Star Trek: Discovery’s Kenneth Mitchell shares message to Star Trek fans about living with ALS
Star Trek: Discovery actor Kenneth Mitchell
Star Trek: Discovery’s Kenneth Mitchell has appeared in a special video on StarTrek.com, talking about living with ALS, and what being a part of Star Trek has meant to him.
Mitchell’s “special message” to fans is almost 15 minutes long, and I would highly recommend watching the full video. It’s a hard one to watch, though, so clear the room, grab a cup of tea, and sit somewhere comfy with tissues nearby. The video is his first talking directly to Star Trek fans since he revealed, in February, that he was diagnosed with ALS back in 2018.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is, as Mitchell described in the video, “a neurodegenerative disease affects the motor neurons, which are like from your thought to action. The motor neurons are what connects your brain to your muscles.”
Mitchell was frank in the video about his experience with the disease and its progression. He discussed how it affected his work as an actor, and explained at length what it was like filming the Discovery season two episode “Through the Valley of Shadows”. In that episode, he played Tenavik, the grown son of L’Rell and Voq, keeper of the Time Crystals in the Klingon monastery on Boreth. When the episode was being filmed, he was already experiencing motor difficulty. He recalled one scene in particular where he was walking with Anson Mount as Captain Pike. In the scene, he had to try hard to stay focused on keeping his balance and not falling over. “But on the set,” he said, “everyone was so lovely at accommodating me and making sure that I was okay and safe and secure. Really, really grateful for that.”
It was a welcomed challenge & an absolute delight to help bring #Tenavik to life. A wonderful collaboration with the Discovery family. “Time stands still for those that protect the crystals...” 🙋🏼♂️ #StarTrekDiscovery #StarTrek pic.twitter.com/dYQVUZHq2q
— Kenneth Mitchell (@MrKenMitchell) April 5, 2019
Mitchell also described using the Vulcan salute as a measure of how much the disease was progressing. He first lost the ability in his left hand, so he switched to his right. Until one morning in October of 2019 when he woke up and couldn’t do it at all.
At the end of the video, Mitchell tried to stay positive, and explained that he hopes telling his story will inspire other people, especially other people with disabilities. He made a special point of calling out producers, saying, “There are a lot of people out there that have talent and creativity and the ability to deliver [...] Give them an opportunity and a chance.”
Please take the time to head over to StarTrek.com to watch Kenneth Mitchell’s video message. It’s both uplifting and heartbreaking, and 100% worth your time.
