Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell: My roles ‘opened doors for people with disabilities’
Nearly a quarter century after a motorcycle accident paralyzed him from the waist down, longtime Sugar Hill resident Daryl “Chill” Mitchell continues to find steady work on TV.
He played a computer specialist on CBS’ “NCIS: New Orleans” for seven seasons and fought off zombies on AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead” over 19 episodes and four seasons.
Mitchell’s latest acting gig: a wisecracking mechanic on the Tim Allen sitcom “Shifting Gears,” which is airing its second season on ABC, Hulu and Disney+.
“I work more now than when I was walking,” Mitchell said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution at a Starbucks in Duluth, soon after returning from a monthlong shoot in Colombia for an independent film. “I’ve been able to stay relevant for a long time.”
“Shifting Gears” is a reunion between Mitchell and Allen. They co-starred in the beloved 1999 “Star Trek” spoof “Galaxy Quest” with Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman and Tony Shalhoub.
“Think about it: ‘Galaxy Quest’ was a movie about making a TV show,” Mitchell said. “It feels like we’re still in ‘Galaxy Quest.’”
The premise of “Shifting Gears” is simple: Tim Allen’s salty widower character Matt Parker, a slight variant of Tim Taylor from “Home Improvement” or Mike Baxter from “Last Man Standing,” takes in his estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings of “2 Broke Girls”) and her two kids after she and her husband divorce.
Mitchell plays Stitch, who has worked at Matt’s classic car restoration shop as an upholstery expert for 20 years, since a military injury left him in a wheelchair.
Here are highlights from our hourlong conversation with Mitchell:
Reuniting with Allen after a quarter century: “We got into the ring and started cutting up. Kat said, ‘You guys know each other!’ We immediately talked about my accident for five minutes. After that, we put it away. He has energy that won’t quit. And you can mess with him. He’s good with it.”
Describing Stitch: “He’s a free spirit kind of guy with no filter. What comes to his head comes out of his mouth.”
His favorite episode so far for Stitch: Season 2, Episode 6, dubbed “Loyalty.” Al Madrigal plays a customer who had stolen Stitch’s girl while he was serving in Afghanistan and Stitch refuses to work on his car. He doesn’t tell Matt why and they argue. “We had to go at each other,” he said. But when Matt finds out the truth, he angrily kicks Madrigal’s character out. It’s a bonding moment, Mitchell said, and Stitch appreciated it.
Vroom vroom in real life: “Like Tim, I love cars. I’m building a ’69 Chevelle. Tim shows me new engines, new parts all the time. I see a car and bring it to Tim and he’ll tell me if it’s worth buying or not.”
His favorite interplay between Matt and Stitch from Season 1, Episode 2, when Matt tries to describe Matt’s disability:
Matt: “Differently disabled?”
Stitch: “Nope.”
Matt: “Physically incapable?”
Stitch: “Way worse.”
Matt: “Mobility challenged wheel guy?”
Stitch: “Yah, that’s it. You nailed it!”
Life after the accident: “I never thought of quitting. I just had to readjust and continue to do what I was doing. People looked out for me, came to bat for me. I showed up and showed out. I came in looking like an asset. I didn’t want people to give me anything. And I advocate for people with disabilities. I feel my presence on television has opened doors for people with disabilities. I’m seeing it more.”
On his success: “I don’t take it for granted. It makes me go harder.”
On drama vs. comedy: “I like drama. It can cause friction. Drama really tests me. On ‘NCIS; New Orleans,’ I could go hard with Scott Bakula. I like the challenge. Comedy comes natural to me. With four-camera sitcoms, I like the instant gratification of doing a play in front of a live audience. On ‘Shifting Gears,’ I give them what’s on the script. Then we go bananas.”
On doing “Fear the Walking Dead” in Texas: “They didn’t make it easy on me. They put me to work outside. I was grimy and hot, sitting in a raggedy wheelchair. I had a shotgun and knives to fight off (zombies, known as) Walkers. Fortunately, I had a good clique that kept my character from dying including Jenna Elfman, who is also on ‘Shifting Gears.’”
Why a “Galaxy Quest” sequel was derailed: “We were going to do a Part 2. Everyone was on board. But when Alan Rickman passed, it was over. We can’t replace him.”
Why Mitchell came to Georgia and never left: “I didn’t want to raise my kids in New York. So I chose Atlanta in part because I was a rapper and the music scene was popping. In Sugar Hill, I became ingrained into the community. I felt comfortable in the subdivision. They were not tripping and all Hollywood. They have always looked out for me and my family. I’m good here.”
On his marriage to Carol since 1998: “We’ve known each other since high school. She was 17 and I was 19. We’ve been together ever since. She went with the flow like water. She keeps track of my life and our kids. She keeps the house in order.”
On being friends with the late Malcolm-Jamal Warner: “I met him on ‘The Cosby Show.’ He directed an episode I was in. We also shot an NBC pilot together, ‘Here and Now,’ and became friends. He schooled me early on Hollywood. We were always each other’s biggest cheerleaders. He was a good man.”
If you watch
“Shifting Gears,” 8 p.m. Wednesdays, ABC and available on Hulu and Disney+
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
