Peter Graves
Born: 1926-03-18 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Died: 2010-03-14
Known For: Acting
Biography
Peter Graves (born Peter Duesler Aurness; March 18, 1926 – March 14, 2010) was an American actor. While growing up in Minnesota, he excelled at sports and music (as a saxophonist), and by age 16, he was a radio announcer at WMIN in Minneapolis. After two years in the United States Air Force, he studied drama at the University of Minnesota and then headed to Hollywood, where he first appeared on television and later made his film debut in Rogue River (1951). Numerous film appearances followed, especially in Westerns. However, Graves is primarily recognized for his television work, particularly as Jim Phelps in Mission: Impossible (1966). Peter Graves died of a heart attack on March 14, 2010, just four days before his 84th birthday.
Filmography
2022
2014
- Gettysburg - An American Story as Narrator
2010
- Darkstar: Terror at the Edge of Time as Narrator
2009
2005
- American Dad! as Mr. Pibb (voice)
- Minoriteam as Sheldon Miller
- Christmas with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square Featuring Audra McDonald and Peter Graves as Self
2004
- House as Myron
- Behind the Legend: Timon as Himself - Host
2003
- Cold Case as Anton Bikker (2006)
- Looney Tunes: Back in Action as Host of Civil Defense Film
- America on the Move 1876-2000 as Host
2002
- Men in Black II as Peter Graves
- Don't Ask Don't Tell
2001
- Disney's House of Mouse as Instructor Voice (voice)
- These Old Broads as Bill
1999
- Mickey Mouse Works
- House on Haunted Hill as Self
- Linda Darnell: Hollywood's Fallen Angel as Narrator
- Gene Tierney: A Shattered Portrait as Self - Host
1998
- Doris Day: It's Magic as Narrator
- Charlie Chaplin: A Tramp's Life as Self - Narrator
1997
- The Angry Beavers
- Mother Teresa: A Life of Devotion as Self - Host
1996
- 7th Heaven as John 'Colonel' Camden
- Shirley Temple: The Biggest Little Star as Narrator
- Jean Harlow: Platinum Bombshell as Narrator
- Jerry Lewis: The Last American Clown as Self - Host
- Abbott & Costello Meet Biography as Self - Host
- William Shakespeare: A Life of Drama
1995
- The Actor Awards Presented by SAG-AFTRA as Self
- Betty Boop: Queen of the Cartoons as Self - Narrator (voice)
- Darryl F. Zanuck: 20th Century Filmmaker as Self - Host
1994
- Burke's Law as General Prescott
- Marilyn Monroe: The Mortal Goddess as Self - Host
- The Unexplained: Witches, Werewolves & Vampires as Host
1993
- Diagnosis: Murder as Peter Graves
- Addams Family Values as Host
- Unauthorized Biographies with Peter Graves as Self - Narrator
1992
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- The Complete Churchill as Presenter
1989
- Mission: Impossible - The Golden Serpent as Jim Phelps
1988
- War and Remembrance as Palmer Kirby
- Mission: Impossible as Jim Phelps
1987
- Biography as Self - Host
- Number One with a Bullet as Capt. Ferris
1986
- Life with Lucy as Ben Marshall
- The Demon Lover as Ponsonby
1985
- The Golden Girls as Jerry Kennedy
1984
- Murder, She Wrote as Edmund Gerard
- Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense as John Bray
- Aces Go Places III: Our Man from Bond Street as Tom Collins
1983
- The Winds of War as Palmer 'Fred' Kirby
- The Guns and the Fury as Mark Janser
1982
- Airplane II: The Sequel as Capt. Clarence Oveur
- Savannah Smiles as Harland Dobbs
1981
- Simon & Simon as Wade Christian
- 300 Miles for Stephanie as Capt. McIntyre
1980
- Airplane! as Capt. Clarence Oveur
- The Memory of Eva Ryker as Mike Rogers
- Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty as TV Director
1979
- Buck Rogers in the 25th Century as Major Noah Cooper
- The Rebels as George Washington
- Death Car on the Freeway as Lt. Haller
- Parts: The Clonus Horror as Jeff Knight
- Survival Run as Kandaris
- Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident as Alec Franklin
1978
- Fantasy Island as 'Singapore' Eddie Malone
- SST: Death Flight as Paul Whitley
- Race for Survival as Narrator
1977
- The Love Boat as Gerald Whitney
- High Seas Hijack as Elliott Rhoades
1976
- The Duchess of Duke Street as Sir Evelyn Grant-Wortley
- The Sonny and Cher Show
- The Mysterious Monsters as Himself - Narrator
1975
- Dead Man on the Run as Jim Gideon
- Sidecar Racers as Carson
1974
- Dinah! as Self
- Scream of the Wolf as John Wetherby
- Paul and Michelle as Sir Henry
- Where Have All the People Gone as Steven Anders
- The Underground Man as Lew Archer
1973
- The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts as Self
- Call to Danger as Doug Warfield
- The President's Plane Is Missing as Mark Jones
- The All Star Spangled Mission
- Under the Law: Arrest and Seize as Narration
1971
1970
- The Adventurers as Trustee Banker
- Mission: Impossible - The Falcon as James Phelps
1969
- The Assassination Bureau as Dragomiloff's Butler (uncredited)
- The 5-Man Army as Dutchman
- Mission: Impossible vs. the Mob as Jim Phelps
- Mission: Impossible - The Bunker as James Phelps
- Mission: Impossible - The Controllers as Jim Phelps
1968
- The Movie Orgy as Self (archive footage)
- Premiere
- The Ballad of Josie as Jason Meredith
- Sergeant Ryker as Maj. Whitaker
- The Dean Martin Christmas Show as Self (uncredited)
1967
- The Invaders as Gavin Lewis
- Sleeping Dog as Sir Geoffrey
- Valley of Mystery as Ben Barstow
- Mission: Impossible - The Slave as Jim Phelps
1966
- Mission: Impossible as Jim Phelps
- Texas Across the River as Capt. Stimpson
- Gallegher Goes West as Marshal Neimeyer
1965
- Run for Your Life as Jim Carlson
- The F.B.I. as Manning Fryes
- Laredo
- Branded
- The Dean Martin Show
- A Rage to Live as Jack Hollister
- Court Martial as Major Frank Whittaker
1964
- Daniel Boone as Logan Harris
- 12 O'Clock High
1963
- Kraft Suspense Theatre as Maj. Frank Whitaker
- The Great Adventure as Daniel Boone
- The Farmer's Daughter
1962
- The Alfred Hitchcock Hour as Mark Needham
- The Virginian as Robert Gaynor
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self
- Whiplash as Christopher Cobb
1960
1959
- A Stranger in My Arms as Donald Beasley
1958
- Cimarron City
- Wolf Larsen as Van Weyden
1957
- Beginning of the End as Dr. Ed Wainwright
- Bayou as Martin Davis
- Death in Small Doses as Agent / Tom Kaylor
1956
- It Conquered the World as Dr. Paul Nelson
- Canyon River as Bob Andrews
- Hold Back The Night as Lt. Lee Couzens
1955
- Matinee Theater
- The Millionaire as Paul Hartley
- Fury as Jim Newton
- The Night of the Hunter as Ben Harper
- Wichita as Morgan Earp
- Celebrity Playhouse
- The Long Gray Line as Corporal Rudolph Heinz
- The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell as Capt. Bob Elliott
- The Naked Street as Joe McFarland
- Fort Yuma as Lt. Ben Keegan
- Robbers' Roost as Heesman
- Fury as Jim Newton
1954
- Climax! as Stanley
- Studio 57 as Jim Bailey
- Black Tuesday as Peter Manning
- The Raid as Capt. Frank Dwyer
- The Yellow Tomahawk as Sawyer
- Killers from Space as Douglas Martin
1953
- The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse
- Stalag 17 as Sgt. Frank Price
- East of Sumatra as Cowboy
- Beneath the 12-Mile Reef as Arnold Dix
- War Paint as Trooper Tolson
1952
- Cavalcade of America as Maj. Tom Howie
- Biff Baker U.S.A.
- Red Planet Mars as Chris Cronyn
- The Congregation
1951
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Dr. James Ewing
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Rocky Kent
- Angels in the Outfield as Radio Announcer (uncredited)
- Fort Defiance as Ned Tallon
- Rogue River as Pete Dandridge
1950
- Lux Video Theatre as Joel Barker
1949
1948
- The Ed Sullivan Show as Self
- Studio One as Glenn Willis
1944
- Golden Globe Awards as Self - Presenter