Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (2024)

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Peter Lupus

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (1)

Lupus in Mission: Impossible (1967)

BornJune 17, 1932 (age92)

Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.

OthernamesRock Stevens
Occupations
  • Bodybuilder
  • actor
Spouse

Sharon M. Hildebrand

(m.1960)

Children1

Peter Nash Lupus Jr. (born June 17, 1932) is an American bodybuilder and actor. [1] He is best known for his role as Willy Armitage on the television series Mission: Impossible (1966–1973).

Contents

  • Personal life
  • Career
  • Bodybuilder
  • Actor
  • Playgirl pinup
  • Present day
  • Filmography
  • Film
  • Television
  • References
  • Further reading
  • External links

Personal life

Lupus is one of three siblings born in Indianapolis, Indiana to Mary Irene ( née Lambert; 1910-2003) and Peter Nash Lupus (1898-1981).

Lupus attended the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University, where he also played football and basketball and a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, graduating in 1954. He and his wife, Sharon, have a son, Peter Nash Lupus III, who is also an actor.[ citation needed ]

Career

Bodybuilder

Standing 6feet 4inches (193cm) with a developed physique, Lupus began his career by earning the titles of Mr. Indianapolis, Mr. Indiana, Mr. Hercules and Mr. International Health Physique. [2] Lupus was one of many bodybuilders who followed Steve Reeves into the "sword and sandal" films of the 1960s, occasionally credited as Rock Stevens for such films as Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon (1964), Challenge of the Gladiator (1965) and Muscle Beach Party (1964) where he starred as "Mr. Galaxy" Flex Martian. [1]

During the early 1970s, Lupus promoted European Health Spa, traveling the country to make appearances and sign autographs at several of the gyms' grand openings.

Actor

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (2)

Lupus played Willy Armitage in the original Mission: Impossible television series in the 1960s. [3] Armitage was the Impossible Missions Force's muscle man, and featured in nearly all episodes of the series. The character of Willy Armitage was the strong, silent type, usually with very little dialogue. Late in the show's run, during season five, the producers decided that his character was superfluous and he was dropped to recurring status, appearing in a little over half of that season's episodes. Outcry from fans and lack of success in finding a replacement for his character — originally replaced by Sam Elliott — resulted in his return to regular status the following season and to his getting a greater role in the stories, often assuming disguises as a convict or a thug. Only Bob Johnson and Greg Morris sustained regular roles through the show's entire run.

Lupus's other television work included a guest spot as Tarzan on Jack Benny's television show, [4] a boxer with a glass jaw on The Joey Bishop Show , a caveman on an episode of Fantasy Island , and the recurring role of Detective Norberg on the short-lived sitcom Police Squad!

Playgirl pinup

Lupus was one of the first well-known male actors to pose with full frontal nudity for Playgirl magazine, in April 1974. [5] Photographs of Lupus appeared in a number of issues. Before this, he was hired by the United States Air Force to appear in a series of commercials playing the role of Superman (with the permission of what is now DC Comics). He appeared for many months until the Playgirl pictorial was published. [6]

Present day

On July 19, 2007, at age 75, Lupus set a world weightlifting endurance record by lifting 77,560 pounds (35,180kg) over the course of 24 minutes, 50 seconds at the Spectrum Club in El Segundo, California. [7] This topped the record Lupus set five years earlier in celebration of his 70th birthday of 76,280 pounds (34,600kg) in 27 minutes. [8]

Lupus was a member of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's volunteer posse in Maricopa County, Arizona. [9]

Filmography

List of acting credit references: [10]

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964 The Brass Bottle Slaveuncredited
1964 Muscle Beach Party Flex Martiancredited as Rock Stevens
1964 Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon Herculescredited as Rock Stevens
1965 Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus Goliathcredited as Rock Stevens
1965 Challenge of the Gladiator Spartacuscredited as Rock Stevens
1965 Giant of the Evil Island Pedro Valverdecredited as Rock Stevens
1983The Escapistunknown role
1985PulsebeatGreg Adonis
1987 Assassination TV Announcer
1989 Think Big Bad Guy #1
1991HangfireSergeant Conlan
1991 Driving Me Crazy GM Boss
1992 The Nutt House Musso
1993 Acting on Impulse Steven Smith
1993 Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings Cockfighter #2
1999Carol's WakeUncle Chavy
2012Mission: IrreparableP.L.
2014Mission: ImposterPresident Bush

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1962 I'm Dickens, He's Fenster Dr. Bartless"Nurse Dickens"
1962 The Jack Benny Program Tarzan"Jack Plays Tarzan"
1962 The Joey Bishop Show Willie Foster"Chance of a Lifetime"
1963 The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Casimir H. Prohosky, Jr."Beauty Is Only Kin Deep"
1963 The Red Skeleton Hour Roommate/Silent Spot"The Mouth Shall Rise Again"
1966–1973 Mission: Impossible Willy Armitageseries regular (161 episodes)
1966GypsyHimself"Naura Hayden/Sandy Baron/Peter Lupus"
1968–1975 The Mike Douglas Show Himself5 episodes
1969 Pay Cards! Himself"08.25.1969"
1970 The Carol Burnett Show Himself (Cameo)"Vikki Carr and Flip Wilson"
1970Life with LinkletterHimself"Peter Lupus/Morton Hunt"
1970 The Real Tom Kennedy Show Himself"#1.35"
1970–1971 The Merv Griffin Show Himself2 episodes
1970–1974 Dinah's Place Himself2 episodes
1971 It's Your Bet Himself"Dan Dailey/Peter Lupus"
1971 The Virginia Graham Show Himself"10.14.1971"
1979 CHiPs Himself"Roller Disco: Part 2"
1980 Fantasy Island AntarNona/One Million B.C."
1980 The Love Boat Dave Porter2 episodes
1981 B.J. and the Bear MoseDetective Finger, I Presume"
1982 Police Squad! Norberg4 episodes
1984 Family Feud Himself2 episodes
1993 Guard #5TV Movie
1997 Spy Game Mr. White"Why Spy?"

Related Research Articles

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (3)

Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic purposes over functional ones, distinguishing it from similar activities such as powerlifting and calisthenics.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (4)

Louis Jude Ferrigno Sr. is an American actor and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title as well as two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the documentary film Pumping Iron (1977). As an actor, he is best known for his title role in the CBS television series The Incredible Hulk (1978–1982) and vocally reprising the role in subsequent animated and computer-generated incarnations. He has also appeared in European-produced fantasy-adventures such as Hercules (1983) and Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1989), and as himself in the sitcom The King of Queens and the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (5)

Mission: Impossible is an American espionage television series, financed and filmed by Desilu Productions, that aired on CBS from September 1966 to March 1973. It was revived in 1988 for two seasons on ABC, and later inspired the series of theatrical motion pictures starring Tom Cruise beginning in 1996.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (6)

Mr. Olympia is the title awarded to the winner of the professional men's bodybuilding contest in the open division at Joe Weider'sOlympia Fitness & Performance Weekend—an international bodybuilding competition that is held annually and is sanctioned by the IFBB Professional League. Joe Weider created the contest to enable the amateur Mr. Universe winners to continue competing and to earn money. The first Mr. Olympia was held on September 18, 1965, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, with Larry Scott winning his first of two straight titles. The equivalent female title is Ms. Olympia.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (7)

Beefcake is a performance or a form of glamour photography depicting a large and muscular male body. Beefcake is also a publication genre. A role a person plays in a performance may be called beefcake. The term was believed to be first used by Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky.

Sergio Oliva, often known by his epithet 'The Myth' for his physique and performance, was a Cuban American bodybuilder, and three-time Mr. Olympia winner.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (8)

Stephen Lester Reeves was an American professional bodybuilder and actor. He was famous in the mid-1950s as a movie star in Italian-made sword-and-sandal films, playing the protagonist as muscular characters such as Hercules, Goliath, and Sandokan. At the peak of his career, he was the highest-paid actor in Europe. Though best known for his portrayal of Hercules, he played the character only twice: in Hercules (1958), and in its 1959 sequel Hercules Unchained. By 1960, Reeves was ranked as the number-one box-office draw in 25 countries.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (9)

Eugen Sandow was a German bodybuilder and showman from Prussia, using the Bulgarian last name Sandow as a pseudonym. Born in Königsberg, Sandow became interested in bodybuilding at the age of ten during a visit to Italy.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (10)

Larry Dee Scott, nicknamed "The Legend" and "The Golden Boy," was an American IFBB professional bodybuilder. He won the inaugural 1965 Mr. Olympia competition and defended the crown at the 1966 Mr. Olympia contest before retiring. He also won the Mr. America title in 1962 and the Mr. Universe title in 1964. With his Olympia victory in 1965, Scott became the first man to win the three major titles of his era. A student of Vince Gironda, he became best known for his arm development, particularly his impressive and unusually long biceps. He was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame in 1999.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (11)

William Arnold Pearl was an American professional bodybuilder and athlete. During the 1950s and 60s, he won many titles and awards, including winning the Mr. Universe contest five times, and was named "World's Best-Built Man of the Century". He later became an expert trainer and author on bodybuilding.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (12)

Roy "Reg" Park was an English bodybuilder, businessman, and actor. His first title was Mr. Britain in 1949. He then won Mr. Universe in 1951, 1958, and 1965. He went on to star in five films, all of which featured him playing Hercules. Later in life, he received renewed interest for being the first inspiration to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (13)

Hercules is a 1983 Italian-American science fantasy adventure film written and directed by Luigi Cozzi and starring bodybuilding champion Lou Ferrigno. The film is based on Greek mythology and follows the exploits of Hercules. Supporting cast includes Brad Harris, Sybil Danning and William Berger. Filmed in Italy, Hercules was released theatrically in August 1983 and has grossed $11 million at the American box office. It received mostly negative reviews from film critics, although over the years it has become a cult movie. Ferrigno reprised his role in the 1985 sequel, The Adventures of Hercules.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (14)

Thomas Steven Platz is an American retired professional bodybuilder. He was known for his leg development, which in his prime measured over 30 inches, earning him the nickname The Quadfather.

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (15)

Peter Lupus - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader (2024)

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