“Kevin Pollak Recalls Being ‘Accosted’ by Peter Falk at the Grocery Store Over His Columbo Impression (Exclusive)”.Viet

Kevin Pollak Recalls Peter Falk Complimenting His Columbo Impression in a Grocery Store Encounter (Exclusive)

Kevin Pollak, known for his impressive range of celebrity impressions, recently shared a memorable experience with actor Peter Falk, who played the iconic detective Columbo. While attending the premiere of Nine Bodies in a Mexican Morgue in Culver City, Calif., Pollak told PEOPLE that Falk once approached him in a grocery store to compliment his Columbo impression.

Pollak, 67, recalled the encounter with Falk, who passed away in 2011. “Oh, he loved it,” Pollak said. “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. 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. He was a hero and a unicorn in every regard.”

Falk, who famously wore a glass eye as part of his Columbo character, was clearly amused by Pollak’s impression.

Pollak went on to say how fortunate he has been that the people he’s impersonated over his 40-year career have been so receptive. He mentioned other celebrities he’s imitated, including William Shatner, Christopher Walken, and Alan Arkin. “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.”

Pollak also commented on his work with Oscar nominees Demi Moore and Mikey Madison in A Few Good Men and Better Things, respectively, adding his personal thoughts on the 2025 Academy Awards. While he admitted a bit of bias toward Mikey Madison, Pollak expressed his hope for Demi Moore to win the Best Actress Oscar.

Reflecting on his time with Moore in the iconic 1992 courtroom drama A Few Good Men, Pollak shared that she was like a “mother hen” to the cast and crew, noting her kindness and nurturing spirit.

Pollak also revealed he’s part of the Hollywood “Character Actors Dining Society” (CADS), an unofficial group of actors including Richard Kind and Steven Weber. He described the group as a supportive, fun-loving community that gathers for monthly dinners, sharing stories and always having each other’s backs.