May 4 is an important day for Mission: Impossible fans. Not only was Tony Hamilton born on May 4, 1952, but Bob Johnson was born on that day in 1920. Hamilton was, of course, "Max" on "The New Mission: Impossible" from 1988~1990. Johnson was, literally the voice of the franchise: he provided the details of each mission to Dan Briggs, James Phelps, and in one episode, Cinnamon Carter. It's his voice you hear when you think, "Your mission, should you decide to accept it..."
Tony Hamilton was born in London, but was orphaned soon after birth. He was adopted by a family named Smith, who named him Anthony Hamilton Smith. They moved to Australia, where he grew up on a sheep farm in Adelaide. He enjoyed cricket, but showed a talent for ballet. He joined the Australian Ballet Company at fifteen and toured with them until he was twenty. That was when he was "discovered" by a fashion photographer and became a model. Ten years later he got his first big break in the TV-movie "Samson & Delilah." When Jon-Erik Huxsom died accidentally on the set of "Cover-Up," Hamilton was hired to take his place. That series only lasted a year. He also appeared in the Whoopi Goldberg film, Jumping Jack Flash in 1986. Two years later he returned to his native Australia, where "The New Mission: Impossible" was shot. Unfortunately, Hamilton died of AIDS in 1995.
Bob Johnson was an actor who became well-known as a voice-actor starting in the Fifties. You can hear his voice on several episodes of "Star Trek," which was produced by the same studio as "Mission: Impossible," Desilu. He is most famously one of the bodiless Providers on the episode, "The Gamesters of Triskelion." He passed away in 1993.
Happy Birthday,
Bob Johnson and Tony Hamilton!
I couldn't find any photos of Bob Johnson,
so here is his melodious voice....!
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