Why did Peter Graves leave Mission Impossible?

Peter Graves never left the Mission: Impossible series. The series just ended. Speaking of the film, Graves refused to join the cast as his iconic role of Jim Phelps was the villain of the film.

Peter Duesler Aurness, better known by his professional alias, Peter Graves, is an American actor who is well-known for portraying Jim Phelps in the CBS television series Mission: Impossible. Many may be unaware that the Mission: Impossible film series was inspired by the American espionage television series of the same name and Graves played a main role in the series.

Circling back to the series, the first Mission: Impossible episode aired on September 17, 1966. The series went on to be a huge hit amongst the audience and the cast members of the series including Peter Graves were applauded for their performance. Graves also went on to win a Golden Globe for the role. After the espionage series ended in March 1973, it was revived in 1988 and the only cast member to reprise his role as the main character was Graves. The show finally ended in February 1990.

Why did Peter Graves not join the Tom Cruise starrer Mission: Impossible film series?

As per reports, Peter Graves and the original cast members were not very pleased with the plot of the first Mission: Impossible film. While the rest of the original cast members were “disgusted” by the plot, Graves who had played Jim Phelps in the TV series was displeased by the fact that his iconic character was turned into a traitor/villain in the film series. This was the main reason why the now late actor did not join the film series and reprise his role as Phelps.

During an interview, Graves spoke on why he did not join the cast of Mission: Impossible film series and how he felt making Jim Phelps the villain was a bad idea. Graves said, "I am sorry that they chose to call him Phelps. They could have solved that very easily by either having me in a scene in the very beginning, or reading a telegram from me saying, hey boys, I'm retired, gone to Hawaii. Thank you, good-bye, you take over now."

Is Peter Graves alive?

No, Pete Graves passed away on March 14, 2010. The American actor passed away after suffering a heart attack, just four days after his 84th birthday. As per officials, Graves was found dead in front of his Pacific Palisades home from apparent natural causes. He was reportedly returning from a brunch. Peter Graves is survived by his wife Joan Endress and his three daughters: Amanda, Kelly, and Claudia.

Is the Mission: Impossible film series over?

No, the Mission: Impossible film series is far from being over. The first installment of the film series was released on May 22, 1996, and was directed by Brian De Palma. As of 2023, there have been seven Mission: Impossible film installments released, with the most recent one being Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. The film was released on July 12, 2023, and was directed by Christopher McQuarrie.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two is set to release on June 28, 2024. It was earlier claimed that “Dead Reckoning Part Two” would be the last and final installment of the Mission: Impossible film series. However, it looks like the makers are not ready to let go of Ethan Hunt and the IMF force. MI director Christopher McQuarrie revealed in June 2023 that Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One and Part Two will not be the end of the franchise, as there are plans for further installments.