Brian Stokes Mitchell won the 2000 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for his performance in Kiss Me, Kate. His other Broadway credits include the title role in August Wilson’s King Hedley II (Tony, Drama Desk nominations), Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in Ragtime (Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle nominations, L.A. Drama Critic’s Circle and the Drama League’s Distinguished Performance awards), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Jelly’s Last Jam, Oh, Kay!, Mail (Theatre World Award), and the City Center Encores! presentations of Do Re Mi and Carnival. His career in television and film spans from "Roots: The Next Generation" and "Trapper John, M.D." to Dreamworks’ animated feature "The Prince of Egypt" and Showtime’s "Ruby’s Bucket of Blood” with Angela Bassett and the television film "Call Me Claus" with Whoopi Goldberg. Other TV credits include "Too Rich" with Lauren Bacall, "Double Platinum" with Diana Ross, and a recurring role as neighbor Cam Winston on "Frasier." In 2005 he headlined the Carnegie Hall concert presentation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific with Reba McEntire and Alec Baldwin. The concert aired on PBS and was released on CD and DVD.

Mr. Stokes has been president of The Actors' Fund of America since 2004.