in 1975 playing the part of Kitty in an episode of the TV series Medical Story (credited as Sherry Danese). She subsequently guest-starred in other TV series during the 1970s, with appearances in One Day at a Time, Serpico, Baretta, Three's Company, Kojak, Family, Hart to Hart, Starsky and Hutch, and Charlie's Angels.

In one of her few movie roles, Danese starred with Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay in Risky Business (1983), playing a prostitute named Vicki. In 2005, she appeared alongside her husband Peter Falk in the movie Checking Out.[4]

Columbo (1976–1997)

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Danese had major supporting roles in six episodes of the TV series Columbo, appearing alongside her husband Peter Falk (who starred as Lieutenant Columbo), in "Fade in to Murder" (1976), "Murder Under Glass" (1978), "Murder, a Self Portrait" (1989), "Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star" (1991), "Undercover" (1994), and "A Trace of Murder" (1997). Although she played the killer only once, Danese has the distinction of having appeared in more episodes of the series than any other actress.[5][6]

Ace Crawford, Private Eye

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In 1983 she appeared in the comedy series Ace Crawford, Private Eye alongside Tim Conway. She starred as Luana, a singer at The Shanty who lusted after Crawford.

Personal life

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Danese met Peter Falk on the set of the movie Mikey and Nicky[7] and became his second wife on December 7, 1977. They were married for 33 years until Falk's death on June 23, 2011, at age 83 from complications of Alzheimer's disease and pneumonia. She is mentioned on his headstone: "I'm not here. I'm home with Shera."

Danese was Falk's conservator and, according to his daughter Catherine, prevented some of his family members from visiting him, did not notify them of major changes in his condition, and did not notify them of his death and funeral arrangements. Catherine Falk later encouraged the passage of legislation, called Peter Falk's Law, that provides guidelines that guardians and conservators for an incapacitated person must comply with regarding visitation rights and notice of death.[8][9][10] As of 2016 more than ten states had enacted such laws.[11]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1975 Medical Story Kitty Season 1 Episode 5: "An Air Full of Death"
1976 One Day at a Time Miss Hefley Season 1 Episode 4: "How to Succeed Without Trying"
1976 Having Babies Kristy Potter TV Movie
1976–1977 Serpico Mildred / Jan 2 episodes
1976–1977 Three's Company Barmaid 2 episodes
1976–1978 Columbo Molly / Eve Plummer 2 episodes
1977 Baretta Jill Season 3 Episode 16: "The Reunion"
1977 The Feather and Father Gang Photo Assistant Season 1 Episode 10: "Murder at F-Stop 11"
1977 New York, New York Doyle's Girl in Major Chord
1977 Kojak Sally Centorini Season 5 Episode 12: "I Could Kill My Wife's Lawyer"
1977–1978 Starsky and Hutch Judith Coppet / Nicole Monk 2 episodes
1978 Fame Lucia TV Movie
1978–1979 Family Bambi 2 episodes
1979 Charlie's Angels Connie Season 3 Episode 15: "Disco Angels"
1979 The Love Tapes Susan TV Movie
1979 Hart to Hart Carla Season 1 Episode 1: "Hit Jennifer Hart"
1982 Million Dollar Infield Bunny Wahl TV Movie
1983 Your Place... or Mine TV Movie
1983 Ace Crawford, Private Eye Luana Series regular
1983 Risky Business Vicki
1983 Sparkling Cyanide Christine Shannon TV Movie
1984 Maggie Briggs Connie Piscipoli 3 episodes
1984 Brothers Pepe Season 1 Episode 10: "Standards and Practices"
1985 Detective in the House Gina Season 1 Episode 7: "Gelt by Association"
1985 The Ladies Club Eva
1987 Baby Boom Cloak Room Attendant
1989 Midnight Caller Jo Season 1 Episode 10: "Fathers and Sins"
1989 Columbo: Murder, A Self Portrait Vanessa Barsini TV Movie
1989 Mulberry Street Joanne Savoia TV Movie
1991 Columbo: Columbo and the Murder of a Rock Star Trish Fairbanks TV Movie
1992 Unbecoming Age Letty
1994 Columbo: Undercover Geraldine Ferguson TV Movie
1997 Columbo: A Trace of Murder Cathleen Calvert TV Movie
2000 Enemies of Laughter Helen
2002 John Q Wife of Heart Transplant Patient
2002 Who's Your Daddy? Honey Mack Video
2005 Checking Out Rhonda Applebaum
2006 Alpha Dog Abby
2010 Cold Case Lana Parker '10 Season 7 Episode 12: "The Runaway Bunny"

References

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  1. ^ "Peter Falk's real wife appeared on Columbo more than any other actress". MeTV. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019.
  2. ^ "Shera Danese". BFI. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  3. ^ "Pennsylvania People". The Indiana Gazette. Pennsylvania, Indiana. Associated Press. November 16, 1977. p. 34. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  4. ^ "Shera Danese - Credits". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  5. ^ "Peter Falk's real wife appeared on Columbo more than any other actress". MeTV.
  6. ^ "Shera Danese". BFI. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved 2021-10-17.
  7. ^ King, Susan (1991-04-27). "Shera Danese, Peter Falk's Missus, Tangles With Columbo for 4th Time". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2017-11-06.
  8. ^ "Peter Falk's Law Becomes a Reality in New York | Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP | Westchester New York".
  9. ^ Kim, Victoria (May 28, 2009). "Relatives Fight For Control of 'Columbo' Star Peter Falk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  10. ^ "The Catherine Falk Story – Catherine Falk Organization". Catherinefalkorganization.org. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  11. ^ "Peter Falk | Columbo's Estate Dispute". 13 August 2018.
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