The old saying is "be careful what you wish for..."A valid variation on that might be "be careful what you're known for..."
A long time ago, pop legend Roy Orbison told me that when he wrote his songs, he was always cognizant of the fact that if they became hits, he would have to be singing them night after night after night for the rest of his career.
He was right.
Peter Graves, who just died at age 83, could likely relate to Roy's point of view.
Because not an obit that I've seen online or on air or in print has failed to include this sentence, in one form or another...
"...best known as Jim Phelps, the leader of the IMF Force in the classic 1960's-1970's TV series, Mission Impossible...'
True enough.
But while, from all appearances, Graves embraced his fame as the guardian of hundreds of self destructed tapes, he deftly managed to avoid being known as a one trick pony and created a resume to be envied , starting out in the 1950's as the dad on the Saturday morning show, "Fury" to his roles in a whole film buff's Rolodex of "so bad they're good" sci-fi movies ("It Conquered The World"..."Beginning of The End")...and, in later years, following the lead of his generational peer, Leslie Nielsen , he moved effortlessly from "serious actor" to "comedy icon" with his roles in "Airplane", etc.
Most recently, he did a wonderful turn as an oversexed octogenerian in an episode of "House".
Sixty years of success in a business where fifteen minutes is the standard ration issued from the fame and fortune spicket.
Talk about your impossible missions.
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