PETER GRAVES

March 18, 1926

Peter Graves was born Peter Duesler Aurness on March 18, 1926, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

His elder brother was actor James Arness. 

After high school, he served in the US Air Force. Afterwards, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota.

His screen debut came while he was in the Air Force, as part of the cast of Winning Your Wings in 1942.  

It was nearly ten years before his acting debut in a feature film with 1951′s Rogue River. The following year he made his television debut in the “Gruen Guild Theatre” production of “Victim: Ann Norville”. (Gruen Guild was a watch manufacturer, the show’s sponsor.)

 He was best known for his role as Jim Phelps in the CBS television series “Mission: Impossible” from 1967 to 1973 (original) and from 1988 to 1990 (revival).

The original series was financed and filmed by Desilu Productions. 

In 1968, Graves and Ball joined dozens of celebrities announcing Christmas gifts to needy children on “The Dean Martin Christmas Show”. The two did not share any screen time. In 1971, Graves and Ball were both presenters at the “23rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards”.  Lucie Arnaz was also in attendance. 

In April 1986, Graves and Ball were both in the audience for ”The American Film Institute Salute to Billy Wilder”. 

Graves didn’t act opposite Lucille Ball until “Love Among the Two-by-Fours” (LWL S1;E3), and episode of Lucille Ball’s final, short-lived sitcom, aired on October 4, 1986. 

He played Ben, president of the Beechwood Construction Company. Ben is a widower who has three grandchildren and lives in Beverly Hills, and he has taken a romantic interest in Lucy. But first, he must answer to her over-protective family. 

The dialogue and the credits give him two different surnames: Marshall and Matthews. 

Graves made his final screen appearance posthumously in July 2010 in Hallmark’s film “Jack’s Family Adventure”. Ironically, he played a character that leaves a video will for his nephew. 

Graves was married to Joan Endress from 1950 until his death. They had three children together. Peter Graves died on March 14, 2010.