I imagine over the next few days you’ll be hearing a few snippets of the Mission: Impossible theme at various times. Peter Graves, the actor who played the leader of the Impossible Missions Force, Jim Phelps, died yesterday at the age of 83.
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of another TV series that received a bigger boost from a change in its lead actor than Mission did in the late 1960s. Steven Hill brought considerable chops along with distinguished acting credentials to the role of Dan Briggs, leader of the IMF when the show debuted in 1966. But Mission truly blossomed when producer Bruce Geller added Peter Graves to the ensemble at the start of season two after a falling out with Hill. Graves embodied all the qualities of a leading man in an action series. He was strong and athletic—and quite camera-friendly. To this day, whenever I watch my DVDs of the original series, my wife always comments on how good looking he was, especially in the apartment scenes where he was always seen in suits that perfectly complimented his silver hair.
Graves’ Jim Phelps also had a cerebral side and preferred plotting missions around psychological manipulation of the target as opposed to using brute force and violence on them. He was the opposite of 24’s Jack Bauer.
Growing up, I watched every episode of Mission: Impossible. I loved everything about the show: the staccato theme—perhaps the best TV theme song ever–composed by Lalo Schifrin; the intricate plotting; the no-nonsense, unsentimental endings of most of the episodes. It was a brilliant concept, masterfully executed. And Peter Graves was the essential ingredient.
In the end, he wasn’t “caught or killed.” The Secretary didn’t have to “disavow any knowledge” of his actions. Peter Graves went off into the sunset the way he preferred—and with his wife of nearly 60 years, Joan, and his three daughters, Kelly, Claudia and Amanda nearby. I’ll miss him.
Tags: Mission Impossible, Peter Graves
