Mission: Impossible actor Peter Graves dies in LA aged 83
Mission: Impossible actor Peter Graves dies in LA aged 83
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Hollywood veteran Peter Graves has died in Los Angeles at the age of 83 following a suspected heart attack, his publicist has confirmed.
Graves was best known for playing secret agent Jim Phelps on the Mission: Impossible television series and was much loved for his scene-stealing performance as an inept pilot in classic comedy Airplane!, released in 1980.
Graves' publicist Sandy Brokaw said he returned from a Sunday meal with his wife and children when he collapsed, with one of his daughters attempting in vain to revive the 83-year-old.
"He had this statesmanlike quality," Ms Brokaw told the AP news agency.
"People were always encouraging him to run for office. But he said: 'I like acting. I like being around actors.'"
Born Peter Aurnes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1926, Graves made his feature film debut in 1951's Up Front. As well as his iconic roles in Airplane! and Mission: Impossible, Graves was also well known for parts in war thriller Stalag 17, sci-fi series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and TV drama 7th heaven.
He was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in October 2009 and is survived by his wife of 60 years Joan Endress, his three daughters and six grandchildren.