If you grew up watching television in the 1960s, you probably saw two of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood history almost every single night. On one channel, you had the towering, gravel-voiced Marshal Matt Dillon keeping the peace in Dodge City on Gunsmoke. On the other, you had the cool, calculating Jim Phelps receiving his top-secret instructions in Mission: Impossible.
Most people never realized those two men—James Arness and Peter Graves—were actually brothers.
It sounds like one of those "hidden in plain sight" Hollywood trivia facts that makes you do a double-take. They didn't share a last name. They rarely appeared together in the press. Honestly, the Hollywood publicity machine barely even mentioned it. But the story of the Peter Graves and James Arness brothers connection is a fascinating look at two midwestern kids who conquered television by carving out two completely separate identities.
The Aurness Boys from Minneapolis
Before they were icons, they were just the Aurness brothers from Minnesota.
Born in Minneapolis, James was the elder, arriving in 1923, with Peter following about three years later in 1926. Their father, Rolf Cirkler Aurness, was a businessman, and their mother, Ruth, was a journalist. They grew up in a household with Norwegian and German roots, and if you look at photos of them as kids, the resemblance is actually kind of eerie. They were both destined to be huge—literally. James stood a massive 6'7", and Peter wasn't far behind at 6'3".
World War II took them on very different paths before Hollywood ever called. James Arness was a genuine war hero. He served in the U.S. Army as a rifleman and was severely wounded in the legs during the invasion of Anzio in Italy. That injury actually haunted him for the rest of his life, making those long days on the Gunsmoke set pretty painful. Peter, meanwhile, served in the Army Air Forces as a corporal.
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When the war ended, the brothers didn't just hop on a bus to California together. James went first, finding his way into radio before hitchhiking to Hollywood. Peter stayed back for a bit, finishing his degree in drama at the University of Minnesota. It was during this period that the "name game" began.
Why the Different Last Names?
You've probably wondered why two brothers would choose two different surnames if they were both trying to make it in the same industry. It wasn't because of some bitter family feud.
It was basically a business decision.
When James started getting traction in films like The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), he was billed as James Aurness. Eventually, a studio executive suggested dropping the "u" to make it "Arness"—it just looked better on a poster. By the time Peter arrived in Hollywood a few years later, James was already a rising star. Peter didn't want to ride his brother's coattails or, worse, be confused for him.
To create his own brand, Peter took "Graves," which was a family name from his mother's side.
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He didn't just want to be "James Arness’s little brother." He wanted to be Peter Graves. And he succeeded. While James became the face of the American Western, Peter became the face of the Cold War spy thriller and, later, the voice of the A&E series Biography.
The "Worthless Brother" Script That Never Happened
Despite being close in real life, the Peter Graves and James Arness brothers duo never actually acted together on screen. It’s one of those weird gaps in TV history.
You’d think CBS would have jumped at the chance to have a crossover event. Peter once mentioned in an interview with The Times Herald that they were actually offered scripts where he would guest star on Gunsmoke. The catch? The writers always wanted him to play Matt Dillon’s "worthless, outlaw brother."
The brothers talked it over and decided against it. They felt those roles were a bit cliché and didn't really do justice to their real-life relationship. Instead of acting together, Peter stepped behind the camera and directed an episode of Gunsmoke titled "Which Dr." in 1966. That was the closest they ever got to a professional collaboration.
Two Different Styles of Stardom
Their careers were essentially mirrors of their personalities.
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- James Arness was the steady anchor. He played Matt Dillon for 20 years. Think about that—two decades of playing the same character. He was private, somewhat shy, and preferred his ranch to the Hollywood party scene. He became a symbol of rugged, old-school masculinity.
- Peter Graves was the versatile intellectual. He could play the straight-laced hero in Mission: Impossible, but he also had a wicked sense of humor. Younger generations probably know him best as Captain Clarence Oveur in the 1980 cult classic Airplane! where he delivered some of the most ridiculous lines in cinematic history with a perfectly deadpan face.
Their father, Rolf, was reportedly their biggest fan. He never missed an episode of either show. Imagine sitting in your living room in the 1960s knowing that the two biggest shows on the planet starred your sons, even if the rest of the world hadn't quite connected the dots yet.
What We Can Learn from the Aurness Legacy
The story of Peter Graves and James Arness is more than just a "fun fact" for your next trivia night. It's a masterclass in how to build a legacy without living in someone else's shadow.
If you're looking to dive deeper into their work, don't just stick to the hits.
- Watch Peter Graves in "Stalag 17" (1953). Long before he was a hero, he played a terrifyingly effective Nazi spy. It shows a range that most people forgot he had.
- Check out James Arness in "The Thing from Another World" (1951). Before he was the law in Dodge City, he actually played the "Thing" (the monster). He didn't even have any lines, but his massive frame made him terrifying.
- Contrast their voices. Both had incredible vocal presence. Listen to James's narration in How the West Was Won versus Peter's work on Biography.
James passed away in 2011, just about a year after Peter died in 2010. They were close until the very end, proving that while they took different names and played different heroes, the bond between the Aurness brothers was the one thing that never needed a script.
To truly appreciate their impact, try watching an episode of Gunsmoke and Mission: Impossible back-to-back. You’ll start to see the family resemblance in the way they command the screen—different genres, different names, but the same unmistakable presence.
Next Steps for Classic TV Fans:
To get a real sense of their off-screen bond, look for James Arness's autobiography, simply titled James Arness: An Autobiography. He speaks candidly about his childhood with Peter in Minnesota and how they navigated their separate paths to fame. For a look at Peter’s comedic pivot, re-watch the "Airplane!" 25th-anniversary interviews where he discusses how James reacted to his younger brother finally "acting like a fool" on camera.