Kenneth Mitchell, Star Trek: Discovery Actor, Dies at 49

Kenneth Mitchell, the actor who played four characters in Star Trek: Discovery's first three seasons, died at age 49. In 2020, Mitchell publicly announced that he'd been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Having already played three Klingon characters in Star Trek: Discovery's first two seasons – Kol in Season 1, then Kol-Sha and Tenavik in Season 2 – Mitchell returned in Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 as Aurellio, a character whose use of a hoverchair was designed to incorporate Mitchell's wheelchair use into his performance. Additionally, Mitchell voiced three characters in the Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 1 episode titled "Veritas": the Tweerk captain, a black ops operative, and a Romulan guard.

"Working on Lower Decks is... the last time I remember walking before having to be in a motorized wheelchair," Mitchell told Syfy Wire in 2020. "I remember walking up the stairs to go into the studio and the recording booth, and I remember having a great time with [showrunner] Mike [McMahan] and the team. And then I remember walking down the stairs but having trouble getting down. But, to be honest, that's my last memory of walking on my own. And for that to be the last memory, it's pretty damn special."

He also said of returning to Star Trek: Discovery, "For the new character in Discovery Season Three, I worked a lot with Mario [Moreira] and the props department and the special effect department, so you can interpolate that as much as you want," Mitchell hinted. "I'll just say it's pretty damn cool and very unique and something Star Trek hasn't had a lot of. I think it was special they adapted this part for me. I think it will be meaningful to the Trek community and beyond."

"Being a part of Star Trek keeps me inspired and gives me purpose," Mitchell said. "Hopefully, that will keep going."

Mitchell also had credits outside of the Star Trek franchise. He played Carol Danvers' father in the Marvel Studios film Captain Marvel. He also appeared in the movie Miracle and in the television shows Jericho, The Astronaut Wives Club, Ghost Whisperer, and Switched at Birth.

Mitchell is survived by his wife, Susan May Pratt, and their two children, Lilah and Callum. He requested that any fits in his memory come in the form of donations towards further ALS research or to support his family. A GoFundMe campaign for the family is live now to accept such donations.