Kenneth Mitchell, an actor who appeared in Captain Marvel and a Star Trek series, has died.
The actor, who was 49, was diagnosed with ALS – also known as motor neurone disease – five and a half years ago.
His family said in a statement on Instagram that Mitchell was “an inspirational work of art to all the hearts he touched”.
Mitchell appeared in a variety of TV shows and films, including in Captain Marvel, in which he played the titular character’s father, Joseph Danvers.
Born in Toronto, Canada, Mitchell was married to actress Susan May Pratt and the pair had two children together.
He revealed that he was suffering with ALS in an interview with People magazine in 2020, and said he had been using a powered wheelchair.
In the post on Instagram, his family paid tribute to him as “a hope seeker, daydreamer, dream believer, soccer player, beach walker, bear hugger… and more than anything else, a proud father”.
They continued: “Like a massive star exploding with kindness, purity and a particular brand of silly, you were pulled right into his orbit.
“Once captured, Kenny could bathe you in positivity, compassion, thoughtfulness, and hilarity, and make you feel so loved.”
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Mitchell’s family also spoke of how he faced “a series of awful challenges” from ALS for five-and-a-half years, rising above each one with grace and commitment to living a full life.
The most common form of motor neurone disease, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease which causes specialist nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to stop working properly.
It is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the famous New York Yankees baseball player who was forced to retire after developing the condition in 1939.
Those with the illness can have difficulty with walking, speaking, swallowing and breathing.