Star Trek Actor Has Died Following Battle With ALS

(WatchDogReport.org) – Star Trek actor Kenneth Mitchell has passed away aged 49 after battling ALS. Mitchell portrayed Klingons in Star Trek: Discovery and voiced others in the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks. The actor was born in Toronto and played a professional hockey player in the 2004 Disney film Miracle, as well as starring in other series such as Captain Marvel before succumbing to the disease.

The actor was described by loved ones as a proud father, a dreamer, and a nature explorer. Those who knew him described his many hobbies and outdoor pursuits.

Mitchell was first diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2018. He first announced that he had the disabling neurological condition in a 2020 interview.

Other celebrities who succumbed to the condition include the late astrophysicist Stephen Hawking and guitarist Jason Becker, who used software to compose a comeback album in 2020 despite being paralyzed by the condition. On average, 5,000 are diagnosed each year with the disease. Early symptoms include muscle weakness, difficulty walking, and slurred speech. As it progresses, the condition affects speaking, swallowing, chewing, and breathing. Mitchell talked about his role as the Klingon Kol in Star Trek: Discovery in 2017 and argued that the goodness or badness of a character was a matter of perspective and dependent on culture.

The actor was survived by his wife, Susan May Pratt, and their two children. An Instagram statement said that the actor asked for any gifts to go towards funding ALS research or supporting his children. The family set up a GoFundMe account to raise funds to ease the financial hardships of Mitchell’s family. In his last post, which featured AI images of men sourcing energy from trees and was his first since August 2023, the actor’s parting words were the caption “CONNECT. Time. love”. Loved ones explained the message by saying that Mitchell wished to be buried beneath a tree and absorb energy from it.