Jason Mitchell (born January 5, 1987)[1] is an American actor. Mitchell started his career acting in minor roles in films such as the action-thriller Contraband (2012), and the neo-noir Broken City (2013). He is best known for portraying rapper Eazy-E in the 2015 biopic Straight Outta Compton. The film is considered his career breakthrough, for which he received numerous award nominations including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture. Mitchell has also appeared in the Key and Peele comedy film Keanu (2016), the Netflix film Barry (2016), James Franco's The Disaster Artist (2017), and the blockbuster Kong: Skull Island (2017). He has also appeared in critically acclaimed film such as Kathryn Bigelow's crime drama Detroit (2017), Dee Rees' historical drama Mudbound (2017) and Janicza Bravo's black comedy Zola (2021).
Jason Mitchell | |
|---|---|
 Mitchell in 2016 | |
| Born | January 5, 1987 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2010–present |
Mitchell is also known for his television roles, making guest appearances in the Amazon Studios limited series Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams (2018), Alan Yang's dark comedy series Forever acting alongside Hong Chau. Starting in 2018 he was cast in Lena Waithe's Showtime series The Chi until 2019 when he was accused of multiple allegations of misconduct and subsequently fired from the show. He was also dropped by several talent agencies.[2]
Career
editMitchell had his film debut in 2011 as a 7-Eleven cashier in the crime film Texas Killing Fields. He continued acting in minor roles such as the action-thriller Contraband (2012) starring Mark Wahlberg, and the political neo-noir Broken City (2013) starring Russell Crowe and Wahlberg.
In 2014, Mitchell made his film breakthrough when he was cast as Compton rapper Eazy-E in the F. Gary Gray directed biopic Straight Outta Compton,[3] with his performance being met with significant praise by critics.[4] He received multiple awards nominations including the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. In 2016, he appeared in Keanu, which starred Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, and in the Netflix biopic about Barack Obama.
In 2017 starred as a Vietnam War officer in the blockbuster monster movie, Kong: Skull Island. That same year he also appeared in James Franco's comedy film The Disaster Artist. He also starred in two critically acclaimed films, Kathryn Bigelow's crime drama Detroit starring John Boyega, Kaitlyn Dever, and Will Poulter and Dee Rees' historical drama Mudbound. For the later he received the Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award and the Gotham Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance along the cast which included Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jonathan Banks, and Mary J. Blige. Mitchell also received his second Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture nomination.
Michell has also made appearances in television including in the Amazon Studios limited series Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams (2017) where he appeared in the episode, "Kill all Others". He also appeared in the Alan Yang created dark comedy series Forever (2018) starring in the episode "Andre and Sarah", playing Andre with Hong Chau playing Sarah. The episode was critically acclaimed for its storytelling and performances. In 2018, Mitchell starred in the Lena Waithe's Showtime drama series The Chi, but did not return for a third season due to his misconduct allegations.[5][6]
Controversies
editSexual misconduct allegations
editIn May 2019, Mitchell was fired from The Chi when showrunner Ayanna Floyd Davis and co-star Tiffany Boone accused him of sexual misconduct.[7] Boone was among many actresses who "made repeated complaints of sexual harassment" against Mitchell and said she felt "unsafe" around him.[8]
While creator and showrunner Lena Waithe claimed that Mitchell had never acted inappropriately towards her, she knew of the allegations after filming had wrapped on season one of The Chi. Waithe reportedly sought preemptive and corrective measures to handle the situation. She stated that there had been extensive sexual harassment training on set and that she confronted Mitchell about the allegations by saying, "There was definitely a conversation where I called him and got really real". Waithe alleged the harassment and misconduct allegations continued into season two despite the corrective measures taken.[9]
Mitchell denied the multiple allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct against him saying, "I'm all for the Me Too movement...but I think in this situation, [Floyd Davis] tried to use it as a really, really ugly weapon".[10] Mitchell was subsequently fired from the Netflix film Desperados, and was dropped by United Talent Agency and Authentic Talent & Literary Management.[11]
Criminal charges
editOn April 22, 2020, Mitchell was arrested in Harrison County, Mississippi, on multiple counts, including "possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm by a felon."[12] Officers searched his SUV and found about 2 pounds of marijuana with a bag of 1,300 dosage units of ecstasy. Deputies also found an AK-47 firearm and a Glock 9mm pistol with extended magazines. Mitchell was released after posting a $150,000 surety bond.[13]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Texas Killing Fields | 7-Eleven Cashier | Ami Canaan Mann | |
| 2012 | Contraband | Walter | Baltasar Kormákur | |
| Dragon Eyes | J-Dog | John Hyams | ||
| 2013 | Broken City | Cast Friend #1 | Allen Hughes | |
| 2015 | Straight Outta Compton | Eazy-E | F. Gary Gray | |
| 2016 | Keanu | Bud | Peter Atencio | |
| Vincent N Roxxy | Cordell | Gary Michael Schultz | ||
| Barry | PJ | Vikram Gandhi | ||
| 2017 | Kong: Skull Island | Glenn Mills | Jordan Vogt-Roberts | |
| Detroit | Carl Cooper | Kathryn Bigelow | ||
| Mudbound | Ronsel Jackson | Dee Rees | ||
| The Disaster Artist | Nate | James Franco | ||
| 2018 | Tyrel | Tyler | Sebastián Silva | |
| Superfly | Eddie | Director X | ||
| 2019 | The Mustang | Henry Cooper | Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre | |
| 2020 | Zola | Dion | Janicza Bravo | |
| 2021 | For the Love of Money | Gregory | Leslie Small | |
| 2023 | Call Her King | Sean Samuels | Wes Miller | |
| 2023 | Scarborn | Domingo | Paweł Maślona |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Major Crimes | Twizz | Episode: "Snitch" |
| 2017–18 | Freedom Fighters: The Ray | John Trujillo / Black Condor | Voice; Web series |
| 2018–19 | The Chi | Brandon Johnson | 20 episodes |
| 2018 | Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams | Lenny | Episode: "Kill All Others" |
| Forever | Andre | Episode: "Andre and Sarah" |
Awards and nominations
editReferences
edit- ^ "UPI Almanac for Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019". United Press International. January 5, 2019. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2019.
actor Jason Mitchell in 1987 (age 33)
- ^ "Jason Mitchell". Moviefit. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
- ^ Siegel, Tatiana (June 16, 2014). "NWA Biopic Casts Its Dr. Dre, Eazy-E". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ Scott, Mike (August 17, 2015). "What does Eazy-E's daughter think of New Orleans actor Jason Mitchell's portrayal of her father in 'Straight Outta Compton'?". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ Metz, Nina (June 18, 2020). "As 'The Chi' returns without Jason Mitchell, a look back at why is he off the series". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "Jason Mitchell Arrested for Drugs, Weapons in Mississippi | Hollywood Reporter". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (February 17, 2020). "'The Chi' Star Tiffany Boone Breaks Silence on Series Exit Amid Misconduct Accusations Against Jason Mitchell". IndieWire. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ "Jason Mitchell Dropped From 'The Chi' and Netflix Film Amid Misconduct Claims". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "Lena Waithe on Jason Mitchell Allegations: 'I Wish I Would've Handled It Differently'". Variety. May 30, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "Former 'The Chi' actor Jason Mitchell denounces misconduct allegations that got him fired". USA Today. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 20, 2019). "Jason Mitchell Dropped By UTA, Authentic, 'The Chi' & Netflix Movie 'Desperados' Over Misconduct Allegations". Deadline. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (April 23, 2020). "'Straight Outta Compton's Jason Mitchell Arrested On Felony Drug And Weapons Charges". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ "Jason Mitchell Arrested for Drugs, Weapons in Mississippi". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. April 24, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ Nugent, John (February 18, 2016). "Jameson Empire Awards 2016: Star Wars and Mad Max lead the nominations". Empire. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
- ^ Blair, Iain (September 29, 2016). "San Diego Film Fest Honors Annette Bening, Jason Mitchell, Simon Helberg and Kate Beckinsale". Variety. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
External links
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