Star Trek: Discovery Actor Opens Up About ALS Diagnosis

There is little doubt that living with a debilitating illness can be difficult and life-changing but that's exactly what happened to Kenneth Mitchell. The Star Trek: Discovery actor has just opened up about his shocking ALS diagnosis and how his castmates helped him find the courage to deal with his situation.

Mitchell, who played the Klingon warrior Kol in Discovery, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is a neurological disease that slowly takes away the patient's ability to control their muscles. Although he was diagnosed with the disease in late 2018, Mitchell has only recently decided to speak with People to share his story.

It may have been difficult for Mitchell but he found the strength to "[accept] this with grace". He then revealed that his Discovery castmates helped him with the acceptance

"I'll never forget, one of my Star Trek costars told me, because they had dealt with some trying times with illnesses and stuff, and I remember them communicating to me, saying, ‘You have a choice. You can look at this in many different ways, but maybe try to look at this like a gift where you get to experience life in a way that most people don't,'" Mitchell said.

Unfortunately, Mitchell's condition means he could no longer continue to work on Discovery. Nevertheless, we're hoping that his battle with ALS will get easier in time.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 is set to premiere on CBS All Access later this year.

Related: Did Star Trek: Picard Episode 6 Just Tease at [SPOILERS] Death?