Why did James Arness and Peter Graves have different names?
Peter Aurness grew up with his older brother James in Minneapolis. The two boys both joined the Army in World War II and later fell into acting. James altered the family surname to Arness. Peter opted for a stage name from his maternal side, Graves.
Did James Arness get along with his brother Peter Graves?
Although they were both very active in movies and television at the same time, they never acted together. But Graves did direct a 1955 episode of Gunsmoke, the long-running TV series that starred his big brother in the role of Marshal Matt Dillon.
How are James Arness and Peter Graves related?
Q My wife thinks Gunsmoke actor James Arness is related to Mission: Impossible star Peter Graves. I say they’re not. Who’s right? Your wife wins this one. Born James and Peter Aurness in Minneapolis, the Gunsmoke star-to-be later modified the spelling of his last name to Arness and Peter chose to use their mother’s maiden name of Graves.
How did James Arness get his last name?
The family surname was Aurness. It was Norwegian. It became Arness for James. Then in 1950, when Peter Graves earned a part in the movie Rogue River, he changed his last name to Graves to distinguish himself from his big brother. Put the emphasis on big. Peter Graves stood 6-foot-2, while James Arness, at 6-7, towered over everyone.
Who was James Arness’s brother in Gunsmoke?
Gunsmoke star James Arness had a very famous brother in Hollywood. Maybe you remember him, too. It’s Peter Graves. Peter Graves was the younger brother of James Arness by three years. Both served in the military during World War II. Arness suffered a severe leg wound.
What was James Arness brother’s name in Mission Impossible?
James had a younger brother whose name was Peter Graves. He was an actor best known as Jim Phelps in the 1967 to 1973 CBS series Mission: Impossible. Graves who was born as Peter Duesler Aurness on the 18th of March 1926, chose to adopt his maternal family name Graves in honour of his mother’s family.