"All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Is it totally niave of me to have never even considered he was gay? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LOS ANGELES – James Mitchell, who for nearly three decades played gruff patriarch Palmer Cortland on the ABC soap opera "All My Children," has died, his longtime partner said Sunday night.

Mitchell died Friday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, partner Albert Wolsky said. Mitchell had suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease for years, complicated by a recent bout of pneumonia.

Mitchell appeared in more than 300 episodes of the popular soap from 1979 until a 40th anniversary episode this month. He was a regular on the show until 2008.

Mitchell enjoyed playing the icy, wealthy Palmer, who wielded power over his children and the show's fictional town of Pine Valley.

"He loved playing mean," Wolsky said. "A soap gives an actor a chance to develop something because it goes on for so long."

Born in Sacramento in 1920 and trained as a dancer, Mitchell had leading roles in the Broadway musicals "Brigadoon" and "Paint Your Wagon," and danced on stage with the American Ballet Theater.

His film credits include 1953's "The Band Wagon" with Fred Astaire, 1954's "Deep in My Heart" and 1955's "Oklahoma."

Mitchell also taught movement for actors at Yale University and Drake University, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate.

Funeral plans were pending.

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

RIP! I wonder if they will write this into the story line!

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Not naive especially if you only knew him from AMC.

Look him up on you tube. An absolutely stunning dancer in his day. Good actor too. May he rest in peace

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Awww, Palmer... I loved him!

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

i remember when he first started with AMC. he'll be missed.

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

How sad. I loved "Palmer" on AMC.

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Aw that is sad.

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

I had no idea he was gay.

Aww how sad. I loved Palmer Cortland back in his hey day!

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

Pine Valley will never be the same.
I had no idea he was 89.

I am sure they will write this into the story line. They have done that for so many other great AMC actors that had passed away while active on the show.

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

I have been an AMC watcher for a long long time. I loved Palmer and Opal!!

But I will say that I never suspected he was gay until a couple of years ago when he would randomly show up on the show and you could just tell from his demeanor.

Re: "All My Children" actor James Mitchell dead at 89 (Palmer Cortlandt)

My mother told me before when i called her... He was a great actor..R.I.P. James Mitchell!!