Brian Stokes Mitchell
Brian Stokes Mitchell (born October 31, 1957) is an American actor and singer. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central leading men of the Broadway theatre since the 1990s.[1] He won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical in 2000 for his performance in Kiss Me, Kate.
Brian Stokes Mitchell | |
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Mitchell in 2007 | |
Born | Seattle, Washington, U.S. | October 31, 1957
Occupation | Actor, composer, vocalist |
Years active | 1979–present |
Spouse(s) | Allyson Tucker (m. 1994) |
Children | 1; Ellington Mitchell |
Website | www |
Early life
Mitchell was born in Seattle, Washington, the youngest of four children of George Mitchell, an electronics engineer, and his wife Lillian, a school administrator. Mitchell grew up at various U.S. military bases overseas, where his father was a civilian engineer for the U.S. Navy. As a young boy, he lived in San Diego, California, where he began acting in school musicals.[2] He did not attend college, having begun performing professionally in high school, although he did have private teachers in both acting and voice in his teen years.[3] He has said that he studied film scoring, orchestration, and conducting through UCLA.[4] Prior to Ragtime, he was known professionally as Brian Mitchell.
Career
Stage
Mitchell first performed on Broadway in the musical Mail in 1988, with music by Michael Rupert and lyrics by Jerry Cocker, winning the Theatre World award.[5] His Broadway credits include an all-black revival of George and Ira Gershwin's Oh, Kay! (1990),[6] Jelly's Last Jam (1992) based on the works of jazz artist Jelly Roll Morton, and Kander and Ebb's Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993).[7]
He originated the role of Coalhouse Walker Jr, in the musical Ragtime, which opened on Broadway in January 1998. He received a 1998 Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.[8] He appeared in the 1999 revival of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate as Fred Graham / Petruchio, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[7][9] He appeared on Broadway in King Hedley II in 2001 (Tony Award nomination) and Man of La Mancha in 2002 (Tony Award nomination).[7]
He appeared in the New York City Center Encores! staged concert productions of Jule Styne's Do Re Mi (1999), Bob Merrill's Carnival! (2002), Kismet (2006) and The Band Wagon in 2014.[10]
He played the title role in the 2002 Kennedy Center production of Sweeney Todd, part of the Stephen Sondheim celebration.[11][12]
On June 9, 2005, Mitchell appeared in a concert version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific at Carnegie Hall. He starred as Emile, alongside Reba McEntire as Nellie Forbush and Alec Baldwin as Luther Billis. The production was taped and telecast by PBS in 2006.[13] Of his performance, Ben Brantley wrote in The New York Times, "As for Mr. Mitchell, his place in the pantheon of romantic musical leads is now guaranteed."[14]
Playbill Records released his debut solo CD, Brian Stokes Mitchell on June 6, 2006.[15][16] Mitchell has also performed in a Christmas concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir later released as a CD and DVD entitled Ring Christmas Bells. His second solo CD, "Simply Broadway," was released October 30, 2012, by CD Baby.[17]
Mitchell returned to Broadway to star with Patti LuPone in the musical version of the Pedro Almodóvar film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which opened at the Belasco Theatre in November 2010.[18]
A new musical titled Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed, based on the making of Shuffle Along opened on Broadway on March 14, 2016 in previews, officially on April 21 at the Music Box Theatre. Mitchell played "F.E. Miller", with Audra McDonald as "Lottie Gee", Billy Porter, Joshua Henry and Brandon Victor Dixon.[19]
Television and film
Mitchell has a number of television and film credits, including the role of John Dolan in Roots: The Next Generations (1979), and a seven-year stint as Dr. Justin 'Jackpot' Jackson on Trapper John, M.D. from 1979 to 1986. Mitchell made several appearances as a celebrity panelist on episodes of $25,000 Pyramid and $100,000 Pyramid in the 1980s, and was considered one of the game's better celebrity players.[20][21] Mitchell also participated as a celebrity panelist in four weeks' worth of episodes of The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour, a short-lived NBC game show that ran from 1983-1984. He played recurring roles as Hilary Banks' news anchor fiancé Trevor Newsworthy/Collins on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and on Frasier as Dr. Frasier Crane's upstairs neighbor and nemesis Cam Winston. He supplied the singing voice of Jethro in the animated feature The Prince of Egypt (1998). He guest starred in March 2010 in Ugly Betty as Wilhelmina Slater's ex-boyfriend, Don.[22]
He appeared on the 57th episode of Glee, titled "Heart" in 2012,[23] and the 58th, titled "On My Way," as one of Rachel's dads (LeRoy) along with Jeff Goldblum.
He also played a recurring role on the USA Network series Mr. Robot as Scott Knowles, CTO of E Corp. The series began in June 2015 and ended in December 2019.[24]
He has also done voice-overs for animation including Animaniacs, Capitol Critters, Tiny Toon Adventures, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, The Further Adventures of SuperTed, Kid 'n Play, New Kids on the Block, Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf, Gravedale High, Potsworth & Co., Captain Planet and the Planeteers, The Tom and Jerry Kids Show, Yo Yogi!, Fantastic Max, Pound Puppies, The Addams Family, California Raisins, The Angry Beavers, James Bond Jr., Batman: The Animated Series, Paddington Bear, Pinky and the Brain, Defenders of Dynatron City, The Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats, Droopy, Master Detective, Denver, the Last Dinosaur, Mighty Max, Don Coyote & Sancho Panda, Vampirina and the two Flintstones animated movies Hollyrock-a-Bye Baby and I Yabba-Dabba Do!.
Mitchell plays Nicholas Prophet in Wolverine: The Long Night, a scripted podcast serial.
Personal life
He has been married to actress Allyson Tucker since 1994[25] and has a son, Ellington. Mitchell was diagnosed with COVID-19 on April 1, 2020.[26] After his recovery, he sang nightly from a window of his Upper West Side apartment in Manhattan to thank first responders and medical workers.
Filmography
Film
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Ghost Dad | Teacher | |
1998 | The Prince of Egypt | Jethro | Singing voice |
2005 | One Last Thing... | Dr. Emerson | |
2011 | Jumping the Broom | Mr. Watson | |
2018 | Mapplethorpe | Father Stack |
Television
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | The White Shadow | Lucius Robinson | Episode: "Spare the Rod" |
1979 | Roots: The Next Generations | John Dolan | Episode: "Part 1 (1882-1883)" |
1979−86 | Trapper John, M.D. | Dr. Justin 'Jackpot' Jackson | 151 episodes |
1985 | Hotel | Lucas Todd | Episode: "Resolutions" |
1985 | The Love Boat | Jeffrey Niver | Season 6 - Episode: 16 |
1987 | 227 | Ed | Episode: "The Honeymoon's Over" |
1987 | Pound Puppies | Nahook | Episode: "Show Puppies" |
1987 | Houston Knights | Nat Holliday | Episode: "Moving Violation" |
1987 | Foofur | Various roles | Voice; 13 episodes |
1987 | ALF | Nathan Pearl | Episode: "Hail to the Chief" |
1988 | Night Court | Mr. Morley | Episode: "Another Day in the Life" |
1988 | Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf | Bonejangles | Voice; Television movie |
1989 | The Further Adventures of SuperTed | Narrator | Voice; 13 episodes |
1989 | Generations | David Jeffries | 2 episodes |
1989 | A Pup Named Scooby-Doo | Buddy Chillner | Voice; Episode: "The Spirit of Rock'n Roll" |
1989 | The California Raisin Show | Red | Voice; Episode: "The Apple, Raisin Style" |
1988–89 | Fantastic Max | Additional voices | Voice; 3 episodes |
1989–90 | Paddington Bear | Additional voices | Voice; 2 episodes |
1990 | Mancuso, F.B.I. | Performer | 2 episodes |
1990 | Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone | Various roles | Voice; 13 episodes |
1990 | Tiny Toon Adventures | Vinnie | Voice; Episode: "Mr. Popular's Rules of Cool"! |
1990 | New Kids on the Block | Danny Wood | Voice; 16 episodes |
1991 | James Bond Jr. | Coach Mitchell | Voice; 14 episodes |
1992 | Batman: The Animated Series | Brian Rogers | Voice; Episode: "Fear of Victory" |
1992 | Animaniacs | Noodles | 2 episodes |
1992–93 | The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air | Trevor | 6 episodes |
1992–93 | The Addams Family | Additional roles | Voices; 21 episodes |
1992–95 | Capitol Critters | Various roles | Voice; 6 episodes |
1996 | In the House | Dr. Stone Clarke | Episode: "Three the Hard Way" |
1999 | Double Platinum | Adam Harris | Television Movie |
2001 | Call Me Claus | Cameron | Television Movie |
2002 | Frasier | Cam Winston | 3 episodes |
2002 | Crossing Jordan | D.A. Jay Myers | 2 episodes |
2010 | Ugly Betty | Don Jones | Episode: "Fire and Nice" |
2014 | Madam Secretary | Vincent Marsh | Episode: "So it Goes" |
2012−15 | Glee | LeRoy Berry | 3 episodes[27] |
2015–16 | Mr. Robot | Scott Knowles | 8 episodes |
2016–18 | The Path | Bill | 7 episodes |
2017 | The Blacklist | David Levine | 2 episodes |
2017 | Bull | Perry Sinclair | Episode: "School for Scandal" |
2017–present | Vampirina | Grandpop | Voice |
2018 | Billions | Alvin Epstein | 2 episodes |
2018 | The Good Fight | Rod Habercore | 2 episodes |
2018 | Elementary | Dominic Voth | Episode: "Bits and Pieces" |
2019 | Fam | Walt | 13 episodes[28] |
2020 | Prodigal Son | Everett Sterling | 2 episodes |
Video games
Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Watch Dogs | Additional voices | Voice |
Theatre
Year | Title | Role(s) | Venue |
---|---|---|---|
1988 | Franklin | Music Box Theatre, Broadway | |
1991 | Oh, Kay! | Jimmy Winter | Richard Rogers Theatre, Broadway |
1992−93 | Jelly's Last Jam | Jelly Roll Morton | Virginia Theatre, Broadway |
1993−95 | Kiss of the Spider Woman | Valentin | Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway |
1998−99 | Ragtime | Coalhouse Walker, Jr. | Ford Center for the Performing Arts |
1999−01 | Kiss Me Kate | Petruchio | Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway |
2001 | King Hedley II | King | Virginia Theatre, Broadway |
2002−03 | Man of La Mancha | Don Quixote | Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway |
2010−11 | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Ivan | Belasco Theatre, Broadway |
2016 | Shuffle Along | F.E. Miller | Music Box Theatre, Broadway |
Discography
- Brian Stokes Mitchell (June 6, 2006)[16]
- Track listing
- "Something's Coming" (West Side Story)
- "The Best Is Yet to Come" (Cy Coleman)
- "Pretty Women" (Sweeney Todd)
- "Just In Time" (Bells are Ringing)
- "Lazy Afternoon" (The Golden Apple)
- "Another Hundred People" (Company)/"Take the 'A' Train"
- "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (Funny Face)
- "Life is Sweet" (Wonderful Town)
- "Losing My Mind" (Follies)
- "Being Alive" (Company)
- "How Glory Goes" (Floyd Collins)
- "Grateful"
- Simply Broadway (2012)
- Plays With Music (2019)
Awards and nominations
Sources: Playbill[29] BroadwayWorld[30]
Year | Award | Category | Title | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | Grammy Award | Best Spoken World Album | The Complete Shakespeare Sonnets | Nominated | [31] |
1998 | Tony Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Ragtime | Nominated | [32] |
2000 | Kiss Me Kate | Won | |||
2001 | Best Actor in a Play | King Hedley II | Nominated | ||
2003 | Best Actor in a Musical | Man of La Mancha | Nominated | ||
2016 | Isabelle Stevenson Award | N/A | Won | [33] | |
1998 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Ragtime | Nominated | [32] |
2000 | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Kiss Me Kate | Won | ||
2001 | Outstanding Actor in a Play | King Hedley II | Nominated | ||
2003 | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Man of La Mancha | Nominated | ||
2011 | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown | Nominated | ||
1998 | Outer Critics Circle Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Ragtime | Nominated | |
2000 | Kiss Me Kate | Won | |||
2001 | Outstanding Actor in a Play | King Hedley II | Nominated | ||
2003 | Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Man of La Mancha | Nominated | ||
1988 | Theatre World Award | N/A | Won | ||
Honors
- 2004 - Mitchell was elected the Chairman of the Board of the Actors Fund of America[34][35]
- 2016 - Mitchell received the Isabelle Stevenson Award "for his commitment to supporting members of the entertainment community in crisis or transition through his work with The Actors Fund."[36]
References
- "Brian Stokes Mitchell Biography". Broadway: The American Musical. October 21, 2004. PBS. WNET. Archived from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved 2017-08-28.
- Zoglin, Richard. "From Coalhouse to Cole Porter" Archived 2017-11-12 at the Wayback Machine, November 1999, Time, accessed January 25, 2010
- Weber, Bruce. "Broadway's Last Leading Man?" Archived 2016-08-10 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times, November 24, 2002
- "Biography" Archived 2018-02-12 at the Wayback Machine brianstokes.com, accessed June 14, 2016
- " Mail Broadway" Archived 2016-05-20 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, accessed June 14, 2016
- " Oh, Kay! Broadway" Archived 2016-08-07 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, accessed June 14, 2016
- "Brian Stokes Mitchell Broadway" Archived 2016-04-17 at the Wayback Machine ibdb.com, accessed June 14, 2016
- " Ragtime Broadway" Archived 2016-06-04 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, accessed June 14, 2016
- Feiden, Doug. " 'Kiss Me Kate' is Big Tony Winner 'Copenhagen' and 'Contact' Also Honored" Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine New York Daily News, June 5, 2000
- Gans, Andrew. "Tony Winner Brian Stokes Mitchell Hops on City Center's 'The Band Wagon', Beginning Tonight" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, November 6, 2014
- "Special Events, Concerts, and Benefit Performances" Archived 2020-03-16 at the Wayback Machine sondheimguide.com, accessed August 10, 2015
- Gans, Andrew. "D.C.'s Sondheim Celebration Ends as Night Music Closes Aug. 25" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, August 25, 2002
- Gans, Andrew. "Reba McEntire-Brian Stokes Mitchell 'South Pacific' To Be Taped for TV" Archived 2016-08-07 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, June 8, 2005
- Brantley, Ben (June 11, 2005). "Sultry City Night is Transformed into an Enchanted Bali Ha'i". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- Gans, Andrew. "Playbill Records' "Brian Stokes Mitchell" CD Hits Stores June 6" Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, June 6, 2006
- Ruhlmann, William. " Brian Stokes Mitchell Record" Archived 2016-04-29 at the Wayback Machine AllMusic, accessed June 14, 2016
- King, Susan. "Brian Stokes Mitchell steps off Broadway — for 'Simply Broadway'" Archived 2016-06-13 at the Wayback Machine Los Angeles Times, October 6, 2014
- Hetrick, Adam (July 26, 2010). "Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sherie Rene Scott Cast in Broadway's Women on the Verge". Playbill. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013.
- Purcell, Carey. "Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald Will Reunite on Broadway in Shuffle Along, Billy Porter Joins Them" Archived 2015-09-14 at the Wayback Machine, Playbill, August 9, 2015
- "The New $25,000 Pyramid - Frank/Cindy 1/3". YouTube.com. March 18, 1983. Archived from the original on August 9, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
- "$100,000 Pyramid - Brian Mitchell". YouTube.com. October 1986. Archived from the original on 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
- Abrams, Natalie (January 25, 2010). "Ugly Betty Casts Tony Winner as Willie's Ex". TV Guide. Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
- Gans, Andrew. "Brian Stokes Mitchell and Jeff Goldblum Are Lea Michele's Gay Dads on 'Glee' " Archived 2015-09-24 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, January 18, 2012
- Gans, Andrew. "Brian Stokes Mitchell Lands Recurring Role in New TV Series" Archived 2015-07-28 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, May 29, 2015
- "Weddings; Brian Mitchell and Allyson Tucker" Archived 2016-06-23 at the Wayback Machine The New York Times, September 4, 1994
- Brian Stokes Mitchell [@bstokesmitchell] (April 1, 2020). "I'm Coronavirus positive, but doing well! More to come! - Stokes" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2020-04-01. Retrieved 2020-04-02 – via Twitter.
- Goldberg, Lesley. "'Glee': Jeff Goldblum, Brian Stokes Mitchell to Play Rachel's Gay Dads" Archived 2018-07-07 at the Wayback Machine Hollywood Reporter, January 17, 2012
- Petski, Denise (March 9, 2018). "'Fam': Brian Stokes Mitchell & Sheryl Lee Ralph Join CBS Comedy Pilot". Archived from the original on July 6, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
- "Brian Stokes Mitchell Roles and Awards" Archived 2016-04-30 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, accessed June 14, 2016
- "Brian Stokes Mitchell Biography" Archived 2016-08-10 at the Wayback Machine broadwayworld.com, accessed June 14, 2016
- "Brian Stokes Mitchell". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- "Brian Stokes Mitchell - Playbill". Playbill.com. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
- "The 2016 Tony Awards: Winners". TonyAwards.com. Archived from the original on 2019-04-19. Retrieved 2016-06-14.
- Gans, Andrew. "Brian Stokes Mitchell Elected Actors' Fund President" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, May 24, 2004
- "Chairmen" Archived 2015-08-10 at the Wayback Machine, The Actors Fund, accessed August 10, 2015
- Viagas, Robert. "Brian Stokes Mitchell to Receive Isabelle Stevenson Award" Archived 2019-07-06 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, May 3, 2016
- "Playbill Records and Legacy Recordings Present Brian Stokes Mitchell". Playbill Records. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-05-15. Retrieved 2008-06-09.
- "Brian Stokes Mitchell". Legacy Recordings. 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-11-17. Retrieved 2008-06-09.