Mission: Impossible Actors You May Not Know Passed Away
The television series "Mission: Impossible" has blossomed from an Emmy-winning fan favorite to a global media franchise that encompasses eight motion pictures (including the upcoming two-part "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning") starring Tom Cruise, as well as a short-lived TV revival, video games, and other media. Elements of the franchise have become part of the pop culture lexicon, including Lalo Schifrin's anxious, jazzy theme song and Cruise's "cable drop" sequence from the first movie, which have both been spoofed in everything from "The Incredibles" to "Mad Magazine."
Though Cruise's Ethan Hunt is the face of "Mission: Impossible" today, a whole different Impossible Missions Force starred in the original series, which ran from 1966 to 1973, and an even larger troupe of performers appeared in the features from 1996 to 2023. Given that more than a half-century has elapsed since the pilot's debut (and more than a quarter-century since the first "Mission: Impossible" film), it's understandable that some of these actors have died since completing their last mission. Following is a list of the "Mission: Impossible" movie and TV actors you may not know have passed away.
Philip Seymour Hoffman
While the quality of the "Mission: Impossible" movie franchise varies from title to title, the villains that Ethan Hunt faces are among their brighter points. One of the most memorable was arms dealer Owen Davian, who sought a dangerous biological weapon in "Mission: Impossible III." There's no Bond villain grandiosity with Davian: He looks almost disarmingly average but holds an absolute belief in his goals and a total disregard for any person who stands in his way. This includes Hunt's fiancée, Julia, whom Davian plans to sacrifice in order to obtain the weapon.
Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's innate ability to find the humanity in any film character helped to bring Davian to life in "Mission: Impossible III." Though best known for indie features like "Magnolia" and "Synecdoche, New York," Hoffman also ventured into big-budget studio features, most notably in "Red Dragon," and three of the four films in the original "Hunger Games" franchise. Parts 1 and 2 of "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" sadly marked Hoffman's final on-screen projects — he died of accidental acute mixed drug intoxication at the age of 46 on February 2, 2014.
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John McLaughlin
Among the many disguises donned by Ethan Hunt in the first "Mission: Impossible" film was John Waltzer, an elderly U.S. Senator and chairperson of the Armed Services Committee hearings. Cruise played the "real" Waltzer, who was first seen in a TV interview, and later impersonated him at the Prague Embassy. Joining Watzer for the interview was TV news pundit John McLaughlin.
McLaughlin entered politics as a candidate for senator while still serving in his first vocation — a Jesuit priest — and later became a speechwriter for President Richard Nixon. He left the priesthood in 1975 and moved into media public affairs, which led to him hosting the syndicated television program "The McLaughlin Group" from 1982 to 2016. A roundtable discussion featuring commentators from both sides of the political spectrum, "McLaughlin" earned a following for its lively and at times combative debates and McLaughlin's own theatrical delivery, which was spoofed by Dana Carvey on "Saturday Night Live."
McLaughlin also appeared in several other films, including "Dave" and "Independence Day." Diagnosed with prostate cancer, he recorded his final "Group" episode on August 12, 2016, and died four days later at the age of 89.
Ion Caramitru
A Russian mobster named Zoismov appears briefly in the first "Mission: Impossible" movie, and he's in a bad way. Woozy and bloody, there's what appears to be a dead woman by his side and a fellow gangster berating him for a contact's name. Zoismov gives up the info and is then rendered unconscious before the big reveal: The second mobster is Ethan Hunt in disguise, the dead woman is Hunt's wife (who's very much alive), and the "murder" room is an elaborate scheme to gain information on rogue agent Alexander Golitsyn.
Romanian actor Ion Caramitru played Zoismov in the Brian De Palma-directed adventure. A major figure in his country's theater scene, he appeared in both Romanian films and international productions, including Steven Soderbergh's "Kafka." Caramitru was also deeply involved in Romanian politics in the late 1980s. He helped to lead a revolt against the dictatorial government of President Nicolae Ceausescu and later served as Minister of Culture under his replacement, Ion Iliescue, from 1996 to 2000.
Caramitru returned to acting in the 2000s while also remaining active in Romanian governmental affairs. For his efforts to link England with Romanian culture, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1995. He died in Bucharest at the age of 79 on September 5, 2021.
Harry Fielder
Chances are you weren't aware that actor Harry Fielder appeared in the first "Mission: Impossible" feature. And that would be understandable: The British actor, who plays a driver in the 1996 film, was an extra, like he was in countless feature films and television series from 1966 to 2013. But during that time frame, Fielder managed to turn up in an astonishing slew of hit films, including "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope," "Superman," and "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
Fielder also lent support to "Doctor Who," "The Avengers," and "Fawlty Towers." He recalled many of his adventures, including work with George Lucas and David Lynch, on his colorful website. After retiring in the early 2000s, Fielder became a staple on the UK convention circuit. His final credit was a voice-over role for an unofficial fan cut of the "Doctor Who" serial "Shada" in 2013, and he died at the age of 80 on February 6, 2021.
Peter Graves
Steven Hill, who played IMF leader Dan Briggs on "Mission: Impossible," parted ways with the series after its first season, reportedly due to conflicts with his desire to observe the Jewish Sabbath, which prevented him from working from Friday evening to Sunday evening. His replacement was actor Peter Graves, whose no-nonsense turn as Jim Phelps earned him a Golden Globe and Emmy nomination. Graves later reprised Phelps for the short-lived 1988 revival of "Mission: Impossible."
The brother of actor James Arness, Graves graduated from features in the 1950s like "Stalag 17" (as well as low-budget science fiction films like "It Conquered the World") to television in the '60s prior to joining "Mission: Impossible." Unlike many of his co-stars, Graves enjoyed renewed popularity after the series' conclusion: He showed impeccable deadpan comic timing as the creepy Captain Oveur in "Airplane!" and won an Emmy in 1997 as the host of A&E's long-running "Biography" series. Graves also frequently lampooned his earnest hosting duties in films like "Addams Family Values" and "Men in Black II."
Active throughout the 1990s and 2000s on series like "7th Heaven" and numerous television commercials, Graves' final credit was as narrator of the interactive movie and video game "Darkstar." He died of a heart attack at the age of 83 on March 14, 2010.
Greg Morris
Providing crucial support to the IMF with his vast knowledge of technology was agent Barnard "Barney" Collier, played by actor Greg Morris. Barney and strongman Willy Armitage (Peter Lupus) were the only agents to appear in all seven seasons of "Mission: Impossible," and Morris later reprised his role in the 1988 revival. For those appearances, Barney teamed with his son, Grant Collins, who was played by Morris's real-life son, actor Phil Morris.
Morris began acting in college and launched his screen career with appearances on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and "The Twilight Zone." He earned three Emmy nominations during his run on "Mission: Impossible," which ended in 1973. Morris later enjoyed occasional work as a guest star on series like "The Love Boat" and replaced Raymond St. Jacques as police lieutenant Dave Nelson on "Vega$."
A 1981 car accident kept him off-screen for much of the 1980s until the "Mission: Impossible" revival series. Morris was later among the original series cast members who disliked the 1996 feature, which Morris described to the Associated Press as "an abomination" (via the New York Times). Morris died in Las Vegas on August 27, 1996, at the age of 62; no cause of death was given, but Morris had both lung and brain cancer.
Martin Landau
Ethan Hunt's elaborate disguises in the "Mission: Impossible" films are a direct nod to Martin Landau's Rollin Hand, who appeared in Seasons 1 through 3 of the original series. Rollin was an actor whose skill with makeup, impersonation, and language allowed him to successfully pose as various figures, including international figures and politicians. Landau netted a Golden Globe and three Emmy nominations for playing Rollin before he and his wife Barbara Bain, who played Cinnamon Carter, left the series in 1969.
Landau was already a movie and TV star by the time he appeared on "Mission: Impossible." A versatile character actor who gave notable turns in Alfred Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" and on episodes of "The Twilight Zone," Landau's career drifted into low-budget features in the 1970s, though he remained active on television, most notably on the UK science fiction series "Space: 1999." A Golden Globe-winning performance in Francis Ford Coppola's "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" led to a career revival that included an Oscar win as Bela Lugosi in "Ed Wood." Landau continued to draw critical praise for projects like Atom Egoyan's "Remember" before his death at the age of 89 on July 15, 2017.
Steven Hill
As previously mentioned, actor Steven Hill was the first leader of the IMF in its 1966-67 debut season. Hill played Daniel Briggs, who relayed missions from the Voice/Man on the tape to his team and frequently (but not always) accompanied them in carrying them out. Reportedly, Briggs's absence from 7 of the 27 missions in Season 1, and eventual departure from the series, was due to Hill's religious beliefs: As an Orthodox Jew, he couldn't work from Friday evening to Sunday evening.
An original member of the Actors Studio, Hill began his career on Broadway and live television in the 1950s before moving into features and episodic TV. After leaving "Mission: Impossible," he did not act for a decade and supported himself through writing and real estate. But he returned to the screen in the 1980s in films like "The Firm" before landing his career-defining role as District Attorney Adam Schiff on "Law & Order." Hill remained with that series from 1990 to 2000 and earned two Emmy nominations before retiring from acting at the age of 78. Hill died of cancer at the age of 94 on August 23, 2016.
Leonard Nimoy
When Martin Landau left "Mission: Impossible" in 1969, the show's production company, Desilu, tapped Leonard Nimoy — whose run on "Star Trek" had just ended — to replace him as The Great Paris. A magician by trade, Paris (whose first name was never revealed in the series) was as skilled at disguises as Landau's Rollin Hand, and showcased his talents in Seasons 4 through 6. After Nimoy's departure, the "master of disguise" role was handled by Lee Meriwether's Tracey and Barbara Anderson's Mimi Davis, among others.
Though Nimoy's Emmy-nominated turn as Mr. Spock in the "Star Trek" franchise remains his best-known screen persona, he was also an in-demand character actor in features (the 1978 "Invasion of the Body Snatchers") and on television ("Fringe"), as well as an accomplished director ("Three Men and a Baby"), prolific writer, and talented photographer. Nimoy performed in stage dramas and musicals, hosted television series ("In Search Of..."), and lent his distinctive voice to numerous animated films, television commercials, and other projects. Diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, he died from complications at the age of 83 on February 27, 2015.
Antony Hamilton
As Max Harte, Australian model and dancer turned actor Antony Hamilton handled the muscle role in the 1988 revival of "Mission: Impossible" previously occupied by Peter Lupus's Willy Armitage. After working steadily throughout the 1980s, he seemed poised for movie stardom as a possible candidate to play James Bond. But Hamilton enjoyed only a handful of additional roles before his untimely death in 1996.
A turn as the Biblical strongman Samson in the 1984 TV movie "Samson and Delilah" gave Hamilton — who was alternately billed as "Antony" or "Tony" — his entry into American television. He replaced Jon-Erik Hexum as the lead on "Cover Up" after Hexum died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound, and the spy-themed series reportedly brought Hamilton to the attention of EON Productions chief Cubby Broccoli, who wanted to cast a new actor as James Bond. Hamilton allegedly lost the role because of his sexual identity — he was gay — and returned to TV as a guest star on series like "L.A. Law."
The cancelation of "Mission: Impossible" also brought Hamilton's career to an end. He enjoyed just two more screen roles in minor projects before his death from AIDS-related pneumonia at the age of 42 on March 29, 1995.
Bob Johnson
The self-destructing messages that gave Jim Phelps and Ethan Hunt their assignments are among the most lasting "Mission: Impossible" pop culture touchstones. Phrases heard on the recordings — "Your mission, should you choose to accept it" and "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds" — have been spoofed on "Get Smart," "SpongeBob SquarePants," and even in Charles Schultz's "Peanuts" comics.
The directives, delivered by an unseen person typically referred to as the "Man on Tape," were recorded by an uncredited Bob Johnson, who lent his voice to numerous screen projects in the 1950s and 1960s. A former accountant with producer Leslie Stevens' Daystar Productions, Johnson, who was also billed as Robert C. Johnson, voiced aliens on "The Outer Limits" and "Star Trek: The Original Series," provided English dubbing for international films, and narrated commercials and movie trailers. Johnson returned for the 1988 revival series, this time as the Voice on Disc (directives were delivered via CD). He died at the age of 73 on the island of Molokai, Hawaii, on December 31, 1993.
Sid Haig
Long before his second bout of stardom as a horror icon in "The Devil's Rejects" and other titles, Sid Haig was a busy character actor specializing in tough guys on dozens of TV shows and films. These include nine episodes of the original "Mission: Impossible" between Seasons 1 and 5. In typical fashion, most of Haig's characters posed a serious threat to the IMF team, including a vicious prison camp inmate in Season 2's "Trial by Fury," a trigger-happy Latin American officer in "Commandante," and a mystic's henchman in "The Choice." Between "Mission: Impossible" assignments, Haig also found time to appear on "Star Trek" and "Batman," and also turned up in John Boorman's "Point Blank."
Haig's career remained busy until the mid-'90s when he retired due to perceived typecasting. But a minor role as a judge in "Jackie Brown" — Quentin Tarantino was a fan of Haig's work — led to his outrageous, lip-smacking turn as the deranged Captain Spaulding in Rob Zombie's "House of 1000 Corpses." That film led to more work with Zombie and directors like S. Craig Zahler ("Bone Tomahawk"), as well as leading roles in dozens of low-budget horror films. Haig was so busy during the 2000s that at the time of his death from pneumonia at the age of 80 on September 21, 2019, he had at least three features awaiting release, including 2019's "Suicide for Beginners."
Jack Donner
After a long stint as a performer in theater and live television dramas in New York, actor Jack Donner relocated to Los Angeles, where he soon found work on episodic television in the 1960s. Chief among these were his 11 appearances on the original "Mission: Impossible," which cast him as a puppeteer aiding the IMF in Season 2's "Trek," and a security officer impersonated by an enemy agent in the Season 3 two-parter "The Bunker," among other characters.
Despite appearances on "Mission: Impossible" and other series like "Kojak," Donner was perhaps best remembered as Romulan Subcommander Tal on "The Enterprise Incident" from Season 3 of the original "Star Trek" series." Donner revisited the "Star Trek" universe more than three decades later to play a Vulcan priest on two Season 4 episodes of "Star Trek: Enterprise." Donner left the business in the 1970s to become a psychotherapist and then returned to acting in the early '90s for an even busier slate of guest roles on dozens of TV series and independent features.
Donner remained active until his death on September 19, 2019, at the age of 90. Two more features, including the comedy "Unbelievable!!!!" which starred more than 40 "Star Trek" veterans, were released posthumously.
Vic Perrin
Character actor Vic Perrin was seen in 12 episodes of the original "Mission: Impossible" series between Seasons 1 and 5, but more often than not, it was his distinctive voice that was heard on the series. This was largely the case for Perrin's entire acting career, during which he voiced or narrated countless film and television projects from the late 1940s to the mid-'80s.
Perrin is perhaps best remembered by TV audiences as the "Control Voice," which served as narrator for the original 1961-62 run of "The Outer Limits." Though he provided (often uncredited) voice-overs for features like Stanley Kubrick's "Spartacus," television was his most prolific showcase for decades. He voiced numerous characters for animated series, including Marvel's Cyclops, Thor, and the villainous Dr. Zin on "Jonny Quest."
He had live-action appearances on the original "Twilight Zone," as well as additional voice work on "Star Trek: The Original Series." After reprising Dr. Zin for "The New Adventures of Johnny Quest" in 1986, Perrin died of cancer at the age of 73 on July 4, 1989.