# Shera Danese

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.

## Biography
### Life and career

Danese was the 1970 Miss Pennsylvania World.
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.

### Columbo (1976–1997)

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.

### 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.

### Personal life

Danese met Peter Falk on the set of the movie Mikey and Nicky 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. As of 2016 more than ten states had enacted such laws.

## Filmography

| 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" |