Character page for the Mission: Impossible TV series.
For an index of the actors and actresses who have their own page on this wiki, see here.
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IMF Leadership
Dan Briggs
Played By: Steven Hill
The leader of the IMF team in Season 1.
- Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: Only appeared in the first season and had little or no role in its last few episodes, due to Hill being unable to work on the Sabbath because he was Jewish.
Jim Phelps
James "Jim" Phelps
Played By: Peter Graves
The Director of the Impossible Missions Force and the leader of its most reliable mission team for several years.
- The All-American Boy: Jim grew up in a small lakeside town called Norville, where his father ran a fishing and boat-rental business and where he played football in high school (fittingly, he was the quarterback).
- The Leader: Commands the team in both the original series (starting with season 2) and its revival.
- Retired Badass: He's become one by the start of the revival, having turned over command of the team to a younger agent he trained. When that agent is killed, he comes out of retirement and assembles a new team to find the murderer.
1966-1973 IMF Team
In General
Rollin Hand
Played By: Martin Landau
- Breakout Character: He proved so popular with audiences that he became a de facto regular.
- The Lancer: Takes over some when Dan or Jim aren't there.
- Master of Disguise: Rollin pretty much invented the Latex Perfection trope.
Willy Armitage
Played By: Peter Lupus
- The Big Guy
- Genius Bruiser: Since a chart-busting IQ is an IMF requirement...
- World's Strongest Man: Former champion weightlifter. In fact, he was originally recruited solely due to his ability to lift up a gigantic bomb one-handed.
Barney Collier
Played By: Greg Morris
- Badass Bookworm: The man is also a boxer, which comes in handy sometimes.
- Black and Nerdy: He's the team's technical wiz and African-American.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Invented most of the nifty toys the team uses in the field, with the most notable exception being the masks, which are created by Rollin, Paris or Casey.
- The Smart Guy
Cinnamon Carter
Played By: Barbara Bain
Paris
Played By: Leonard Nimoy
- Master of Disguise: Taking over after Rollin left the team.
- Only One Name: Played straight.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: For Rollin.
- The Lancer: More the type that clashes some with the Hero, both fake and occasionally for real.
Dana Lambert
Played By: Lesley Ann Warren
Doug Robert
Played By: Sam Elliott
Casey
Played By: Lynda Day George
- Only One Name: Played straight for much of her run. Toward the end, her first name was revealed to be Lisa.
- Master of Disguise: Took over both this role and the roper/distraction role.
Mimi Davis
Played By: Barbara Anderson
- Boxed Crook: Originally recruited by the team out of prison because she knew the Villain of the Week.
1988-1990 IMF Team
In General
- Badass Crew: Just like the previous team, they can pull off daring missions no-one else would attempt.
Nicholas Black
Played By: Thaao Penghlis
- Master of Disguise: For the 1980s team.
- The Lancer: Tends to share this role with Grant.
Max Harte
Grant Collier
Played By: Phil Morris
The son of Barney Collier.
- Following in Relative's Footsteps: Became a IMF member just like his father.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Just like his father.
- The Lancer: Shares this some with Nicholas. Also:
- The Smart Guy: Graduated MIT at 16.
Casey Randall
Played By: Terry Markwell
Shannon Reed
Played By: Jane Badler
- Damsel in Distress: She's smart, good at her job... and seems to get thrown into the plotline peril a lot.
