Canadian actor Kenneth Mitchell, known for his roles in “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Captain Marvel” and the television series “Jericho,” died Saturday at age 49 after a five-and-a-half-year battle with ALS. (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). , his family shared on X.
The actor revealed his illness in a 2020 interview with People magazine.
“I think over time it became a matter of accepting this gracefully,” he told the publication. “Trying to see the beauty in it, somehow. I'll never forget it, one of my Star Trek co-stars told me, because they'd been through some tough times with illnesses and stuff, and I remember them reaching out to me and saying, 'You have a choice.' You can look at this in many different ways, but maybe try to see it as a gift where you can experience life in a way that most people don't.'”
Mitchell played three roles in three seasons of “Star Trek: Discovery.” The last character, Aurelio, who used a floating chair, was created to reflect the actor's need for a wheelchair. He also voiced three characters in the first season of “Star Trek: Lower Decks.”
For two seasons, Mitchell played Eric Green opposite Skeet Ulrich on “Jericho,” a 2006 CBS drama about life in a small Kansas town after a nuclear attack, which was notably picked up for a second season thanks to a fan campaign after being canceled by the network.
In a career spanning two decades, the actor played more than 50 roles, including television appearances on “The Astronaut Wives Club” as Deke Slayton, “Ghost Whisperer,” “Switched at Birth” and “Frequency.” His film roles include “Miracle,” starring Kurt Russell, in which Mitchell played Ralph Cox, the last player cut from the 1980 United States Olympic hockey team, and “Captain Marvel.” His most recent role was a 2022 episode of the FX series “The Old Man,” starring Jeff Bridges.
Mitchell was born in Toronto, Canada, on November 25, 1974, and is survived by his wife Susan, children Lilah and Kallum, parents Diane and David, and brother Sean.
