Latest Update: Peter Graves & Career Highlights Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets

Updated: May 05, 2026

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Latest Update: Peter Graves  & Career Highlights Net Worth 2026: Career Earnings & Assets

Many fans are curious about Peter Graves's financial success in 2026. In this article, we dive deep into the assets and career highlights.

What was Peter Graves' Net Worth?

Peter Graves was an American actor who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death in 2010. Peter Graves was best known for playing Jim Phelps on the CBS television spy drama series "Mission: Impossible." After starring in the original version of the show from 1967 to 1973, he reprised his role in the revival from 1988 to 1990. Graves also had roles in numerous films throughout the decades, including "Rogue River," "Stalag 17," "Black Tuesday," "The Ballad of Josie," and "Airplane!"

Early Life

Peter Graves was born as Peter Aurness on March 18, 1926 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to businessman Rolf and journalist Ruth. He was of German, English, and Norwegian descent, and had an older brother namedJames Arnesswho went on to star on the television series "Gunsmoke." As an adolescent, Graves went to Southwest High School, from which he graduated in 1944. He subsequently served in the US Army Air Forces during World War II, attaining the rank of corporal. After he demobilized, Graves went to the University of Minnesota on the GI Bill.

Film Career

Graves began his professional acting career in 1951 with a starring role in the Western film "Rogue River." Later in the year, he starred in another Western, "Fort Defiance." In 1952, Graves starred in the science-fiction film "Red Planet Mars." He went on to have a supporting role in Billy Wilder's war film "Stalag 17" in 1953. Also that year, Graves appeared in "War Paint," "East of Sumatra," and "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef." He was in a plethora of other films throughout the rest of the 50s, including but not limited to: "Killers from Space," "The Yellow Tomahawk," "Black Tuesday," "Wichita," "The Night of the Hunter," "Fort Yuma," "It Conquered the World," "Beginning of the End," and "Wolf Larsen."

Graves was less prolific on the big screen in the 60s. His credits during the decade included "A Rage to Live," "Texas Across the River," "The Ballad of Josie," and "The Five Man Army." In the 70s, Graves focused more on his television career; his handful of theatrical film credits included "Sidecar Racers," "The Tehran Incident," "The Rebels," and "Parts: The Clonus Horror." He began the 80s with one of his most beloved roles, playing Captain Clarence Oveur in the parody film "Airplane!," a role he reprised for the sequel in 1982. During the decade, Graves also appeared in such films as "The Guns and the Fury," "Savannah Smiles," and "Number One with a Bullet." His few credits over the subsequent decades included "Addams Family Values" and "Men in Black II."

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In summary, the total wealth of Peter Graves reflects strategic moves.

Disclaimer: All net worth figures are estimates based on public data.