The Hidden Story Behind the Real-Life Brothers of ‘Gunsmoke’ and ‘Mission: Impossible’—in 7 Rare Photos
Peter Graves and James Arness were icons in their own right, but few fans knew they were brothers. These photos tell their story
One of television’s best-kept secrets (that nobody went out of their way to keep secret) is the fact that Peter Graves and James Arness, two of the most iconic leading men of their era, were real-life brothers. Graves, best known as Jim Phelps on Mission: Impossible, exuded cool authority and quiet intellect. Arness, towering and stoic as Marshal Dillon on Gunsmoke, became the face of the TV Western for two decades. Both dominated prime time television, and yet most viewers had no idea that they came from the same family.
Born Peter and James Aurness in Minneapolis, the brothers took different professional names and very different paths to stardom. Arness made his film debut in the late 1940s, eventually landing Gunsmoke in 1955 and holding the role for 20 years. Graves, four years younger, built a steady career in film and TV, including stints in science fiction and war dramas, before Mission: Impossible made him a household name in the late ’60s.
Despite their enormous fame, the brothers rarely appeared together in public or on screen. They valued their privacy and built careers independent of each other. There were a few exceptions: a single Gunsmoke episode in 1966 that Graves directed, and the occasional red carpet event later in life. Otherwise, the connection remained largely unspoken, becoming an inside fact for TV historians and eagle-eyed fans.
That’s part of what makes the photos to follow so striking. Some are candid, some are formal and a number from the same photo shoot, but the common thread between them is that they capture a rare glimpse into a relationship that was real, long-lasting and built quietly behind the spotlight.
If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like when Marshal Dillon and Jim Phelps share a laugh off-camera or how two very different stars from two very different shows happened to share a childhood… these images tell the story.
1. Brotherhood behind the badge
Peter Graves (left) and older brother James Arness (right) share a casual moment on the Gunsmoke set—one of the rare times these two TV legends were photographed together. Despite their parallel fame, few fans knew they were brothers.
2. Two icons, one quiet legacy
They helped define two very different genres—Arness in the Old West, Graves in Cold War spy craft—but moments like this remind us they started as two brothers from Minnesota.
3. A quiet moment on set
4. Peter Graves’ point of view
With Peter Graves striking a laid-back pose and James Arness in full Western gear, this behind-the-scenes image captures a moment few fans knew they were even looking at: real-life brothers from two very different TV worlds. Said Graves in 1972, “Only about half the public realizes we’re brothers. 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.”
5. Where Western grit meets spy cool
It’s not every day you get two TV legends—and siblings—sharing the same frame. Arness, stoic and commanding, and Graves, calm and casual, embodied very different American ideals onscreen. Their stardom ran on parallel tracks, but their offscreen bond remained rooted in family.
6. From Dodge City to the red carpet
Peter Graves (left), his wife Joan Graves and his older brother James Arness share a smile at the International Broadcaster’s Awards in the 1980s—a rare public moment for two of television’s most enduring stars. No cowboy boots or secret agent gear here, just two legendary brothers.
7. Taking the director’s chair on his brother’s set
Peter Graves directs James Arness during a 1966 episode of Gunsmoke, offering a unique glimpse at the creative trust between two brothers who rarely worked together.
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