Star Trek and Marvel actor, Kenneth Mitchell, dies at 49

Star Trek actor Kenneth Mitchell has died at the age of 49 following a five-year battle with ALS. 

His family confirmed his untimely passing on social media.

A statement from his loved ones on X read: “With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend.”

“For five and a half years, Ken faced a series of awful challenges from ALS. And in truest Ken fashion, he managed to rise above each one with grace and commitment, to living a full and joyous life in each moment. 

They added: “He lived by the principals that each day is a gift and we never walk alone.” 

The actor is survived by his wife Susan and their two children Lilah and Kallum.

The Canadian actor played several roles in sci-fi series Star Trek: Discovery, a spin-off of the beloved sci-fi franchise. He played Klingons Kol, Kol-Sha, and Tenavik, and Aurellio in the show. He also appeared as Joseph Danvers in Captain Marvel (2019) and starred as Eric Green in the CBS TV series Jericho between 2006 and 2008. 

Kenneth previously opened up about his ALS diagnosis. 

He told People magazine in 2020: “The moment that they told us it was [ALS], it was like I was in my own movie.

“That’s what it felt like, like I was watching that scene where someone is being told that they have a terminal illness. It was just a complete disbelief, a shock.” 

Mitchell played three Klingon characters in the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery. He was Kol in Season one, Kol-Sha and Tenavik in Season two. Then as his disease worsened, he played Aurellio, a character who used a hoverchair, a feature enabling him to use his wheelchair.

According to John Hopkins Medicine, ALS is a fatal motor neuron disease. It is characterized by progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain. ALS affects voluntary control of arms and legs, and leads to trouble breathing.