10 Celebrities You Didn't Realise Were On Columbo
Just one more thing... weren't you on Columbo?
Columbo is one of the greatest detective shows ever made. Airing on an off from the late 60s through to the early 00s, it introduced the dishevelled, seemingly bumbling and yet deceptively shrewd Lt. Columbo and popularised the inverted idea of revealing the killer from the outset.
Falk's performances are legendary but it's the strong list of supporting characters who've tested the Lieutenant's skills over the years that have helped elevate the show above its contemporaries.
Many well-known names have starred in Columbo, especially with small bit parts but, for this list, we're sticking to the major players, so that's anyone who plays the murderer or the victim. Sorry trivia fans, the unborn Gwyneth Paltrow does not make an appearance...
10. Ricardo Montalbán
Perhaps best known for his memorable turn as Captain Kirk's nemesis Khan, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, screen icon Ricardo Montalbán makes his one and only Columbo appearance in "A Matter of Honor", a middle of the road episode from Season 5.
Montalbán puts in a decent performance as Luis Montaya, a revered bullfighter who executes a nefarious plan to have his partner killed by a rampaging bull. Set across the border in Mexico, it's a disappointing episode relying on outdated stereotypes.
Despite the notable guest star, it's actually the much less well-known Pedro Armendáriz Jr who shines as Columbo's Mexican partner, so you're much better off watching Wrath of Khan, The Naked Gun or Planet of the Apes if you're looking for some prime Montalbán action.