Peter Graves was born Peter Duesler Aurness on March 18,1926, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Rolf Cirkler Aurness, a businessman, and his wife Ruth, a journalist.
27 Facts About Peter Graves
2.
Peter Graves used the stage name Graves, a maternal family name, to honor his mother's family, and so as to not be confused with his elder brother James Arness, star of the television series Gunsmoke.
3.
Peter Graves served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II from 1944 to 1945, reaching the rank of corporal, and was awarded the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.
4.
Peter Graves appeared in more than 70 films, television shows, and television movies during his career.
5.
Peter Graves was featured in a key role in the 1953 World War II film, Stalag 17.
6.
In 1955, Peter Graves joined the NBC television series Fury, as the rancher and adoptive single father, Jim Newton.
7.
Peter Graves starred in the British ITC series Court Martial, playing US Army lawyer Major Frank Whittaker, as well as guest roles in such series as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Cimarron City, Route 66, and The Invaders.
8.
In 1967, Peter Graves was recruited by Desilu Studios to replace Steven Hill as the lead actor on Mission: Impossible.
9.
Peter Graves portrayed the iconic character of Jim Phelps, the sometimes-gruff director of the Impossible Missions Force, for the six following seasons of the series.
10.
Peter Graves made a guest appearance in the teen soap opera Class of 74 in mid-1974, playing himself.
11.
Peter Graves was cast as Palmer Kirby in the 1983 ABC miniseries The Winds of War.
12.
Peter Graves played opposite Robert Mitchum, Jan Michael Vincent, Deborah Winters and Ali MacGraw in what became in 1983, the second-most watched miniseries of all time.
13.
Peter Graves reprised the role for the 1988 sequel miniseries, War and Remembrance.
14.
Peter Graves was the only cast member from the original series to return as a regular, reprising his role as Jim Phelps, though others made guest appearances.
15.
The series was filmed in Australia, and Peter Graves made his third journey there for acting work.
16.
Peter Graves acted in a number of films featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000, which subsequently featured running jokes about Graves' Biography work and presumed sibling rivalry with Arness.
17.
Peter Graves himself parodied his Biography work in the film Men in Black II, hosting an expose television show.
18.
Peter Graves played Colonel John Camden in the television series 7th Heaven.
19.
Peter Graves refused to reprise the role of Jim Phelps in the first 1996 theatrical film of Mission: Impossible, after the character was revealed to be a traitor and the villain of the film.
20.
On October 30,2009, Peter Graves was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6667 Hollywood Blvd.
21.
Peter Graves was a devout Methodist of immigrant German Lutheran descent.
22.
Peter Graves was married to Joan Endress Graves for 60 years from 1950 until his death.
23.
On March 6,1984, Peter Graves was hospitalized at Tahoe Forest Hospital for a fractured jaw among other injuries sustained from a fall on an icy Lake Tahoe road the previous weekend.
24.
Peter Graves received 100 stitches to his lower lip during his stay.
25.
Peter Graves was awarded a Golden Globe Award in 1971 for his role as Jim Phelps in the series Mission: Impossible.
26.
Peter Graves received nominations for an Emmy Award and Golden Globe awards in other seasons of that show.
27.
Peter Graves won a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding informational series in 1997 as host of Biography.