PETER GRAVES DEAD AT 83

[COOPER&BURNETT]

The actor who stared in TV's MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, and the movie AIRPLANE!Collapsed, and died in his driveway amoung family.Peter Graves, the rugged actor who starred in the hit TV series "Mission: Impossible" and whose career took a comic turn in the disaster spoof "Airplane!" has died. He was 83.Graves was found dead Sunday afternoon in front of his Pacific Palisades home from apparent natural causes, said Officer Karen Rayner of the Los Angeles Police Department.Graves had just returned from brunch with his family to celebrate his upcoming 84th birthday. He collapsed on the driveway before he could reach his house, said Sandy Brokaw, his publicist. One of Graves' daughters administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation but was unable to revive him, Brokaw said.Graves starred in more than 70 television series and feature films, typically playing the straight-laced hero. One of his first major roles was in the 1953 classic, "Stalag 17," in which he played an undercover Nazi spy placed among American POWs in a German camp.His most memorable role was in "Mission: Impossible," the 1960s CBS series in which he played intelligence agent James Phelps, leader of the elite Impossible Missions Force. The show ran from 1967 to 1973 on CBS and 1988 to 1990 on ABC.Every week, Graves could be seen listening to a tape of instructions for carrying out his team's secret missions. He won a Golden Globe in 1971 for his role."Mission: Impossible," along with other Western, military and action parts in the 1970s, branded Graves as an actor who could deliver solid, straight-shooting roles. But that changed in 1980, when he became the star of the comedy "Airplane!," in which he played Capt. Clarence Oveur, the bumbling pilot whose one-liners included, "Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?"RIP Peter.:cry:

[timm525]

What ashame! RIP.I loved him in Airplane. :clap:Clarence Oveur. Over Victor, huh, Clearance Clarence, huh, Rodger roger, what...Very funny man! Will be missed!Too many Celebs dieing lately. What's with that?

[COOPER&BURNETT]

He was great in AIRPLANE!.He will be missed. :cry:

[Maria714]

Peter Graves was hilarious in AIRPLANE. RIP Peter Graves.:cry: You will truly be missed.:cry:

[SGT Long]

They say it happens in threes.

[COOPER&BURNETT]

They say it happens in threes.

Let's hope it's Pauly Shore.

[Christine]

It´s always sad if a good actor leaves the stage of life, but he had reached a good age and it sounds as if he died fast. I think that´s what everybody wishes for himself: Not to be caused by much pain and not have to stay in bed for a long time!