Brian Stokes Mitchell

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Brian Stokes Mitchell (b. 31 October 1958, Seattle, Washington) is one of the leading actors on Broadway today. A powerful baritone, he has been one of the central male star figures of the theatre in the last two decades.

His Broadway credits include Mail (1988), an all-black revival of George Gershwin's Oh, Kay! (1990), Jelly's Last Jam (1992) based on the works of jazz artist Jelly Roll Morton, John Kander and Fred Ebb's Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993), Ragtime (1998), the 1999 revival of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate, King Hedley II (2001) and Man of La Mancha (2002). He appeared in the City Center Encores! productions of Jule Styne's Do Re Mi (1999), Bob Merrill's Carnival! (2000), and Kismet (2006), and in the title role in the 2002 Kennedy Center revival of Sweeney Todd, part of Stephen Sondheim's 70th birthday celebration.

Mitchell has a number of television and film credits including the voice of Jethro in the animated feature The Prince of Egypt (1998), Hilary Banks' news anchor fiancé Trevor Newsworthy/Collins on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and a seven-year stint on Trapper John, M.D.. He also guest-starred on Frasier as Dr. Frasier Crane's neighbour and rival Cam Winston.

He won the American Theatre Wing's Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for Kiss Me, Kate in 1999. He was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for Ragtime in 1998 and Man of La Mancha in 2002, and for Best Actor in a Play for King Hedley II in 2001.

On June 9, 2005, Mitchell appeared in a concert version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, at Carnegie Hall. He starred as Emile, alongside Reba McEntire as Nellie Forbush and Alec Baldwin as Luther Billis. The production was taped and telecast by PBS on April 26, 2006.

Prior to Ragtime, he had been known professionally as Brian Mitchell. He is currently the President of the Actor's Fund, and his eagerly and critically-anticipated debut CD "Brian Stokes Mitchell" was released on June 6th, 2006.

He has been married to actress Allyson Tucker since 1994 and has a son, Ellington.