Peter Graves: 10 Facts About the ‘Mission Impossible’ Star and Devoted Family Man
The actor, who found a whole new audience in 'Airplane,' lived an esteemed life on and off the screen
Peter Graves was not just an actor with a career spanning six decades, but also a devoted and loyal family man. The actor helmed the Mission: Impossible spy team well before Tom Cruise, spoofed himself in the movie Airplane!, and lent his deep and distinguishable voice to the Biography TV series.
He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 18, 1926. His father, Rolf Aurness, was in surgical sales, and his mother, Ruth Duesler Graves, was a homemaker. As a child, he was an accomplished musician and became a radio announcer at 16.
After serving in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II, the 6’3” star headed to the University of Minnesota to study drama. Shortly after college, Graves appeared in a series of Westerns, and his career was off and running. He starred in his first movie in 1950, and his remarkable career continued until his last acting role, the Will Smith movie Men In Black II, in 2002.
His career on the small screen was just as busy. He starred in the NBC Western series Fury from 1955 to 1960, appeared in dozens of other shows, and then scored the role he was most famous for, as Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible from 1967 to 1973, reprising that role for the show’s revival from 1988 to 1990.
Graves continued to work in television and film throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He hosted the A&E series Biography, bringing his distinctive voice and gravitas to the documentary program and making it a popular show during his tenure.
Sadly, the actor died in March of 2010 at his home in California. He was 83 years old.
While we may know much about Peter Graves and his movie and TV roles, fans may not be aware of some details about him. We dug deep to find these 10 facts about Peter Graves.
1. Peter Graves was not his real name
Peter Graves was born Peter Duesler Aurness. He was the younger brother of Gunsmoke actor James Arness and changed his name to his maternal grandfather’s, Graves, to cut his chops in Hollywood on his own merit and not ride on his brother’s coattails.
“Only about half the public realizes we’re brothers,” Peter Graves told The Times Herald in 1972. “Jim came out here to Hollywood while I was still back in Minnesota. He’d already appeared in The Farmer’s Daughter with Loretta Young while I was still going to college. I came out here [to California] for the same reason Jim did — to become an actor. He was doing movies and his career was going along well when Gunsmoke came along.”
2. Graves was married to the same woman for 60 years
Unlike many Hollywood stars, Graves was a dedicated husband and consummate family man. In interviews, he often stressed the importance of maintaining a work-life balance. The Biography star married Joan Endress as he began his movie career in 1950. The pair—who met in college—remained together until he died in 2010 and had three children: Amanda, Kelly, and Claudia.
3. Peter Graves passed on working with Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible movie
Graves was offered the opportunity to reprise his role as Jim Phelps on the big screen in 1996 but reportedly refused, citing that he didn’t want his character to “go bad.” The role instead went to Jon Voigt.
4. His In-laws told him to get a job
As the story goes, Graves went to Joan’s parents to ask for her hand in marriage, but they asked that he get a “steady job” first. In response, the couple picked up and moved to Los Angeles, where he could pursue acting full-time. When he got a movie contract in 1950, it was enough to persuade his in-laws to allow Joan to marry him.
5. He never acted with his famous brother
While the two famous siblings never appeared on screen together, Graves did direct James in Gunsmoke season 11, episode 26, titled “Which Dr.”
6. Peter Graves had some really famous friends
Graves hung out with legendary people in the entertainment industry, including members of the Rat Pack, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr.
7. He never received an Oscar or an Emmy
Despite appearing in over 70 films and TV shows, Graves never earned a coveted Emmy or Oscar award. However, he received a Golden Globe in 1971 for his role as Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible.
8. Peter Graves didn’t want the role in Airplane!
After reading the blockbuster Leslie Nielsen movie script, he told the flick’s producers to “find themselves a comedian.” They said, “We don’t want a comedian, we want Peter Graves,’ and he reluctantly agreed. His role became one of the most memorable parts of the movie and he reprised it for the 1982 sequel.
9. NASA recognized him
While primarily known for his drama and action work, Graves significantly impacted the science fiction genre. His roles in films like It Conquered the World (1956) and Red Planet Mars (1952) contributed to the era’s fascination with space and extraterrestrial life. Because of this, he received the NASA Public Service Medal, an award given to individuals who make exceptional contributions to the agency’s mission. This honor highlighted his work promoting science and space exploration.
10. He was a track and field star
Before Graves set his sights on Hollywood, he was a two-time state track and field champion at Southwest High in Minnesota. His main event was the 120-yard high hurdles. Graves would later credit his athletic agility for performing so successfully in action flicks.
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