Shera Danese

Danese was the 1970 Miss Pennsylvania World.{{cite news |title=Pennsylvania People |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-indiana-gazette-shera-danese/163383174/ |access-date=January 19, 2025 |work=The Indiana Gazette |agency=Associated Press |date=November 16, 1977 |location=Pennsylvania, Indiana |page=34}}

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.{{Cite web|title=Shera Danese - Credits|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/shera_danese|access-date=2021-10-17|website=Rotten Tomatoes|language=en}}

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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.metv.com/stories/peter-falks-real-wife-appeared-on-columbo-more-than-any-other-actress|title=Peter Falk's real wife appeared on Columbo more than any other actress|website=MeTV}}{{Cite web|title=Shera Danese|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba1e12fc2|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108165744/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba1e12fc2|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 8, 2017|access-date=2021-10-17|website=BFI|language=en}}

=== Ace Crawford, Private Eye ===

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.

Danese met Peter Falk on the set of the movie Mikey and Nicky{{Cite news|last=King|first=Susan|date=1991-04-27|title=Shera Danese, Peter Falk's Missus, Tangles With Columbo for 4th Time|language=en-US|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-27-ca-408-story.html|url-status=live|access-date=2017-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025045336/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-04-27/entertainment/ca-408_1_shera-danese|archive-date=2018-10-25|issn=0458-3035}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.esslawfirm.com/Articles/Peter-Falk-s-Law-Becomes-a-Reality-in-New-York.shtml|title = Peter Falk's Law Becomes a Reality in New York | Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP | Westchester New York}}{{cite news|last=Kim|first= Victoria| title= Relatives Fight For Control of 'Columbo' Star Peter Falk|url= http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-falk28-2009may28,0,3158489.story| date= May 28, 2009|work=Los Angeles Times| accessdate = May 28, 2009}}{{cite web|url=https://catherinefalkorganization.org/the-catherine-falk-story/ |title=The Catherine Falk Story – Catherine Falk Organization |publisher=Catherinefalkorganization.org |date= |accessdate=2019-05-23}} As of 2016 more than ten states had enacted such laws.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hackardlaw.com/blog/2018/08/peter-falk-columbos-estate-dispute.shtml|title = Peter Falk | Columbo's Estate Dispute|date = 13 August 2018}}

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Category:American film actresses

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century American actresses

Category:People from Hartsdale, New York

Category:American television actresses

Category:Actresses from New York (state)

Category:21st-century American women

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)