Peter Falk appreciated a good Columbo impression — at least according to actor and comedian Kevin Pollak!
Pollak — who is known for his stellar impressions — recently spoke to PEOPLE exclusively while attending the premiere of the new show Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue in Culver City, Calif. During the conversation, Pollak revealed that Falk once “accosted” him in a grocery store in order to compliment his impression of him.
“Oh, he loved it,” Pollak, 67, recalled, adding, “After the first time I did it on The Tonight Show, I ran into him a few weeks later in the produce section at Ralphs where he accosted me in front of the produce with, ‘Excuse me: How do you do that with your eye? Me, I understand, but how do you do that?’ That’s a quote. And we became friendly from that moment on, and he was a hero and a unicorn in every regard.”
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Falk, who died in 2011 at the age of 83, per The New York Times, famously had a glass eye, which became a signature trait of his detective character.
Pollak went on to say that he has been “very lucky” in that all of the people he has impersonated in his 40-year career — from William Shatner to Christopher Walken — have seemed to enjoy the experience.
“I really did people that I loved and admired as opposed to feeling the need to attack. And I’ve spent time with everyone from Shatner to Christopher Walken to Alan Arkin, and I just did a two-hour interview on stage in San Francisco with Albert Brooks — my ultimate comedy unicorn hero — and he loves the impression. And Peter absolutely adored it. So yeah, I’ve been very, very lucky.”
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Pollak — who worked with 2025 Oscar nominees Demi Moore and Mikey Madison in A Few Good Men and the series Better Things, respectively — also weighed in on which actress he hopes to see take home the Academy Award for best actress this year.
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“It’s difficult for me because I played the uncle to Mikey Madison in Better Things. And so I’m a tad torn, but […] I believe, especially now that I’ve seen Mikey in Anora, that there are maaaany brilliant performances ahead of her, and she’s already won so many awards. So let’s give the Oscar to Demi,” he concluded.
Pollak went on to recall his time on set with Moore in the now-iconic 1992 military courtroom drama, which also starred Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, noting that The Substance actress was a caretaker to everyone around her.
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“That movie for me was being brought up to the majors, and I was rooting for everyone in such a big way. And what I was surprised and delighted and adored Demi for what a mother hen she was to everyone, cast and crew. Just lovely.”
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Pollak also revealed to PEOPLE that he is a part of one of Hollywood’s most delightful unofficial clubs: The Character Actors Dining Society (CADS), which also includes the likes of fellow character actors Richard Kind and Steven Weber, as well as about 10 other performers. He shared that in addition to a group chat, the crew attempts to meet up for in-person dinners once a month.
“It’s a great group with great stories. It’s really the heart and soul of the group — and having each other’s backs,” he added.
