Herb Mitchell (actor)
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Herbert L. Mitchell, Jr. (June 18, 1937 – January 4, 2011), credited as Herb Mitchell and sometimes Herb L. Mitchell, was an American actor, director, and teacher. He was a stockbroker before he made the switch to acting, appearing in films; stage plays such as '' The Fiddler on the Roof'', in which he played the lead role of
Tevye Tevye the Dairyman, also translated as Tevye the Milkman ( yi, טבֿיה דער מילכיקער, ''Tevye der milkhiker'' ) is the fictional narrator and protagonist of a series of short stories by Sholem Aleichem, and various adaptations of th ...
; television shows including ''
The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in ...
'', on which he had a recurring role; and commercials, including ones for stock brokerage firms
Dean Witter Reynolds Dean Witter Reynolds was an American stock brokerage and securities firm catering to a variety of clients. Prior to the company's acquisition, it was among the largest firms in the securities industry with over 9,000 account executives (ranking ...
and
Paine Webber PaineWebber & Co. was an American investment bank and stock brokerage firm that was acquired by the Swiss bank UBS in 2000. The company was founded in 1880 in Boston, Massachusetts, by William Alfred Paine and Wallace G. Webber. Operating with t ...
. He was married twice and had five children.


Early life

Herb Mitchell was born June 18, 1937, in
Bar Harbor Bar Harbor is a resort town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population is 5,089. During the summer and fall seasons, it is a popular tourist destination and, until a catastrophic fire ...
,
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
. He was one of three sons of Herbert L. Mitchell, Sr., and Estella Mae Bourgeois Mitchell. He grew up in Bar Harbor, where he attended local schools, served as an
altar boy An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helps bring up the gifts, brings up the book ...
in the local
Catholic church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, and participated in high school sports. Following studies at the
University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a public land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the flagship university of the University of Maine System. It is classifie ...
and the
Maine Maritime Academy Maine Maritime Academy (Maine Maritime or MMA) is a public college focused on maritime training and located in Castine, Maine. The academy was established by the 90th Maine Legislature on March 21, 1941. Unlike federal service academies, a congr ...
, he became a stockbroker in Bangor, Maine.


Acting career

In the late 1960s, Mitchell joined a community theater group in
Ellsworth, Maine Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Maine, United States. The 2020 Census determined it had a population of 8,399. Named after United States Founding Father Oliver Ellsworth, it contains historic buildings a ...
, the Ellsworth Players; he eventually became its president. He was purely a behind-the-scenes participant in the group's stage productions until 1971, when director Bill Raiten persuaded him to take the role of
Tevye Tevye the Dairyman, also translated as Tevye the Milkman ( yi, טבֿיה דער מילכיקער, ''Tevye der milkhiker'' ) is the fictional narrator and protagonist of a series of short stories by Sholem Aleichem, and various adaptations of th ...
in a production of the musical '' Fiddler on the Roof''. His portrayal won praise, including a favorable review by playwright Samuel A. Taylor. A New York City producer who saw the show offered Mitchell a chance to play the same role in an off-Broadway production of the musical in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
. Mitchell, as the father of four children, felt committed to his financial career and declined the offer. However, he continued to act in local productions in the following years, became disenchanted with his job, and decided to pursue acting as a profession. During the 1970s, he became co-owner of a jazz club and bar that operated seasonally in Maine; he spent the off-season acting on stage in
southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
. He auditioned for the television series ''
M*A*S*H ''M*A*S*H'' (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) is an American media franchise consisting of a series of novels, a film, several television series, plays, and other properties, and based on the semi-autobiographical fiction of Richard Hooker. Th ...
'' (1972–83) without success. By 1980, he was working in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
as an actor, appearing in films, television programs, live performances, and commercials. He portrayed roles in commercials for stock brokerage firms Dean Witter, as the company spokesman, and
Paine Webber PaineWebber & Co. was an American investment bank and stock brokerage firm that was acquired by the Swiss bank UBS in 2000. The company was founded in 1880 in Boston, Massachusetts, by William Alfred Paine and Wallace G. Webber. Operating with t ...
, as an executive. In 1992, while living in Los Angeles, Mitchell bought a home in
Blue Hill, Maine Blue Hill is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,792 at the 2020 census. It is home to the Blue Hill Public Library, Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, George Stevens Academy, the Blue Hill Harbor School, The Bay Sch ...
. In the early 1990s, he operated the Company of CharActors Theatre, which performed stage plays, one of which he directed, in
Studio City, California Studio City is a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, in the southeast San Fernando Valley, just west of the Cahuenga Pass. It is named after the studio lot that was established in the area by film producer Mack Sennett in 192 ...
. In the 1993 film '' Gettysburg'', set during the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...
(1861–65), he portrayed the real-life
Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...
flag bearer Sergeant Andrew Jackson Tozier. In the early to mid-2000s, he survived three
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
s and then moved back to Blue Hill with his family, where he semi-retired while occasionally appearing in local stage productions. He reprised his role as Tevye in ''Fiddler on the Roof'' in May 1990 and August 2006, again directed by Raiten. He appeared in the television courtroom drama series ''
The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in ...
'' (1997–2004) as the recurring character Judge Rodney White. In August 2006 he appeared at Ellsworth High School, in Ellsworth, Maine, as Eddie Carbone in a production of
Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...
's play '' A View from the Bridge''. Over the years, he was mentored in singing by Sheldon Bisberg, "his longtime musical collaborator".


Personal life and death

Mitchell was the father of four children with his first wife, Scarlett Kinney, and one daughter with his second wife, Janet Ahearn. At the time of his death he also was a grandfather of four. On January 4, 2011, he died in the Blue Hill home of his daughter Kathy and her husband.


Selected appearances

Films * ''
Sam's Son ''Sam's Son'' is a 1984 American semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Michael Landon loosely based on his early life and is also the only feature film made by him. The film stars Eli Wallach, Anne Jackson, Timoth ...
'' (1984) as Coach Diener * '' Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo'' (1984) as Stanley * ''
Tuff Turf ''Tuff Turf'' is a 1985 American drama film directed by Fritz Kiersch and starring James Spader and Kim Richards. The film was released in the United States on January 11, 1985. Plot Morgan Hiller (Spader) is an intelligent but bullied teenage ...
'' (1985) as Mr. Russell * ''Scorpion'' (1986) as Los Angeles International Airport: Dr. Ghys * ''
Innerspace ''Innerspace'' is a 1987 American science fiction comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Michael Finnell. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer. It was inspired by the 1966 science fiction film ''Fantastic Voyage''. It sta ...
'' (1987) as Camera Store Clerk * ''
Big Man on Campus ''Big Man on Campus'' (also known as ''The Hunchback of UCLA'' and ''The Hunchback Hairball of L.A.'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1989 comedy film directed by Jeremy Kagan, and written by and starring Allan Katz. It is loosely based on ''The Hunch ...
'' (1989) as Captain Summers * '' There Goes the Neighborhood'' (1992) as Mr. Bratesman * '' Gettysburg'' (1993) as Sergeant Andrew Jackson Tozier (the actual Tozier was in his 20s at the time of war) * ''
The Last Seduction ''The Last Seduction'' is a 1994 American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by John Dahl, and features Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, and Bill Pullman. The film was produced by ITC Entertainment and distributed by October Films. Fiorentino ...
'' (1994) as Bob Trotter * '' Drive'' (1997) as Trooper #1 * '' Against the Law'' (1997) as Carl Stensgard * ''Surface to Air'' (1998, direct-to-video) as General Davis * ''Back to Even'' (1998, direct-to-video) as Des * '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) as Sergeant Simpson * ''
Chain of Command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...
'' (2000) as Admiral Harrington * ''
Ali ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...
'' (2001) as Boxing Commissioner * '' Gods and Generals'' (2003) as Union Officer (uncredited) Television films * '' Pray TV'' (1982) * ''Life of the Party: The Story of Beatrice'' (1982) * ''Desire, the Vampire'' (1982) * ''Baby Sitter'' (1983) * ''Do You Remember Love'' (1985) * ''On Fire'' (1987) * ''Daddy'' (1987) * ''What Price Victory'' (1988) * ''The Preppie Murder'' (1989) * ''Lies Before Kisses'' (1991) * ''Switched at Birth'' (1991) * ''A Murderous Affair: The Carolyn Warmus Story'' (1992) * ''Empty Cradle'' (1993) * '' Menendez: A Killing in Beverly Hills'' (1994) * '' Abandoned and Deceived'' (1995) * ''Norma Jean & Marilyn'' (1996) * ''Silk Hope'' (1999) * ''Santa and Pete'' (1999) * ''Hefner: Unauthorized'' (1999) * ''
Chain of Command A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part. Milit ...
'' (2000) Television * Dean Witter commercials (1980s–90s) as Spokesman – now called
Dean Witter Reynolds Dean Witter Reynolds was an American stock brokerage and securities firm catering to a variety of clients. Prior to the company's acquisition, it was among the largest firms in the securities industry with over 9,000 account executives (ranking ...
*
Paine Webber PaineWebber & Co. was an American investment bank and stock brokerage firm that was acquired by the Swiss bank UBS in 2000. The company was founded in 1880 in Boston, Massachusetts, by William Alfred Paine and Wallace G. Webber. Operating with t ...
commercials (circa 1980s-90s) as Executive * ''
The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in ...
'' (1997–2004) as Judge Rodney White – recurring role in the television series (final television appearance) Others * '' Fiddler on the Roof'' (1971, 1990, 2006) as
Tevye Tevye the Dairyman, also translated as Tevye the Milkman ( yi, טבֿיה דער מילכיקער, ''Tevye der milkhiker'' ) is the fictional narrator and protagonist of a series of short stories by Sholem Aleichem, and various adaptations of th ...
 – theatrical productions * '' A View from the Bridge'' (2006) as Eddie Carbone – high school production


References


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Bibliography

* * ;
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
* * * *


External links


Herb Mitchell
at AveleyMan.com * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Herb 1937 births 2011 deaths Male actors from Maine Maine Maritime Academy alumni People from Bangor, Maine People from Bar Harbor, Maine University of Maine alumni People from Blue Hill, Maine