‘NCIS: New Orleans’: Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell’s Net Worth and How an Accident Changed His Life
NCIS: New Orleans would be nothing without the help of “Investigative Computer Specialist,” Patton Plame. The character is played by Daryl “Chill” Mitchell who has a pretty unique story. Here’s what we know about Mitchell’s net worth and how he makes his money.
Daryl ‘Chill’ Mitchell’s career before ‘NCIS: New Orleans’
Although Daryl “Chill” Mitchell has been on Dwayne Pride’s (Scott Bakula) NCIS: New Orleans team since 2014, he had a lot of success with other shows before.
The Bronx native appeared in the 1986 video short, The Uptown Crew: Uptown Is Kickin’ It (well come back to this) but officially got his start acting in the 1990 film, House Party.
Mitchell soon went on to star in shows like The Cosby Show, Law & Order, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He also landed recurring roles on Here and Now, The John Laroquette Show, Veronica’s Closet, Ed, Brothers, and Fear of the Walking Dead.
Acting aside, “Chill,” the second of 13 siblings according to IMDb, was also “part of a hip-hop group from the ’80s known as Groove B. Chill,” as stated above. The group has a few songs online, an album, Starting From Zero, and a following of devoted fans that have followed Mitchell all the way to NOLA success.
The accident that changed Mitchell’s life
You can’t tell now, but Mitchell hasn’t always been in a wheelchair. Yes, he is paralyzed from the waist down. He started his early career before the accident that changed his life forever.
Before everything changed, a few of Mithcell’s other notable projects include 10 Things I Hate About You and Galaxy Quest. IMDb states that “Disney’s The Country Bears (2002) was wrapped prior to his accident in November 2001, but released after it.”
The South Carolina accident we’re referring to, Mitchell said best in his own haunting words. In a 2015 interview with Fox News, he explained the night was dark and he didn’t know the roads.
“I went around a bend and on the other side there was gravel and loose pavement and bam, the bike shot right underneath me. I woke up five days later in the hospital.”
Some may have quit after something so life-altering, but with a little help from some of Mitchell’s friends — like Denzel Washington, Chris Tucker, and Martin Lawrence — he reimagined his career and now works just as much, if not more, than before.
Now, Mitchell inspires many others as an advocate for employing actors with disabilities.
“I can do this [acting],” he previously told ABILITY Magazine. “It’s just all the other things that I can’t do and that’s what’s frustrating. You cannot do this by yourself,” he said. “You need your family, friends, faith, and love.”
The NCIS: New Orleans star created the Daryl Mitchell Foundation to “raise awareness of spinal cord injury.” He also serves as the Minority Outreach spokesman for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
Mitchell’s net worth
Though Mitchell’s been in the business for 30 years, his recent successes have likely had the most impact on his bank account. NCIS: New Orleans is in its sixth season and still going strong.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Mitchell’s current estimated worth is around $500,000. This could be strictly from the NCIS franchise or his cameos on other shows.
He also holds producer and musical credits for 13 episodes of Brothers as well as miscellaneous crew work and appearances as himself in a few projects.
