Peter Lupus

Peter Lupus
Peter Lupus second from the right
Born	(1932-06-17) June 17, 1932 (age 84) Indianapolis, Indiana
Other names	Rock Stevens
Occupation	Actor/bodybuilder
Spouse(s)	Sharon M. Hildebrand (1960-present)
Children	Peter Lupus III

Peter Lupus (born June 17, 1932) is an American bodybuilder and actor. He attended the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University, where he also played football and basketball, graduating in 1954. He and his wife, Sharon, have a son, Peter Lupus III, who is also an actor. Lupus is said by some to be of Greek descent, though by other sources, Italian. His surname from the Latin 'lupo', meaning wolf. Census records give his father as having been born in Syria, however, and his mother as American.

Lupus was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Standing 6 feet 4 inches (193 cm) with a developed physique, he began his career by earning the titles of Mr. Indianapolis, Mr. Indiana, Mr. Hercules and Mr. International Health Physique. 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.

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

He is best remembered for the role of Willy Armitage in the original Mission: Impossible television series in the 1960s. Armitage was the Impossible Missions Force's muscle man, 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 his character was superfluous and he was dropped to recurring status, appearing in a little over half of that season's episodes. Fan outcry and the lack of success in finding a replacement for his character resulted in his return to regular status the following season and getting a greater role in the stories, often assuming roles as a convict or thug. Only Lupus and Greg Morris sustained a regular role through the show's entire run, although Morris appeared in more episodes.