A while back I posted a question asking who you thought would make a good Columbo murderer. My ideal pick was Jack Nicholson. Now that I've had some time to mull it over, I made a list of my top 20 picks among living actors & top 20 among deceased actors:

Living:
20)Bono
19)Diana Ross
18)George Clooney
17)Bruce Willis
16)Alan Alda
15)Christopher Walken
14)James Woods
13)John Lithgow
12)Tony Curtis
11)David Ogden Stiers
10)Whitney Houston
9)Larry Hagman
8)Bill Murray
7)Vince McMahon
6)Kelly Monaco
5)Sean Penn
4)Maggie Smith
3)Donald Sutherland
2)Michael Douglas
And my #1 pick...
1)Jack Nicholson
Deceased:
20) Peter Lorre
19) Edward G. Robinson
18) Bill Bixby
17) Chuck Connors
16) Kitty Carlisle
15) Agnes Morehead
14) Frank Sinatra
13) Victor Buono
12) Richard Harris
11) John Forsythe
10) Peter Lawford
9) Vincent Price
8) John Houseman
7) Robert Shaw
6) Paul Lynde
5) Oliver Reed
4) Vivien Leigh
3) Dean Martin
2) Bette Davis
And my #1 pick...
1) Cary Grant

Kitty Carlisle is alive. And, mercy, Paul Lynde played the villain enough on Burke's Law.

I'd put 15, 16 and 11 a tad higher on the list, but it's a darn (we can't say ****, can we?) good list.

D*A*M*N terrific list C.G.!
I would include Benny Gazzara....but some of the people you mentioned are just great!! Kitty Carlisle?? A truly inspired choice! And Oliver Reed would have been fantastic!