During the 1980s, Mitchell was a member of the
hip hop group
Groove B. Chill. Mitchell made his film debut in
House Party (1990). He had taken the role for both financial reasons and in hopes of popularizing his music. After acting in the
sequel, Mitchell decided to leave music to focus strictly on acting. Mitchell landed the role of Dexter, a lunch attendant who often argued with the protagonist, on the sitcom
The John Larroquette Show (1993−96). For his work on
John Larroquette, Mitchell was nominated for an
NAACP Image Award in 1996 for
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He appeared regularly as marketing director Leo on ''
Veronica's Closet'' from 1997 to 2000. He appeared as Wally, a mechanic, in
Sgt. Bilko (1996), with
Steve Martin and
Chris Rock among his co-stars. Mitchell was Earl in
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate (1996) Mitchell appeared as Raul in the
Disney film
Toothless (1997) alongside ''Veronica's Closet'' co-star
Kirstie Alley. In 1999, Mitchell acted in two feature films. He appeared as English teacher Mr. Morgan in
10 Things I Hate About You and portrayed Tommy Webber, a fictional actor who performed as Lieutenant Laredo during childhood, in the science fiction spoof
Galaxy Quest. He appeared as police officer Chambers in
Lucky Numbers (2000) and was Steve in
Black Knight (2001). Mitchell played a state trooper in
The Country Bears (2002), which finished filming shortly before he was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident. He joined the series in its third season. The producers of the series, already feeling the ensemble was too large, balked at the idea of another character being introduced. However, producer
Jon Beckerman's worries were quelled upon meeting Mitchell and he was taken by Mitchell's sense of humor, leading to the character of Eli being created. Despite the show's short run, Mitchell received his second NAACP Image Award nomination in 2010, in the category of
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. Mitchell went on to win the award on February 26, 2010. From 2014 to 2021 he starred in
NCIS: New Orleans as recurring-turned-main character Patton Plame, a computer specialist for NCIS. In 2018, he joined the cast of
Fear the Walking Dead portraying Wendell. In September 2009, Mitchell was profiled on
TV One's biographical documentary program
Life After, a series that examines the lives of celebrities following a career turning point. ==Personal life==