The 76-year-old star appeared energetic as she ran errands around the city earlier this week. She kept things simple, wearing an all-black casual outfit that contrasted sharply with the elegant red-carpet looks she once wore while accompanying her famous husband, actor Peter Falk.
Falk, best known for portraying the rumpled detective in the iconic crime series Columbo, was one of television’s most beloved stars and won several Emmy Awards during his long career. Danese frequently appeared alongside him in public events during their decades-long marriage, becoming a recognizable figure in Hollywood circles.
The couple’s relationship began in the mid-1970s when Falk was filming the movie Mikey and Nicky near Danese’s hometown in Pennsylvania. According to Danese, the actor first noticed her while she was walking down the street. Although Falk was still married at the time, their relationship eventually developed, and after his divorce from his first wife, Alyce Mayo, the pair married in 1977. Danese was 22 years younger than her future husband.
Before her acting career took off, Danese had already experienced a bit of fame after being crowned Miss Pennsylvania World in 1970. She soon moved into television work and made her screen debut in 1975 in the medical drama Medical Story. At the time she was credited as Sherry Danese.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, she became a regular guest star on several popular TV series, including Three’s Company, Kojak, Starsky & Hutch, Hart to Hart, and Charlie’s Angels.
Her connection to Columbo, however, ultimately became the most defining part of her career. Danese appeared in six different episodes of the detective series opposite Falk — more appearances than any other actress on the show. Although she only played the killer once, her recurring roles made her a memorable guest star for longtime viewers.
Early in her career she also appeared in the 1983 film Risky Business, where she played a prostitute opposite a young Tom Cruise. The film became Cruise’s breakout role and later achieved cult-classic status.
Despite their enduring marriage, Danese and Falk were known in Hollywood for their fiery relationship. According to the 2017 biography Beyond Columbo by authors Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Brines, the couple frequently argued and reconciled, earning the nickname “the Fighting Falks” among friends and colleagues.
Nevertheless, Danese remained devoted to her husband throughout their marriage, particularly during the final years of his life. Falk was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2008 and gradually withdrew from public life. Danese also stepped back from acting around that time, making only a brief television appearance in Cold Case in 2010.
The actor passed away in 2011 at the age of 83. In the years since his death, Danese has largely stayed out of the spotlight, though she occasionally attends charity events and Hollywood gatherings. One such appearance was in 2011 when she received the Albert Schweitzer Award at the Last Chance for Animals Gala.
More recently, she appeared at the 2022 premiere of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, where she posed on the red carpet with socialite Kathy Hilton.
Although she rarely appears publicly today, Danese remains remembered by television fans for her connection to one of TV’s most iconic detective shows — and for her decades-long partnership with the legendary Peter Falk.
