Kenneth Mitchell, Actor In Star Trek Shows And Captain Marvel, Has Died At 49
We're sad to report the passing of Canadian actor Kenneth Mitchell at the too-young age of 49. His death was confirmed in an X/Twitter post (made via the account previously belonging to Mitchell himself) which eulogized him. Mitchell is survived by his family, including his parents, his siblings, and his wife, fellow actor Susan Pratt, and their children Lilah and Kallum (a GoFundMe has been set up for Mitchell's family by friends).
Mitchell built up a wide TV resume during the 2000s and 2010s. He didn't have many starring roles, granted, but he was in the main cast of the cult classic post-apocalyptic series "Jericho." Mitchell kept racking up guest roles on every major procedural series under the sun: "NCIS," "Grey's Anatomy," "Criminal Minds," "Castle" — the list goes on.
In recent years, Mitchell became a name that science-fiction fans will recognize. He had a small role in "Captain Marvel," appearing in flashbacks as Joseph Danvers, the father of the film's hero Carol (Brie Larson). Something of a chauvinist, Joseph discourages his daughter's dream of being a pilot.
Mitchell had a bigger presence on "Star Trek: Discovery" where, like many "Star Trek" guest actors, he played multiple recurring roles in the same show (the alien makeup helped conceal this).
Acting with a disability
During "Star Trek: Discovery" season 1, Mitchell played a recurring role: namely, the Klingon villain Kol. It seems the crew liked working with Mitchell (he even got to voice some incidental characters in "Veritas," an episode of the animated series "Star Trek: Lower Decks"). And although Kol met his demise in "Discovery" season 1's ninth episode, "Into the Forest I Go", Mitchell returned.
In season 2, Mitchell played two more Klingons: Kol's aged father, Kol-Sha, and the albino Klingon Tenavik (son of recurring characters Voq and L'Rell). In season 3, Mitchell played a different kind of character, one much truer to himself — and not just because there was no Klingon makeup.
During the last five years of his life, Mitchell lived with the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was diagnosed in 2018 but only made his condition public in 2020. By October 2019, he began to use a power wheelchair. So, in "Discovery" season 3 Mitchell began playing the character Aurellio, a human scientist who used a hover chair to retain mobility. Mitchell's last credited role, in the Jeff Bridges-led series "The Old Man," likewise had him play a disabled character. I don't want to turn Mitchell's life into a boilerplate inspirational story, but it is heartwarming how his colleagues collaborated to help him keep working while taking his condition into account.
Actor Ethan Peck, who plays Spock in "Discovery" and "Strange New Worlds," wrote a moving tribute to Mitchell on his Instagram Stories: "Enjoy the stars, Ken. I'll see you out there someday. 'Star Trek' is lucky to have you forever."