Peter Graves, one of the stars in the original Mission: Impossible television series, was found dead today in his Los Angeles area home.  According to the LA Times, Graves appeared to have died of natural causes.  Graves also starred in many movie roles, memorably in Airplane as well as Stalag 17.

Peter Graves was born as Peter Aurness, and was the brother of James Arness (who changed the spelling of their last name), the gunslinging sheriff in the longest-running western of all time, Gunsmoke.  During his childhood, Graves participated in both sports and music, playing the saxophone.  By the time he was in high school, Graves had worked his way into radio as an announcer at WMIN in Minnesota.

 He did a two year stint in the Air Force, followed up by attending the University of Minnesota, where he studied drama.

Following his time at the University of Minnesota, Graves was off to Hollywood to make his way in the entertainment business, and make it he did.  His credited debut role was in Rogue River in 1951, followed up by a role in Fort Defiance the same year.  His television debut took place as a guest during a regular show that featured different stories each week, known as The Chevron Theatre.  His first major role in television, however, was as Jim Newton in the western series Fury, from 1955 to 1960.

Graves real mark on the entertainment world wouldn’t be recognized until years later.  However, it was in 1967 that he began the role of James Phelps in the hit series, Mission: Impossible.  This series would last for seven years, spawn another series over 15 years after its demise, and generate a movie series for the franchise as well.  This, of course, is Graves’ most recognizable role.

Graves is survived by his wife of 59 years, Joan Endress and three children and six grandchildren.  We leave you with a clip from the show that made him famous.  RIP Peter Graves.