Surely many people, when they read Mission: Impossible, think about Tom Cruise's franchise, which has starred many famous names over the years. However, that is not what this article focuses on. The original Mission: Impossible was a series that first aired in 1966 and lasted until the beginning of the '70s. The show followed a group of agents that belonged to the IMF, the Impossible Missions Force, and operated in secret to fight evil organizations and dictators.It was a widely successful show that conquered the hearts of millions of viewers at the time, not only because of its great plot but also because of the extremely talented cast. Although many of the actors have sadly left us, including the great Peter Graves that played the amazing Jim Phelps, some members from the cast are still with us, keeping the show's legacy alive.
7 Barbara Bain Is 90 Years Old
Barbara Bain is now 90 years old, and her career is nothing short of impressive. She's most well-known for playing Cinnamon Carter, one of the top Impossible Missions Force, and for her performance, she won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Dramatic Actress. It makes sense, given the fact that the role was, quite literally, made for her.
She explained, "Bruce Geller (Mission: Impossible's creator) was a writer who had been brought out from New York. Martin (Landau, her then-husband) wanted writers to see the actor's process. Bruce was quite captivated with watching us, so he wrote the part of Rollin Hand - the man of a thousand roles - for Martin. When he got to the part of "the girl," as Cinnamon was then known, he wrote it for me - although he wasn't clear about that in the beginning. He had to deal with the network and various folks because I was an unknown actress."
6 Peter Lupus Started Out As A Bodybuilder
While Peter Lupus' work as an actor is remarkable, it's worth mentioning that it wasn't his first profession. Originally, he started as a bodybuilder and earned several accolades in that area. It was in the early '60s that his career in film started, although he initially made appearances under the name of Rock Stevens. With that stage name, he worked in Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon, Challenge of the Gladiator, and Muscle Beach Party.
When he joined the Mission: Impossible cast in 1966 though, he did so with his legal name. He portrayed Willy Armitage, a quiet, introverted agent that was a muscle man for the IMF.
5 Lesley Ann Warren Joined The Cast After Barbara Bain Left
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Lesley Ann Warren had a short but memorable stint on Mission: Impossible, playing agent Dana Lambert. She was one of the successors of Cinnamon Carter after Barbara Bain left the show. She stayed throughout season 5 and earned a Golden Globe nomination. However, when reviewing her extensive resume, it becomes clear that Mission: Impossible is just a small part of her legacy, which consists not only of TV shows and movies but also of widely successful musicals such as the Broadway production of 110 in the Shade, the 1965 production of Drat! The Cat!, and did several TV musicals like Cinderella and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band.
4 Lee Meriwether Is Best Known For Playing Catwoman
When Barbara Bain left the show, Mission: Impossible was faced with a real problem. Her character was very important for the plot and was replaced with several guest stars. One of them was Lee Meriwether, who played an agent named Tracy and did such a wonderful job that she was called to reprise her role in more episodes.
Lee's most famous role, however, is Catwoman. She portrayed her in the 1966 Batman movie, and then appeared in the 1967 Batman TV series as Bruce Wayne's love interest, Lisa Carson.
3 Lynda Day George Was Critically Acclaimed For Her Role
Lynda Day George was cast as Lisa Casey in the show in 1971, and the response her performance got was great. She was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1972, and then for an Emmy Award in 1973. She stayed for the sixth and seventh seasons, only stepping out momentarily when she was on maternity leave.
When she married Christopher George, Lynda co-starred alongside him in many important projects, such as Mayday at 40,000 Feet! and The House on Greenapple Road.
2 Barbara Anderson Played Mimi Davis
Barbara Anderson came to the rescue when, in 1973, Lynda Day George had a child and had to leave her role for a bit. Barbara took over, portraying Mimi Davis for seven episodes during the last season of Mission: Impossible. While her time on the show will undoubtedly be remembered by the fans, she has a long list of accomplishments to be proud of outside of it, starting with Star Trek, The Conscience of the King, in 1966. She then went on to appear in the movie Ironside and starred in the consequent TV series by the same name, and worked on countless amazing projects through the decades.
1 Sam Elliott Is Still A Huge Star In Hollywood
At age 77, Sam Elliott is nowhere ready to slow down. He had his breakthrough with projects such as The Sacketts and Murder in Texas. He was cast as Dr. Doug Robert, a role he played all throughout the fifth season of the show.
Recently, he's had a recurring role in Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin's sitcom Grace & Frankie, and was one of the regulars on The Ranch, which lasted from 2016 to 2020. He also appeared in Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's 2018 movie, A Star is Born.