Greg Morris

After completing high school, actor Greg Morris joined the army and remained in the service from 1952 to 1955. He eventually studied drama at Ohio State University and the University of Iowa before moving to Seattle to pursue acting. He appeared in mostly minor roles on the stage, but this garnered some Hollywood interest, and he made guest an appearance in a 1963 episode of the comedy series "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and the classic sci-fi anthology "The Twilight Zone." Morris' big break came in 1966 when he was offered a leading role in the spy series "Mission: Impossible," as electronics expert Barney Collier. Even after the show's conclusion in 1973, Morris continued to appear on several other shows including the sitcoms "Sanford and Son" and "The Jeffersons." Despite numerous guest roles, Morris did not gain a regular television role again until the premiere of the 1978 cop show "Vegas." In 1988, Morris appeared as Barney for the 1980s television remake of "Mission: Impossible," alongside his son, Phil Morris (portraying his father's character's successor). When the 1996 film version of "Mission: Impossible" was released, Morris openly criticized it. At age 62, he died in his Las Vegas home, after a near-decade-long battle with cancer.