“Remember, if any member of your IM force is caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.”
The original leader of Mission: Impossible’s IM Force, has gone on his final mission. Peter Graves, best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the 60s television show Mission: Impossible passed away at age 83. Graves was found dead Sunday afternoon in front of his Pacific Palisades home from a heart attack, although Jim Phelps will live on forever.
As Phelps, Graves led a team of Mission: Impossible agents that could outspy, outsneak, and outact anything Tom Cruise ever dreamed of. Though he appeared in over 70 movies, he will always be identified with the agent he played in both the 60s television show and the 1990 sequel series. He turned down the role in the movie, stating that if the studio was going to destroy the character of Jim Phelps, he would have nothing to do with it.
He let his comedic side shine in the role of Captain Clarence Oveur in the Airplane! movies. In recent years, he provided the voice of Biography.
Having left a lasting impact on Hollywood and pop culture in general, now that he is gone, the secretary will most assuredly not disavow his actions.