Peter Graves facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Graves
Graves in 1967
Born	Peter Duesler Aurness (1926-03-18)March 18, 1926 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	March 14, 2010(2010-03-14) (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Minnesota
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1951–2010
Spouse(s)	Joan Endress ​ (m. 1950)​
Children	3
Relatives	James Arness (brother)
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army Air Forces
Years of service	1944–1945
Rank	Corporal
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal

Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor. He was best known for playing Jim Phelps in the TV show Mission: Impossible from 1967 to 1973. He also returned for its new version from 1988 to 1990.

Graves also played the funny airline pilot Captain Clarence Oveur in the 1980 comedy movie Airplane!. He appeared in its 1982 sequel, Airplane II: The Sequel, too. His older brother was the famous actor James Arness.

Early Life and Education

Peter Graves was born Peter Duesler Aurness on March 18, 1926. His hometown was Minneapolis, Minnesota. His father, Rolf Cirkler Aurness, was a businessman. His mother, Ruth Duesler, was a journalist.

Peter's family had roots from Norway, Germany, and England. He chose the stage name "Graves" from his mother's family. This was to honor her side of the family. It also helped avoid confusion with his older brother, James Arness. James was already famous as the star of the TV show Gunsmoke.

Graves finished high school in 1944. He then joined the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. He served from 1944 to 1945 and reached the rank of corporal. He received two medals for his service: the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. After the war, Graves went to the University of Minnesota.

Acting Career Highlights

Graves on a lobby card for the 1957 film Beginning of the End

Peter Graves acted in over 70 films and TV shows during his career. He had an important role in the 1953 World War II movie, Stalag 17. In 1955, he joined the TV series Fury. He played Jim Newton, a rancher and adoptive single father.

From 1960 to 1961, Graves starred in the British/Australian TV show Whiplash. He played Christopher Cobb, an American who starts Australia's first stagecoach line in the 1850s. He used a bullwhip to fight bad guys.

Becoming Jim Phelps

In 1967, Peter Graves was chosen for the lead role in Mission: Impossible. He replaced another actor, Steven Hill. Graves became well-known for playing Jim Phelps. This character was the leader of the Impossible Missions Force. He played this role for six seasons until 1973.

After Mission: Impossible ended, Graves took on other roles. He appeared in the 1983 miniseries The Winds of War. This show was very popular. He played the same role again in the 1988 sequel, War and Remembrance. During this time, he also hosted Discover: The World of Science on PBS.

Comedy Roles and Return to Mission: Impossible

After playing serious roles for a while, Graves showed his funny side. He starred as Captain Clarence Oveur in the comedies Airplane! (1980) and Airplane II: The Sequel (1982). These roles became very popular.

In 1988, a new Mission: Impossible series was made. Peter Graves was the only actor from the original show to return as a regular. He played Jim Phelps again. This new version lasted for two seasons.

Graves attending a ceremony to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in October 2009

Graves with wife Joan Endress in October 2009

During the 1990s, he hosted and narrated the documentary series Biography on A&E. He also appeared in movies that were later featured on the comedy show Mystery Science Theater 3000. In 2002, he even made fun of his Biography work in the movie Men in Black II. He also played Colonel John Camden in the TV series 7th Heaven.

Peter Graves chose not to play Jim Phelps in the 1996 movie. This was because his character was shown as a bad guy in the film.

On October 30, 2009, Peter Graves received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for actors. His final project was narrating the computer game Darkstar: The Interactive Movie, which came out in 2010.

Personal Life

Handprints of Peter Graves in front of Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park

Peter Graves was married to Joan Endress Graves for 60 years. They were married from 1950 until his death. They had three daughters named Amanda, Kelly, and Claudia.

Death

Peter Graves passed away on March 14, 2010. He died from a heart attack at his home. This was just four days before his 84th birthday.

Awards and Recognition

Graves won a Golden Globe Award in 1971 for his role as Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for that show. In 1997, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for hosting Biography.

Selected Filmography

Selected Television Credits

Video Games

Images for kids

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  Graves in 1967

See also

In Spanish: Peter Graves para niños