Actor and comedian Daryl "Chill" Mitchell portrayed Wendell in Fear the Walking Dead and is known for numerous other roles, including English teacher Mr. Morgan in 10 Things I Hate About You, Galaxy Quest, NCIS: New Orleans, Ed, and more. Mitchell currently stars in ABC's newest sitcom, Shifting Gears.
Created by Julie Thacker Scully & Mike Scully, who are known for their work on The Simpsons, Shifting Gears is a multi-cam comedy that premiered on ABC in January 2025. According to The Wrap, the five-part series broke viewership records for the network despite tepid critical reviews. The new series had nearly 17 million viewers across ABC, Hulu, Hulu on Disney+ and digital platforms.
John Pasquin serves as director for episodes 1 and 2 and is known for his collaborations with Tim Allen, who leads Shifting Gears with Kat Dennings (Two Broke Girls, Thor: Love and Thunder, The Sandman). Pasquin and Allen have worked together on several films, including The Santa Clause, Jungle 2 Jungle, and Joe Somebody.
Viewers are obviously excited to see Allen in his newest sitcom since Last Man Standing (2011-2021), but he is best known as Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the ABC's Home Improvement (1991–1999). These types of sitcoms are nothing new but viewers love a good family comedy with relatable stories.
The series stars Allen as a widower, Matt, who runs a classic car restoration shop. Dennings stars as Riley, his estranged daughter who, along with her teen children Carter and Georgia, (Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis), move in with Matt. Seann Williams Scott and Mitchell portray two goofy mechanics who work at Matt's shop.
Mitchell's Fear TWD co-star, Jenna Elfman has been cast in a recurring role with Brenda Song as a guest star.
Below, Mitchell introduces Stitch on Instagram.
Daryl Mitchell - other roles
In Fear the Walking Dead, Mitchell portrayed Wendell, brother to Mo Collins Sarah, beginning in season 4. Fear TWD ended its eight-season run in 2023 and both Wendell and Sarah didn't receive the recognition they deserved in the last episodes.
Mitchell portrayed Eli Goggins in Ed, and in Veronica's Closet as Leo Michaels, both NBC comedies. He starred in seven seasons of NCIS: New Orleans as Patton Plame and in a comedy series Brothers with Michael Strahan, Carl Weathers, and CCH Pounder.
He previously starred with Allen in the 1999 satirical sci-fi film Galaxy Quest. This movie, which is a homage to sci-fi films, also starred Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, and Sam Rockwell. The movie has gained cult status with Star Trek fans who appreciate the affectionate parody. Galaxy Quest streams for free on Pluto.
Don't miss Shifting Gears airs new episodes weekly on Wednesdays. The season finale airs on Feb. 5.
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