Peter Graves, who starred in 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Airplane!', dies at 83
Actor Peter Graves, whose roles ranged from a bumbling pilot in "Airplane!" to a Cold War spymaster in "Mission: Impossible," died at his Los Angeles home on Sunday.
Graves, who would have turned 84 on Thursday, suffered a fatal heart attack after returning from brunch with his family, his publicist Sandy Brokaw said.
"He had this statesmanlike quality," Brokaw said. "People were always encouraging him to run for office. But he said, 'I like acting. I like being an actor.'"
Born Peter Aurness in Minnesota, the younger brother of "Gunsmoke" star James Arness studied drama at the University of Minnesota before heading to Hollywood.
After landing minor roles in television, Graves, a U.S. Air Force vet, was cast by director Billy Wilder to play a Nazi spy in the 1953 World War II flick "Stalag 17."
From 1960 to 1961, Graves starred in the TV series "Whiplash," playing Christopher Cobb, an American who moved to Australia to establish the country's first stagecoach line.
In 1967, the white-haired actor landed the role of Jim Phelps, the head of an elite team of spies in the original "Mission: Impossible" TV series that would run until 1973 and later inspire three blockbuster pictures starring Tom Cruise.
One of the show's signatures was that after Phelps received his assignments, always with a tape recording, the tape would self-destruct.
Some of his dilemmas were compared to those of James Bond, but Phelps never had the side benefit of incredibly seductive women.
In 1980, Graves showed his comedic chops, playing Capt. Clarence Oveur in "Airplane!" - in which he interrogated a kid visiting the cockpit, saying, "Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"
In the 1990s, Graves hosted the documentary series "Biography" on A&E and won an Emmy Award for hosting a Judy Garland special on A&E.
He continued to work steadily, winning roles in films, including "Men in Black II" in 2002.
Last October, he was awarded a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joan Endress; three daughters, and six grandchildren.
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