Who can forget the pulsating theme music of Mission: Impossible that was played alongside the sparkling visual of the unseen figure striking a match in the opening credits for every episode of the classic 1966-1973 CBS series? Once on Mission, he was initially credited as a “special guest,” thinking the show might interfere with his motion picture career. Then came Mission: Impossible, which enabled him to move away from “sword and sandal” B-pictures (and the previous stage name of “Rock Stevens”). Although he had little dialogue in Mission, his strong, silent character type was featured in 161 episodes. Although he performed on several episodes of the early TV shows like Fury, Whiplash, and Court Martial, his moment finally arrived when he joined Mission: Impossible in its second season.

Source: Forbes June 18, 2022 21:45 UTC