Martin Sheen in Season 3
There are more than just a handful of cameos made by celebrities (some then-current and some future) whom Columbo fans may have even missed. One of them was a rather handsome young Martin Sheen as Karl Lessing, a character who caught the eye of Viveca Scott in 1973’s episode “Lovely But Lethal” from Season 3.
He ended up getting a microscope thrown at his head because of his troubles. The character was a far cry from the man of seriousness that he would eventually become, with his iconic roles in Apocalypse Now and as U.S. President Jed Bartlet in West Wing.