“I was an actor first before I was a disabled actor.  Just because you are standing up doesn’t mean you can act.”

That is what Daryl “Chill” Mitchell believes, the paraplegic star of Fox’s new sitcom “Brothers”, regarding his career and how it changed after he became paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle accident nine years ago.

Our paralysis attorneys want to show our support for Mitchell and all of those people who are living with paralysis, but still reaching for their goals in life.  You can suffer a major spinal cord injury (SCI) and not let your life be completely derailed by pain and suffering and emotional trauma.

The only thing that has changed, as far as Mitchell will acknowledge, is that he now uses a wheelchair to get around on set.  But when it comes to his acting, his paralyzing injury has nothing to do with that side of who he is.

“If [the producers] didn’t give a person a chance in a wheelchair to come in there and to prove that they can produce, then I would have an issue with that,” Mitchell said at a read through for an upcoming “Brothers” episode at the Sony Pictures Studios stage.

Still, Mitchell does not want to be defined just as the actor in the wheelchair, but at the same time, he must acknowledge it, only he chooses to do so through the use of humor.  Using his art and creativity, Mitchell says that laughter over sorrow always has the ability to humanize his characters beyond being just paraplegic.

“People associate the wheelchair with being a liability instead of an asset. So when you come in and let everybody know I am just as human as the next person I drink, I have sex then the wheelchair starts disappearing,” Mitchell says.

Mitchell found inspiration in the words of the late, quadriplegic actor Christopher Reeve, who said the worst thing Mitchell could do was try to deal with his paralysis by himself.  Through that piece of encouragement, Mitchell has found the hope and determination to move forward and be the great actor he always was and will continue to be.

If you or a loved one have suffered a spinal cord injury or become paralyzed, we urge you to contact our bilingual offices as soon as possible following the accident at 1-858-551-2090 or please click here for a free consultation with an experienced paralysis attorney.  We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you do not pay anything until we recover money on your behalf.