Daryl "Chill" Mitchell nominated for NAACP Image Award

The press release from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation:

SHORT HILLS, N.J.—Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, an ambassador for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and its Paralysis Resource Center (PRC), has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award—“Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series” in the Television categories for “Brothers.” Nominations for the Awards, the nation’s premier event celebrating the achievements of people of color in the arts, were announced earlier this week, and will be presented on February 26, and broadcast live on FOX. (Mitchell and his co-star Michael Strahan are pictured.)

Born in the Bronx and raised in Long Island, N.Y., Mitchell first came to the public’s attention as a member of the three-man rap group Groove B Chill. A music video made to accompany the group’s new album quickly led to an acting career, beginning with the feature film “House Party,” and later on, among others, “Galaxy Quest” and “Lucky Numbers.” In November 2001, Mitchell was involved in a motorcycle accident, which left him a paraplegic and paralyzed from the waist down.

Mitchell did not let the accident derail his life or career. He continued to be active in the profession, and on September 25, 2009, returned to the screen with a bang as the star of FOX’s “Brothers,” alongside Michael Strahan, CCH Pounder and Carl Weathers.

“I keep pinching myself to make sure I’m not dreaming about the nomination,” says Mitchell. “When Mike [Strahan] and I started thinking about ‘Brothers,’ we knew it had the potential to have a big impact. Not only does it focus on an African-American family, but it is the first show with a paralyzed African-American lead character.”

A recent survey by the Reeve Foundation showed that there are a disproportionate number of African-Americans living with paralysis; about 17 percent when compared to a little over 12 percent of the American population that’s African-American.

“Hats off to FOX for helping us move our vision forward. Whatever happens, it is an absolute honor to be nominated for this award, and I hope my brothers and sisters in the paralyzed community will see that you can indeed have a rich and fulfilling life after paralysis. That’s why I work to spread the Foundation’s message and urge people to check out paralysis.org; the PRC’s resources can make a huge difference to your quality of life.”

“Wheelchair or not, Chill gets around more than most people I know,” said Joe Canose, Vice President, Quality of Life for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. “He literally moves mountains for others by the example he sets for those who live with paralysis, particularly those in the African-American community. We’re going to be rooting for him.”

Voting for the 41st annual NAACP Image Awards is open to all NAACP members. “If you’re an NAACP member and have seen Chill’s work, or been touched by his strength of spirit and perseverance, please vote for him,” continued Canose. “Chill is the embodiment of Christopher Reeve’s dream when he set up the Foundation and PRC; that we’ll make life better for those with paralysis, and that we will find a cure one day.”

Located in Short Hills, N.J. and Westlake Village, Calif., the Paralysis Resource Center (PRC) is a program of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation that offers resources on spinal cord injury, paralysis and mobility-related disabilities. The PRC’s mission is to be a comprehensive, national source of information for people living with paralysis and their caregivers to promote health, foster involvement in the community and improve quality of life. It provides quality information on paralysis in a variety of ways; through highly-trained Information Specialists who can be contacted via telephone at 800-539-7309 or e-mail; through in-person visits to its offices; or through its National Clearinghouse Library of paralysis-related publications available for free loan through interlibrary loan programs. For more information, please visit www.paralysis.org.