Red Mitchell(1961-1994)
- Actor
Born Mark Benton Mitchell on August 1, 1961 in Houston, Texas, Red
attended high school in Splendora, Texas, where he was an all-district
athlete in football, baseball and basketball - but it was also there
that he discovered his love for poetry and drama. He graduated with a
BA in Drama from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas in
1984, and began an arduous career in regional theater and industrial
film. After joining the Screen Actor's Guild, he changed his name to
Red, largely to honor his father - who was also his high school
football coach. He seemed on the cusp of great things after appearances
in JFK (1991) and especially 8 Seconds (1994), opposite Luke Perry and Stephen
Baldwin, but his career stalled and he returned home for an extended
visit. Driving with his father, he crossed a "blind" rural railroad
crossing - one without warning lights or barriers - at exactly the
wrong time. Red the actor was killed instantly, though Red the father
survived.