Jim Phelps

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Phelps is a fictional character in the television program Mission: Impossible. He was portrayed by Peter Graves on television and by Jon Voight in the 1996 feature film.

Contents

[edit] On television

Phelps was the Director of the Impossible Missions Force, or IMF, in seasons 2-7 of the initial television series, 1967-1973. The Director of the IMF in season 1, 1966-1967, was Daniel Briggs, played by actor Steven Hill. No explanation was ever given in the series for why Dan Briggs was replaced, although the real life reason was because Steven Hill's contract was not renewed.[1]

In the late 1980s revival, which lasted for two seasons from 1988 to 1990, Phelps had a successor who was killed off in the first episode, prompting him to come out of retirement.

[edit] On film

In the 1996 film and its sequels, Phelps was replaced by Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) after Phelps was revealed to be a traitor who murdered three fellow IMF agents, having become disillusioned with his work and selling secrets to an arms dealer called 'Max'. Despite his attempts to frame Hunt for his crimes with the aid of his wife Claire (whom he also kills when his deception is exposed), Phelps ended up being killed himself as a result during a final confrontation in the Channel Tunnel, when the helicopter he would have escaped in exploded.

Peter Graves turned down the role of James Phelps in the movie for two reasons. The first was because he viewed the Phelps character as a patriot, not a traitor; the second was because in the movie, the Phelps character dies. Phelps was instead portrayed by Jon Voight in the film.

[edit] References

  1. ^ White, P., "The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier," pages 60-61, Avon Books 1991.

[edit] External Links

 This television character-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Languages