Herb Mitchell (actor)
Herb Mitchell | |
|---|---|
 circa 1979 | |
| Born | Herbert L. Mitchell, Jr. June 18, 1937 |
| Died | January 4, 2011 (aged 73) Blue Hill, Maine, USA |
| Other names | Herb L. Mitchell |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Spouses |
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| Children |
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Herbert L. Mitchell, Jr., (June 18, 1937 – January 4, 2011; credited as Herb Mitchell and sometimes Herb L. Mitchell) was an American actor who appeared in theaters, films, television, and in commercials. He was also a director and teacher.[1]
Early life
Herb Mitchell was born June 18, 1937, in Bar Harbor, Maine. He was one of three sons of Herbert L. Mitchell, Sr., and Estella Mae Bourgeois Mitchell.[2] He grew up in Bar Harbor, where he attended local schools, served as an altar boy in the local Catholic church, and participated in high school sports.[2][3] Following studies at the University of Maine and the Maine Maritime Academy,[2] he became a stockbroker in Bangor, Maine.[2][4]
Acting career
In the late 1960s, Mitchell joined a community theater group in Ellsworth, Maine, the Ellsworth Players; he eventually became its president.[4] He was purely a behind-the-scenes participant in the group's stage productions until 1971, when director Bill Raiten persuaded him to take the role of Tevye in a production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof.[1][4][5] His portrayal won praise, including a favorable review by playwright Samuel A. Taylor,[1] and a New York City producer who saw the show offered Mitchell a chance to play the same role in an off-Broadway production of the musical in Brooklyn.[6] Mitchell, as the father of four children, felt committed to his financial career and declined the offer.[6] However, he went on to act in more local productions in the following years, became disenchanted with his job, and decided to pursue acting as a profession.[4][6]
During the 1970s, he became co-owner of a jazz club and bar that operated seasonally in Maine, and spent the off-season doing stage acting in southern California.[1] By 1980, he was working in Los Angeles as an actor, appearing in films, television programs, live performances, and commercials.[1][2][6] He appeared as the company spokesman in commercials for the stock brokerage firm Dean Witter, where he used the motto "We measure success one investor at a time."[6][7]
In 1992, while living in Los Angeles, he bought a home in Blue Hill, Maine.[7] In the early to mid 2000s, he survived three cancers and then moved back to Blue Hill with his family, where he semi-retired while occasionally appearing in more local productions.[6]
He reprised his role as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof in May 1990 and August 2006, again directed by Raiten.[1][5] He appeared in the television courtroom drama series The Practice (1997–2004) as the recurring character Judge Rodney White.[6] In August 2006 he appeared at Ellsworth High School as Eddie Carbone in a production of Arthur Miller's play A View from the Bridge.[6] He auditioned for the television series M*A*S*H without success.[6] Over the years, he was mentored by Sheldon Bisberg, "his longtime musical collaborator", to perform songs.[8]
Later years
Mitchell was the father of four children with his first wife, Scarlett Kinney, and one daughter with his second wife, Janet Ahearn. At the time of his death he also was a grandfather of four.[2] On January 4, 2011, he died in the Blue Hill home of his daughter Kathy and her husband. He was privately buried in spring 2011.[2] He was paid a primary tribute in Blue Hill on September 17, 2011.[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Ziaya-Zieger, Christine (May 11, 1990). "Actors Pay the Rent to Revive Theater Stage: The 50-member company opens its first season with David Rabe's In the Boom Boom Room". Los Angeles Times (Valley ed.). p. 19, Calendar section (Part F), Zones Desk. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ a b c d e f g "Obituaries: Herbert L. Mitchell Jr". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. January 5, 2011. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012, by WebCite. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|archivedate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Anstead, Alicia (July 29, 2005). "Success one role at a time Late-blooming actor Mitchell returns to Maine roots for two dramas". Bangor Daily News (1 ed.). p. C6.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) (subscription required) - ^ a b c d Hewitt 2006, p. C8.
- ^ a b Hewitt 2006, p. C6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Pappas, Steven (July 21, 2005). "View Bridges Talent". Ellsworth American, Inc. Ellsworth, Maine. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012, by WebCite. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|archivedate=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Ryon, Ruth (July 19, 1992). "N.Y. Comedian Goes Bicoastal". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Casting Call for Herb Mitchell Tribute". FenceViewer. August 16, 2011. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Celebrating Herb Mitchell—an evening to remember". Compass. Penobscot Bay Press Community Information Services. September 8, 2011.
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Bibliography
- Hewitt, Rich (August 4, 2006). "New Surry Theatre presents Fiddler". Bangor Daily News. Bangor, Maine. p. C6+. Retrieved August 12, 2012, at Google News Archive.
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External links
- Herb Mitchell at AveleyMan.com
- Herb Mitchell at IMDb