{{short description|American bodybuilder and actor (born 1932)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Peter Lupus | image = Peter Lupus 1967.jpg | caption = Lupus in ''Mission: Impossible'' (1967) | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1932|06|17}} | birth_place = Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = Rock Stevens | alma_mater = Butler University | occupation = {{hlist|Bodybuilder|actor}} | years_active = | spouse = {{marriage|Sharon M. Hildebrand|1960}} | children = 1 }}
'''Peter Nash Lupus Jr.''' (born June 17, 1932) is an American bodybuilder and actor.<ref name=morgan>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19731109&id=Q9seAAAAIBAJ&pg=3367,3726013 |title=Peter Lupus a Natural In Role of Strongman |newspaper=Sarasota Herald-Tribune |date=November 9, 1973 |last=Morgan |first=Gary |page=B1 |access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> He is best known for his role as Willy Armitage on the television series ''Mission: Impossible'' (1966–73), as well as his appearances in several Italian peplum films under the stage name '''Rock Stevens'''.<ref name="morgan" />
== Early life == Lupus is one of three siblings born in Indianapolis, Indiana to Mary Irene ({{nee}} Lambert; 1910–2003) and Peter Nash Lupus (1898–1981). He attended the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University, where he also played football and basketball and was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, graduating in 1954.
== Career ==
===Bodybuilder=== Standing {{convert|6|ft|4|in|cm}} with a developed physique, Lupus began his career by earning the titles of Mr. Indianapolis, Mr. Indiana, Mr. Hercules and Mr. International Health Physique.<ref name=raddatz>{{cite news |newspaper=Indianapolis Star |title=Weird lives of Hoosier muscle men: Twiggy's bodyguard, Arnold's template, Mel Brooks' Mongo |first=Will |last=Higgins |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/life/2018/01/30/odd-jobs-hoosier-strongtwiggys-bodyguard-mel-brooks-mongo-schwarzeneggers-template-odd-jobbing-hoosi/1047862001/ |date=January 30, 2018 |access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref>
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=== [[File:Mission impossible cast 1970.JPG|thumb|Lupus with the ''Mission: Impossible'' cast in 1970]] Lupus was one of many bodybuilders who followed Steve Reeves into the Italian "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.<ref name="morgan" /> Lupus played Willy Armitage in the original ''Mission: Impossible'' television series in the 1960s.<ref name="eotv">{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofte0002unse_t8s4/page/1062/mode/2up?q=mission+impossible |title=Mission: Impossible |series=Encyclopedia of Television |pages=1062–1064 |editor-first=Horace |editor-last=Newcomb |volume=2 |publisher=Fitzroy Dearborn |location=Chicago |year=1997 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |url-access=registration}}</ref> 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,<ref name="lvjr">{{cite news| last=Whitely| first=Joan| title=Strongman, actor Peter Lupus finds health his mission in life| url-access=subscription |url=https://reviewjournal.newsbank.com/search?text=Strongman%2C%20actor%20Peter%20Lupus%20finds%20health%20his%20mission%20in%20life&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%5B0%5D=LVRB| newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal| date=April 15, 1997| access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Not For Ladies Only: It's Hollywood Showtime! |url=https://www.boyculture.com/boy_culture/2011/07/not-for-ladies-only-its-hollywood-showtime.html |date=July 22, 2011 |journal=Boy Culture| first=Matthew |last=Rettenmund |access-date=January 8, 2021}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Weldon2013">{{cite book |last=Weldon |first=Glen |author-link=Glen Weldon |title=Superman: The Unauthorized Biography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3z3PRjc-QGYC&pg=PT141 |year=2013 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-48382-4 |page=141}}</ref>
== Personal life == Lupus and his wife, Sharon, have a son, Peter Nash Lupus III, who is also an actor.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}}
On July 19, 2007, at age 75, Lupus set a world weightlifting endurance record by lifting {{convert|77,560|lb|kg}} over the course of 24 minutes, 50 seconds at the Spectrum Club in El Segundo, California.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lupus Record |date=July 18, 2007 | last=Lipton |first=Glen |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A2-3eba7acc-e371-4dd3-becd-f6441c4d9175.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402120226/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1A2-3eba7acc-e371-4dd3-becd-f6441c4d9175.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |newspaper=Associated Press |via=HighBeam Research}}</ref> This topped the record Lupus set five years earlier in celebration of his 70th birthday of {{convert|76,280|lb|kg}} in 27 minutes.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Mission: possible |date=June 1, 2007 |last=Perine |first=Shawn |url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-164319940.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402130706/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-164319940.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |journal=Flex|via=HighBeam Research}}</ref>
Lupus was a member of Sheriff Joe Arpaio's volunteer posse in Maricopa County, Arizona.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Leibowitz |first1=Barry |title=Lou Ferrigno, Steven Seagal, Join Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Posse to Crack Down on Illegal Immigrants |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lou-ferrigno-steven-seagal-join-sheriff-joe-arpaios-posse-to-crack-down-on-illegal-immigrants/ |work=CBS News |access-date=December 11, 2017 |date=November 22, 2010}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | rowspan="3" |1964 |''The Brass Bottle'' |Slave |Uncredited |- |''Muscle Beach Party'' |Flex Martian | rowspan="5" |Credited as 'Rock Stevens' |- |''Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon'' |Hercules |- | rowspan="3" |1965 |''Goliath at the Conquest of Damascus'' |Goliath |- |''Challenge of the Gladiator'' |Spartacus |- |''Giant of the Evil Island'' |Pedro Valverde |- |1985 |''Pulsebeat'' |Greg Adonis | |- |1987 |''Assassination'' |TV Announcer | |- |1989 |''Think Big'' |Bad Guy | |- |1991 |''Hangfire'' |Sergeant Conlan | |- |1991 |''Driving Me Crazy'' |GM Boss | |- |1992 |''The Nutt House'' |Musso | |- | rowspan="2" |1993 |''Acting on Impulse'' |Steven Smith | |- |''Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings'' |Cockfighter | |- |1999 |''Carol's Wake'' |Uncle Chavy | |- |2012 |''Mission: Irreparable'' |P.L. | |- |2014 |''Mission: Imposter'' |President Bush | |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | rowspan="3" |1962 |''I'm Dickens, He's Fenster'' |Dr. Bartless |"Nurse Dickens" |- |''The Jack Benny Program'' |Tarzan |"Jack Plays Tarzan" |- |''The Joey Bishop Show'' |Willie Foster |"Chance of a Lifetime" |- | rowspan="2" |1963 |''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' |Casimir H. Prohosky Jr. |"Beauty Is Only Kin Deep" |- |''The Red Skelton Show'' |Roommate/Silent Spot |"The Mouth Shall Rise Again" |- |1966–73 |''Mission: Impossible'' |Willy Armitage |Main cast (161 episodes) |- |1966 |''Gypsy'' |Himself |"Naura Hayden/Sandy Baron/Peter Lupus" |- |1968–75 |''The Mike Douglas Show'' |Himself |5 episodes |- |1969 |''Pay Cards!'' |Himself |August 25, 1969 |- | rowspan="3" |1970 |''The Carol Burnett Show'' |Himself (Cameo) |"Vikki Carr and Flip Wilson" |- |''Life with Linkletter'' |Himself |"Peter Lupus/Morton Hunt" |- |''The Real Tom Kennedy Show'' |Himself |"#1.35" |- |1970–71 |''The Merv Griffin Show'' |Himself |2 episodes |- |1970–74 |''Dinah's Place'' |Himself |2 episodes |- | rowspan="2" |1971 |''It's Your Bet'' |Himself |"Dan Dailey/Peter Lupus" |- |''The Virginia Graham Show'' |Himself |October 14, 1971 |- |1979 |''CHiPs'' |Himself |"Roller Disco: Part 2" |- |1980 |''Fantasy Island'' |Antar |Nona/One Million B.C." |- |1980 |''The Love Boat'' |Dave Porter |2 episodes |- |1981 |''B.J. and the Bear'' |Mose |Detective Finger, I Presume" |- |1982 |''Police Squad!'' |Norberg |4 episodes |- |1984 |''Family Feud'' |Himself |2 episodes |- |1993 |''Love, Cheat & Steal'' |Guard #5 |TV Movie |- |1997 |''Spy Game'' |Mr. White |"Why Spy?" |} Sources:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peter Lupus |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0527032/ |access-date=2023-06-13 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== * Patrick J. White, ''The Complete Mission: Impossible Dossier''. New York: Avon Books, 1991.
==External links== {{Commons category|Peter Lupus}} * {{IMDb name|0527032}} * {{Tcmdb name|177757}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lupus, Peter}} Category:1932 births Category:20th-century American male actors Category:American male bodybuilders Category:American male film actors Category:American male stage actors Category:American male television actors Category:Butler Bulldogs football players Category:Sportspeople from Indianapolis Category:People associated with physical culture Category:Playgirl Men of the Month Category:Male actors from Indianapolis Category:Living people Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:Butler University alumni